DIY: Building a Simple TV Stand Bookshelf

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The furniture suite we have in our Master Bedroom has belonged to my husband since he was a kid and I’m crazy about it. It’s built with solid pieces of 2×3 lumber and stained a lovely shade of Walnut. It’s sturdy and timeless, and I recently discovered, very expensive to purchase! We needed a piece for the room that would function as both a TV stand and a Bookshelf, and when I began looking for something to match the rest of our furniture, I couldn’t believe the sticker shock. The more I looked at the furniture we had, however, the more convinced I was that I could build something in the same style that would fit the space.

This bookshelf was designed to fit a very specific space and measures 7′ tall. I wanted it to be sturdy enough to support the weight of our 32″ inch television, but, decorative enough to style with potted plants, frames and books.

The Dimensions for this piece are 84″ x 33″ x 17″ with 14″ deep shelves. I ended up building 6 shelves including the top and bottom of the piece, with one of the shelves being 23″ tall to accommodate the television.

The cut list for this project is:

• Four 2″ x 3″ x 84″
• Twelve 2″ x 3″ x 14″
• Twenty Four 1″ x 4″ x 33″
• Two 1″ x 4″ x 28″

To create strong shelves, I needed to start this unit off with strong corner joints between my horizontal 14″ pieces and my vertical 84″ pieces. To accomplish that, I used angled Pocket Screws and wood glue.

By securing these horizontal pieces with angled 2″ Pocket Screws and Wood Glue, I knew I could create a strong enough joint to hold the weight of our TV as well as books, frames and other decorative items.

So, the first step in this project was to drill two pocket screw holes in each end of all twelve of my 2″ x 3″ x 14″ with my Pocket Hole Jig.

Once I had all the holes drilled, I was able to lay out the two sides, aka, the “Ladders”, and figure out where I wanted the rungs to go. I wanted to be sure I left enough room at the top for the shelf to lay flush with the tops of the vertical supports, so, those rungs were placed 3/4″ from the top. I also knew I needed at least 22″ for the TV Shelf. The other shelves were up to us to decide.

Once all the rungs were laid out, I measured and marked each where each shelf would go, and then got busy clamping with my all time favorite Miter Clamps. These were the perfect way to make sure each cross/support piece was squared out and level. I slathered the ends of each piece in Wood Glue, and put a clamp on both the top and bottom of each rung before I secured it with a 2″ Pocket Screw.

Once all the 14″ pieces were joined to the Vertical Support pieces, I was ready to install the shelves. Each shelf needed four pieces of the 1″ x 4″ boards. Once I had all of these pieces cut and in place, I took my Brad Shooter and secured each board to the 14″ support.

Once all the shelves were secured to the support beams, we were ready to move this bad boy out into the open air for sanding and staining. Moving it out of the shop, however, gave us a little bit of a worry. Without any cross supports to hold the two “Ladders” together, it was a bit wobbly from side to side.

To add a bit more support without detracting from the original design goal of open and simple, we decided to brace the back of the TV shelf on the top and bottom. We cut two 28″ pieces of 1″ x 4″ and wedged them in between the two vertical supports in the back. Once they were squeezed in and bracing the two 7′ pieces on either side, we shot them with the Brad Shooter to hold them in place. This eliminated about 80% of the wobble we felt when we moved the shelf out of the shop.

(If this shelf were going in a high traffic area and not being braced against two walls, I think adding these supports at the top and bottom of each shelf would go a long way to help solve the wobbling problem and make the shelf feel more secure.)

Now, it was time to sand, sand, and sand again. I first sanded the shelf down with 100 Grit Sandpaper, then 150 Grit, then 220 Grit. When I was done sanding, this shelf was smoother than a piece of marble and ready to condition and stain!

I really like using Varathane Conditioner and Stain together and thought this shade of Special Walnut was not only gorgeous, but, a really close match to the furniture we already have in the bedroom.

All in all, the lumber, stain and sandpaper for this project ended up costing me $55 as opposed to the $450 Book Shelf I found to match the set we have in our Master Bedroom. I was able to save money by using the best construction grade lumber I could find in the bins at the store versus using “Prime Select” pine, and I think the savings were WELL worth the time spent rummaging.