One of the problem areas has been the foyer. We don't have a convenient spot to put keys and mail and incidentals, so they wind up other places and are easily lost. Last November, John and I decided to rectify that by building a console table. This was the original design:
We decided to use the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig that John had picked up previously. We bought some furniture-grade birch plywood, cut it down the dimension with the table saw. We first tested the straightness of the cuts by dry-assembling it with clamps. 
Then we set up the jig and got to drilling.
The jig is incredibly easy to use.
We got the top, bottom and sides put together in short order. We cut the back panel. A few weeks prior, we were at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, and found some pretty nice plain drawers (lacquered plywood with a melamine-coated Masonite bottom). I'm pretty sure they were intended to be kitchen cabinet drawers, but they'd work just fine for the console table. They were marked at $4 each, but were on sale for 50% off, so $4 for drawers was definitely do-able. The only problem was that the drawers were about 5 inches too long and wide, but we figured it'd be easy enough to disassemble them, cut them to size, and reassemble them. We got the first drawer done with no issues--it fit perfectly! The second drawer, I mis-measured, and we cut it the wrong size. Frustrated, we put the project on hold until we could buy a third drawer. A week or so later, we bought a third drawer and set it on top of the frame. And pushed the project off to the side of the garage, where it sat unfinished. I was working on other projects and kept meaning to finish the console, but the thought of doing it myself was a bit daunting. Finally, I bucked it up in May, and drug the four-sided carcass to the work table. First thing I did was attach the back, which make it ever so much more stable and ever so much more HEAVY. I measured the correctly-sized drawer and cut the third drawer to match. Then I put the drawers into the table, expecting them to fit marvelously well. They didn't. In our measurements, we failed to take into consideration the inset back panel, so the drawers were about an inch too long. So, I disassembled both drawers (marking everything as I went so I wouldn't cut too much again!), made the corrections, reassembled them, and happily rejoiced when they fit.
At about this time, I also decided to attach the pine molding I had purchased for the project. I got it attached to the "top" of the cabinet, only to realize I had actually attached it upside down from what I had intended, and the glue had already set, so there was no way I'd be able to take it off without making a big mess. So what was once the bottom of the table became the top of the table. And I realized I hadn't measured correctly, and wouldn't have enough of the molding to finish the bottom. I took a trip to the lumber yard near my work and asked if they stocked pine molding with a cove edge. Nope. They could order me some alder molding with a cove edge.
After I got the bottom molding attached, I decided to modify my design and put the drawers on the bottom of the table. I also decided to add a little cubby between the drawers.
I used the Kreg jig to attach the two side pieces to the bottom, and also the middle shelf to the entire unit.
I had loads of thinly shaved hard maple strips lying around from my brother in law's Christmas present, so I thought I could use those strips as edge-banding to cover the raw plywood edges of the table. I had more hard maple shorts lying around (they were cheap at the lumber yard!) and thought they'd make nice drawer fronts. I got those cut down to size and dry-fitted them.
After I was mostly satisfied with the assembly, I used stainable wood filler to cover brad marks and cracks.
I used the Kreg jig to attach the two side pieces to the bottom, and also the middle shelf to the entire unit.
I had loads of thinly shaved hard maple strips lying around from my brother in law's Christmas present, so I thought I could use those strips as edge-banding to cover the raw plywood edges of the table. I had more hard maple shorts lying around (they were cheap at the lumber yard!) and thought they'd make nice drawer fronts. I got those cut down to size and dry-fitted them.
After I was mostly satisfied with the assembly, I used stainable wood filler to cover brad marks and cracks. 
When it was dry, I scraped off the excess.
And started a sanding regime. 80, 100, 150, 200 grit sand paper. Thank goodness for random orbital sanders! After I wiped it down with a wet rag, it was ready to stain.
I turned to my old reliable Red Mahogany stain (since it's what I have!). This is what it looked like after the first coat:
Unfortunately, the "stainable" wood filler wasn't all that stainable on the molding, so it's really obvious where the brads are. At that point, I was tired and flustered, so I decided to put a second coat on, paying special attention to the filled areas. After the second coat, they filler-spots are still there, but they're not as noticeable and my f-it attitude got the best of me, so I decided to just seal the f-er.I put three coats of poly on the inside, sides, molding, drawer fronts, and legs. For the table top and the top of the shelf, I added three additional poly coats--just for good measure.
This is what the behemoth looks like, fully assembled:
It's HUGE!!!!!! Like, really really really big. I think I'm going to cut the legs down two more inches so it'll stand at counter height, and the ottomans will just fit underneath.
This is what the behemoth looks like, fully assembled:
It's HUGE!!!!!! Like, really really really big. I think I'm going to cut the legs down two more inches so it'll stand at counter height, and the ottomans will just fit underneath.In my haste to get it into the house (by myself! I didn't want to ask John or Josh to help!), I accidentally chipped the molding on the top left hand corner of the piece. The SIX coats of poly were thick enough to keep the piece attached, so I'll have to glue it and then refinish it a bit. 
I call it my Frankenstein Console Table (hence the title of this post) because it's got birch, maple, alder, pine, and Douglas fur. I'm quite proud of myself for getting this huge thing made, mostly by myself. It was most certainly a learning project for me. I know that I need to make much more detailed plans before I begin a project, I know I need to measure not once twice or three times but four times before cutting, I know I need to make accurate calculations of materials needed before I set about cutting things up. Best of all, I know I can make a pretty nifty piece of furniture, all by myself. My mom tells me my great great grandfather was an expert furniture maker...I guess I've got a bit of that in my blood :o)
I call it my Frankenstein Console Table (hence the title of this post) because it's got birch, maple, alder, pine, and Douglas fur. I'm quite proud of myself for getting this huge thing made, mostly by myself. It was most certainly a learning project for me. I know that I need to make much more detailed plans before I begin a project, I know I need to measure not once twice or three times but four times before cutting, I know I need to make accurate calculations of materials needed before I set about cutting things up. Best of all, I know I can make a pretty nifty piece of furniture, all by myself. My mom tells me my great great grandfather was an expert furniture maker...I guess I've got a bit of that in my blood :o)