Project: Double Decker Nightstand

As seen in the March 2011 Issue of Canadian Home Workshop Magazine.
( Please see the issue for a detailed article.)

This nightstand was two years in the making... It is made of two wood species, giving it two colours... There are two drawers... There are Two levels...

I bought a pair of gorgeous African Padauk boards over two years before building this nightstand. I knew that I wanted to use them in a nightstand, but it took a while to come up with the right design. First, I had to make some space underneath, due to an unfortunately placed heating registore.

The main design feature of this piece is the upper level. I went through several iterations during the desing phase, before settling on the design that I built. Here is a selection of some of the designs that I tried out (virtually) as I progressed in planning this project.

Design Gallery

First was a small, curved shelf, centered in the back. I quickly realized this shelf was too small and lacking in versatility. Also having a curved shelf, when the top was not curved, did not work.

Next I tried a wider shelf, but it still didn't quite work.

Eventually I settled on a wide shelf that had two supports under it. I think that this looks the best overall.

Photo Gallery (click any pictures for larger image)