DIY DESIGNER DUPE MEDIA CONSOLE
We don’t know about you, but there’s been many a time where we’ve found a furniture piece online, fallen in love, but then checked the price tag and known - as heartbreaking as it is - we just can’t afford it. While we definitely can’t wait for the day where we can shell out thousands of designer pieces, this just wasn’t one of them. When it came to this project, we were inspired by countless iterations of buffets, sideboards, and consoles with an inset cane detail.
Specifically, we loved this piece by Lulu and Georgia. In creating our design for the console, we knew we wanted a similar look for a whole lot less. Today, we’re sharing how we did that!
For this build, we specifically built two separate cabinets. You definitely don’t have to do it this way, however, we went this route when considering how modular this piece, rather pieces, could be in our home. While we are using it now as a more media function, we could also split it up perhaps as a sofa table, entry table, or a snug little cabinet at the end of a hall. If there’s one thing to know about Cody, it’s that that man loves nothing more than modular concepts. Again - we love the benefits of this piece being more modular but you could alter the plans to reflect one whole piece if desired.
As for materials, we opted for pre-cut wood sold in pieces that matched our desired dimensions nearly. This is by no means the *cheapest* way of going about this project, but, is still more affordable than buying the pieces that inspired us. For lumber, you will need plywood sheets or if you want to create your own sheets you can do that as well by gluing up multiple pieces. In addition to lumber, you’ll need wood glue, a pocket hole jig, and pocket-hole screws, sander + sanding paper, as well as any stain or varnish of choice. For us, we opted for a mix of Natural and Simply White by Minwax. In addition to the basics of the piece, you’ll want to either grab cane webbing OR use the burlap hack as we did and save major bucks while achieving a similar look. For further assembly + practical pieces, be sure to select legs of your choice (we went with these), hardware, and hinges. For hinges, we purchased online for slow close options and though we initially didn’t think slow close mattered, we’re very grateful we went this direction and would highly recommend you do the same. NOTE: For the hinges, you will need a plunge router. If you don’t have one you may be able to rent one or utilize a local contractor. We got lucky and found ours at goodwill for $10 but you can find them at any local or big box home improvement store.
For the build itself, Cody began by creating the shells of our two cabinets with pre-cut lumber to the dimensions shown below. Once assembled utilizing pocket holes and wood glue, he then focused on the door frames. Our doors we specifically made to only be the outer frame since we would be adding the “cane” after full assembly. To create the door frames you’ll want to take your lumber, utilizing either 90 or 45-degree cuts, and assemble them like picture frames again utilizing pocket holes and wood glue. Once assembled, we sanded and stained the doors and cabinet bases.
With everything sanded and prepped for staining, we went ahead and installed the legs for some additional height and applied our coats as desired and let dry overnight.
Once all pieces were stained and ready to go, we proceeded to route all the cabinet doors for hinges and installed the doors to the cabinet bases. Once installed, we cut our burlap material to about one inch on each side larger than the doorframe opening and attached it with a mix of heavy-duty fabric glue and wood glue. It is easiest to apply the fabric panels starting at the top, working your way down the sides, and then securing the bottom. To ensure a snug fit with no wrinkles, be sure to utilized small clamps whenever possible.
With an overnight dry period for the fabric panels, we finally added on these simple IKEA pulls and got to styling! Overall, this piece was pretty straightforward and could easily be a one or two-day project depending on dimensions or desired stain/paint. We absolutely love how modular and custom it is to our home - especially for closer to $300 than $3,000+. In comparison to the four-figure price tag, we’re thrilled with this piece and are excited to see how it’s used in our space for years to come.
