If you have a bare wall in your entryway, a console table could be exactly what you are searching for. When visiting my sister in Iowa, she had a similar situation where her entryway had no furniture with a bare wall. After staying there for a few days, I’ve built her a DIY farmhouse entryway console table for her newly built house.

You also might be interested in a DIY shoe bench rack and DIY entryway mirror frame that I’ve built earlier.

What Is A Console Table?

A console table is like a very tall, narrow coffee table, to give you a decent picture in your mind. They are usually around the height of a desk. Not to be confused with an end table they are much taller than end tables. End tables usually sit beside a couch or a chair. Whereas a console table will be against a wall in most cases and sometimes put behind a couch.

Some console tables will not have the traditional four legs like a normal table will. They sometimes only have decorative corbels or brackets like the way a shelf would be supported against a wall. Ones built this way; they will lean up against a wall for support as they are not designed to be free-standing.

A four-legged console table will be a stand-alone piece, long and narrow that will be up against a wall. A console usually has pictures and other small decorations on it with photos, a mirror, or other wall art hanging above it. Console tables are a great decorative piece to add to your home.

What Is The Purpose Of A Console Table?

Like many pieces of furniture in your home, it has the purpose of adding character to your home but is still somewhat functional. Console tables come in any style you can think of out there, that you can find one to add to your house. It is also getting extremely popular to even make one of your own which will give the table, even more, meaning, and with any DIY project, you get it the exact size you want. This can be crucial if space is an issue or even if you are having trouble finding the one that you like.

Console tables make great focal points in any room. Holding a few precious pictures or keepsakes that you would love to show off or see often. They have the same type of purpose as a hutch or cupboard would have but take up far less space.

Where Should A Console Table Go?

Even though console tables are about as versatile as one piece of furniture could be, they typically would be put somewhere near your front door to be seen as someone walks in. They could be put in a dining room also with a few Knick knacks to decorate them or maybe even a few decorative dishes. They do not take up a ton of space but are great as a space filler.

If you have a very bare wall a console table could be exactly what you are searching for. Since they are very narrow in-depth, they can be put in many places without the worry of taking the walking space away. If you have a wall in your bedroom that could use a little something extra, a console table would be the perfect fit. Add a few pictures and candles and you will find yourself with a comforting piece in your home.

You can also put a console table behind a couch acting as a sofa table. It just needs to be about an inch below the height of the couch. They are very versatile, can be painted, stained, and premade console tables come in many colors.

As much as you might love your table in one spot the great thing about console tables is extremely versatile. They can fit in any room of the house; with any style, you would like just by changing what is used to decorate them. As your taste changes over time a nicely made console table can change with you.

Farmhouse Entryway Console Table PDF

$7.97

This PDF download includes Cut Diagrams, a List of Supplies, and 3D illustrations with detailed steps to build the project. Measurements are in imperial and not metric. Does NOT include SketchUp/CAD files.

The plans are embedded on the webpage for free, but if you would like to support the website, you can pay a small fee to purchase the printable PDFs.

Thank you for your support!

Farmhouse Entryway Console Table

If you are feeling generous today, you could give a small tip to help me create more projects. Thank you!

Tip

Farmhouse Entryway Console Table PDF quantity

Purchase PDF

Note: Lumber dimensions are listed as nominal size.  See lumber sizes for actual dimensions vs nominal.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page as well as links in “tools for this project” and “material list” sections are affiliate links.

Dimensions

Step 1 – Cut Tabletop Boards 

Take 2×4 and cut four pieces to 48″ in length using a miter saw. Then drill pocket holes in three of the 2x4s as shown in the picture. When drilling pocket holes the Kreg Jig should be set up for 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws, since we’re using 2x4s. These 48″ long boards will be used for the tabletop.

Step 2 – Attach Tabletop Boards

To prevent the boards from shifting when screwing in the pocket hole screws, use pipe clamps to hold the boards together. First, apply wood glue between the boards and then clamp them. Use 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws to attach the boards.  

Step 3 – Cut Legs for the Entryway Table

Next, take 2×4 and cut four pieces to 36″ in length. These boards will be used for entryway table legs. Then drill two pocket holes on one end of each leg. The pocket holes should be drilled for 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws. 

Step 4 – Connect the Legs to the Tabletop

The legs need to be attached 1″ away from the edge of the tabletop. So on the bottom of the tabletop measure and mark 1″ from all four edges. Attach the legs to the tabletop on four corners at 1″ mark using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws and wood glue. Make sure that the legs are perfectly squared to the tabletop. This will make the leg support installation easier. 

Step 5 – Cut Leg Supports for the Farmhouse Entryway Table

Take 2×4 and cut two pieces to 39″ in length and two pieces to 9″ in length using a miter saw. Then with a table saw rip these boards in half, so you’ll end up with four 39″ long pieces and four 9″ long pieces. If you do not have a table saw, you could use 2×2 boards instead. Drill two pocket holes at each end of the board. These leg support boards will be used to connect the legs together. 

Step 6 – Connect the Upper Leg Supports

Place the 39″ boards and 9″ boards between the legs as shown in the picture. Secure these boards to the legs using 2 1/2″ pocket holes screws. You could also use a few screws to attach these leg supports directly to the tabletop.

Step 7 – Attach the Lower Leg Supports

The lower leg supports need to be installed 1 1/2″ from the floor. You could always adjust this measurement higher or lower to your preference. Measure and mark 1 1/2″ from the bottom of each leg. Then attach the 39″ boards and 9″ board to the legs using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws.   

Step 8 – Cut Boards for the Bottom Shelf

For the bottom shelf, take 1×8 board and cut seven pieces to 12″ in length. The two pieces on the left and right side of the table will have a notch to wrap around the legs, see picture. Using a table saw cut out 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ notch on both sides of the board. Next, the middle board will need to be trimmed to 2 1/2″ in width. Your measurement might be slightly different, so make sure to measure the space between the boards before making the cut. 

Step 9 – Nail Shelf Boards to Lower Leg Supports

Now place 1×8 boards on the lower leg support boards inside the table and attach them with nail gun using 1 1/4″ brad nails. 

Step 10 – Make the Cross on Ends of the Table

To make a cross at the ends of the table, take 2×4 and cut two pieces to 33″ in length. These boards will be cut shorter later on. Then with a table saw, rip both of the boards in half, so you’ll have four 33″ long pieces. 

Take one of the boards and hold it against the side of the table diagonally at the location where it will be installed. Then on the backside of the board draw a line on top and bottom marking where to cut it. The total length of the board should be around 31 5/8″ with 13-degree miter cuts on both ends. The second board for the cross should be an exact mirror of the first one. 

Once both boards are cut to the right length, insert the boards at its correct location and draw the lines on the backside for the lap joint. Use a miter saw with a blade stopper that will cut a notch 7/8″ deep. The blade stopper allows you to stop at a certain height. Rotate the blade to match the angle of the lap joint. Slide the blade thru the notch area and make multiple cuts. Use a wood chisel to remove wood pieces from the notch. Repeat the process for the second cross. 

Step 11 – Join and Install the Cross on Both Sides of the Table

Apply wood glue inside the lap joint and join the board together creating a cross. Insert the cross inside the table between the legs and attach it to the legs using a nail gun with 2″ brad nails. 

Step 12 – Sand and Stain the Table

Before staining the table use a random orbital sander with 220 sand disk and sand the entire table. Also, sand the edges of the table to make the corners slightly rounded. 

When applying stain, make sure to apply pre-stain first to prevent blotching, especially if you’re using pinewood. Then apply stain and wipe it off with a clean cloth. After the stain dries, apply a coat of matte polyurethane. You’re done with a DIY farmhouse entryway console table.