I had an idea for a media console – a series of stacked wood pieces that I thought would make a cool-looking effect – and with enough space to hold our TV, record player, records, gaming consoles and board games. Since I’m always looking for a DIY project and this media console had specific requirements and measurements, I decided to build it. The project took two months in 2020 and, happy to say five years later, it’s still holding up.

Here is a sketch of what I hoped it would look like.

After researching several tutorials to learn about different methods and materials, I settled on using this DIY tutorial as the basis for the project, with tweaks to accommodate the measurements I needed. The reason I felt comfortable using this tutorial is because I thought stacking the plywood would make it easier to achieve right angles and the sturdiness required for this kind of furniture.

I bought all the materials from Home Depot via delivery and spent about $800 on a Dewalt circular saw (I had wanted one for years and knew this saw would come in handy for future DIY projects), clamps and pieces of white oak plywood and birch plywood.

Because I could only work on this project during naptimes on the weekends, it took two months to complete. The most time-consuming aspects were cutting all those pieces of plywood strips, and then gluing and screwing them each in. I discovered that I am not good at cutting straight, even with a guide. The base is also stacked wood. I had intended for it to be just a stacked plywood base, which I built, but Daniel felt that would make the console too easy to tip over if Gus tried to climb it. To add stability, I found pre-made wooden legs at Home Depot at the right length and wood tone, and screwed them in to each corner.

If you are in the market for a media console or credenza and DIYing one is not an option for you, check out a few options here.