This nightstand started as a sketchbook exercise: a simple box with angled sides, sized to sit comfortably next to a bed without looking bulky. It’s built entirely from birch plywood, and rather than paint or veneer over the plywood edges, they’re left exposed. The layered edge-grain is part of the design, not something to hide.
Finished Project Overview
The finished piece is a single-drawer nightstand with a tapered, trapezoid-like profile (the case is wider at the top than at the base) plus an open lower cubby for a book or a lamp cord to run through. The birch plywood was left unfinished/raw rather than stained or painted, so the natural grain and layered edges do the visual work.
Dimensions & Specifications
These numbers come directly from the design sketches and cut list Jeremy wrote out before the build. They haven’t been re-confirmed against the finished piece with a tape measure, so treat them as the as-designed target rather than a guaranteed as-built spec:
- Overall width (as sketched): approximately 29 in
- Overall height (as sketched): approximately 27-1/4 in, built up from three stacked sections: 9-3/4 in, 4-3/4 in, and 12-3/4 in
- Side panels (cut list): 28 x 16 in, quantity 2
- Top shelf (cut list): 26-1/2 x 10 in
- Middle shelf (cut list): 26-1/2 x 14 in
Before settling on a size, the sketchbook also notes general nightstand-sizing research: roughly 24–28 in tall, 15–20 in deep, and 20–28 in wide is typical for a bedside table. This build lands at the taller/wider end of that range.
Materials
Birch plywood is the only material visible across the build photos, used for the side panels, shelves, drawer box, and drawer front. Plywood thickness isn’t confirmed in the photos, and no specific supplier/grade is noted. The drawer runs on metal ball-bearing side-mount slides (brand not visible), and the drawer front has an inset pull made from a contrasting darker hardwood; it reads as walnut or a similarly dark species in photos, but the exact species wasn’t confirmed. Screws (dark-finish, likely coarse-thread cabinet/pocket screws) join the case; no glue-up specifics beyond standard woodworking clamps are visible.
Tools Used
Based on what’s actually visible in the build photos:
- Track saw (RIDGID), used to break down the plywood sheets against a straightedge guide rail
- Cordless drill/driver for assembly screws
- Bar/parallel clamps (DeWalt) for glue-up, plus a couple of hex dumbbells used as improvised weight/clamping aids on the outfeed table
- Metal drawer slides for the drawer box
Design Considerations
The defining design choice is the angled/tapered side panel. Rather than a straight rectangular box (the usual plywood-nightstand default), the case narrows toward the base, giving it a lighter, less blocky look next to a bed. Leaving the plywood edges exposed rather than banding or painting them is the second big decision: it turns what’s normally considered a flaw to hide into the visual signature of the piece, and it’s a look that’s on-trend right now in plywood furniture and interiors generally.
Build Process
The build followed a fairly standard plywood-casework sequence, as documented in the photos:
- Sketch out the design and cut list on graph paper, cross-checking against typical nightstand proportions.
- Break down full plywood sheets into the panel sizes from the cut list using a track saw and guide rail.
- Assemble the angled-side carcass (two shelves plus the angled side panels) and glue/screw it together under clamps.
- Dry-fit the carcass to check proportions and shelf spacing before final assembly.
- Build and install the drawer box on metal ball-bearing slides, with a contrasting wood pull inset into the drawer front.
Gallery
Related Projects
Curious how the same idea looks in a different material? Check out the companion OSB nightstand build for comparison, or browse more modern-styled pieces like the walnut-trimmed four-drawer dresser, once those posts are live.