Coffee Table with Inset Top Storage

coffee table with hidden storage
Difficulty
Intermediate
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This beautiful coffee table has a secret!  The top panels remove, with lots of storage inside.  We love it as a play table (legos anyone?) or a workcenter for your laptop, or just a place to store board games, extra blankets, or magazines.  

This coffee table is easy to build - you'll just need a few tools and some off the shelf lumber.  Step by step plans with diagrams by Ana-White.com

Collections
coffee table opened up revealing hidden storage

coffee table with hidden toy storage

Dimensions
dimensions for coffee table
Dimensions are shown above.

Preparation

Shopping List

1/2 Sheet of 3/4″ MDF or Hardwood Plywood cut into strips 15 7/8″ wide x 48″ long

2 – 1×3

3 – 1×2

1 – 1×6 – 12 foot long

2″ screws (self tapping wood screws)

1 1/4″ screws (self tapping wood screws)

wood glue and filler and finishing supplies

Cut List

2 – 1×6 @ 48″

3 – 1×6 @ 14-3/8″

2 – 3/4″ MDF or Plywood @ 15-7/8″ x 48″

2 – 3/4″ MDF or Plywood @ 15-7/8″ x 24″ (top inserts)

4 – 1×2 @ 17-1/4″

4 – 1×3 @ 17-1/4″

2 – 1×2 @ 44-1/2″

2 – 1×2 @ 12-7/8″

2 – 1×2 @ 48″

2 – 1×3 @ 18-7/8

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Kreg Jig
Drill
Circular Saw
Brad Nailer
Power Sander
Level
Drill Bit Set

Instructions

Step 1

Build the Box for the wooden train table - Mark the sides of the box and predrill holes. Attach the ends and center to the box as shown above. Use 2″ screws and glue or 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws and glue.

Step 2

Bottom of Box - Now just screw the bottom of the wooden train table compartment to the sides and dividers as shown above. 

Step 3

End Legs - Now just screw the end legs on with 1-1/4" screws. I turned the whole thing upside down to do this and screwed the legs from inside to hide.   Also, I tapered the legs with a circular saw, but that’s purely decorative.

Step 4

Front and Back Legs Now screw the front and back legs to the box and the side legs with 1 1/4″ screws and glue. I tapered these too as shown above.  You could also use nails and glue to hide any holes.  Nail holes are much easier to hide than screw holes.

Step 5

Step 6

Optional False Drawers To make the coffee table look like it has drawers, just set your circular saw blade to 1/8″ and make cuts as shown above. Hold off on the knobs until you are done with the table. Make the cuts on both sides, on opposite sides.

Step 7

Top Supports Now just screw these on flush to the top with 1 1/4″ screws and glue

Step 8

Top Sides Now simply screw the top sides to the top as shown above.

Step 9

Top Ends Now simply screw the top ends on as shown above. If you have a Kreg Jig™, you can also screw the end to the sides for added support.

Step 10

Tops Check the fit of the top inserts and sand as needed to insure that the inserts fit properly. If needed, drill a hole in the inserts to use as a handle to pull inserts up with.

Step 11

And here are those mods for the other version. Don’t taper the legs and just add a middle legs, and trim out the bottom of the box and shelves. It’s really simple.

Step 12

I won’t say much more than I’ve been at this one for three days with a hair dryer . . . but the color is dark walnut. I used Elmer’s wood filler and it took the stain quite well. Thanks for reading! I hope you take a second to let me know if you like this design, so I can continue to post more plans that are similar. Mom to mom, this is a must make.

Comments

Lisa W (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 06:41

Love it! I was just thinking about how I could attach the flat Lego spaces to a table. Good thing the guys at my Orange think it's funny when I come in with my 3 kids and cut list. They don't mind cutting the wood for me, thank goodness! Time to make another run!

Michele G (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 06:52

My baby is only 11 months old, so we don't have any legos yet but we are already drowning in a sea of Fisher Price Little People. I'm thinking that the tops will store the little people perfectly while I can put some basket underneath to store the larger Little People playsets (the farm, the nativity, the Hannukah dinner table... we've got em all). Thanks Ana, for another fantastic design! As soon as Santa brings me my Kreg Jig, this one is going on my winter project list!

Raven (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:18

You are amazing. I am so excited to build this for my kids to replace the horrible play table downstairs.

Ana White (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:28

Thank you, thank you for all your amazing beautiful comments! I'm so touched. We all are wonderful in our own special, unique way, but you give me a chance to let my uniqueness show, and I am so grateful and blessed. Thank you.

For those of you wishing to stain and use plywood, a tip - apply your edge banding to the plywood pieces first, and then build around the shelves, adapting your measurement slightly to accommodate the edge banding. The brand I use for edge banding is Band-It and is available at most home improvement stores, and is ridiculously easy to apply with an iron.

Also, for those of you wanting a solid wood look, I used pine 1x6s joined with a pocket hole jig to make my shelves and top. It changed the measurements very slightly, so be aware of that if you choose that route.

You can make the table wider, but be aware, I choose this size so you can get all your pieces off a half sheet of plywood to save everyone money.

Thank you again for your beautiful comments and kindness. You are giving me an opportunity to follow my dreams, and I am very appreciative.

Ana

Catherine (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:34

Just a note - This isn't just perfect for Mom's with kids. I'm 24 and I have a large collection of legos, but I still like to seem stylish - so this is perfect!! This table is first on my list when I buy my own place! Thank you!!

Katherine (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:36

Is this the right place to BEG BEG BEG for the Brookfield Coffee Table and Gaming Console? Because I WILL TOTALLY BEG if it is required. But if that's not coming, I will settle for this lego table. Never thought one could be so attractive!
Thanks for all your work.

Chelle (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:43

This is brilliant. I JUST finished the Tryde table for our living room and now I wish I hadn't! BUT, this is going to be my sister's baby shower present (and she's not even pregnant yet, I'm so ahead of the game!). This table would really work for keeping diapers, wipes and burp clothes handy until the baby is big enough for toys!

Mrs. J (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:48

This is an absolutely brilliant idea! Kids like to play near family--we're social creatures after all! And I feel like most people either sequester their children to a back room to play, or complain about the mess and don't provide a good storage solution. This is wonderful! I wish my parents had thought about this when my brother and I were kids.

Kristen (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:49

I love the look of this table and after I saw it I considered dropping the idea of an upholstered ottoman for the living room and replacing that with this...then I was imagining modifying this plan to the ottoman idea...and then I read the comments and saw that you might have an ottoman plan in the works!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the ottoman idea has the storage underneath also :O)

You are truly amazing--can't wait each day to see what you come up with next!

Katherine (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:49

How funny that I should come across this today when not even a week ago I was thinking to myself that I should build my son a lego table I don't like the ones that you can buy because that is all they can be used for I wanted something he could use for coloring, lincon logs or what ever else his little heart desired. Make the best use of the space we have right. Thanks for the info I just have oine question.....Where do you buy the flat lego boards? I really like the blue you have much better than the green you see on all the other tables.

SarahJ (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 07:54

Ana!
I've printed your getting started guides, all of the projects I want to do (seriously too many to count), and I check your site at least once a day.
Your ability to meet real needs with practical, straight-forward plans that anyone can tackle is magical and your dedication to giving them to us is angelic. The way you put them in context for us makes me (and I can tell from the comments that are always posted, lots of other people) feel like we're kindred spirits.
I was just mentally chastising myself the other day for wishing my beautiful boy was out of diapers already, wishing the stacks of sippy cups were outgrown... And then I was cleaning out my closet and found the little pair of long-outgrown soft booties I had put him in when we brought him home from the hospital in the middle of a Colorado blizzard. So tiny! *sigh*

Anything that helps me let him be a two-year-old boy while also holding onto my sanity is so very appreciated! Please please please keep up the amazing work, and let us know how we can help!

Ashley (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 08:27

Love Love Love this idea... hubby and I are just starting out, and just recently bought a nice farm with a trailer on it (which is just fine for us, until we have time and money to build our house); so anything with hidden extra storage brings us great joy, since space is tight. Ana, your truly amazing!!!

twyla (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 08:33

I've been wanted a lego table too. I love this idea, but I already have a coffee table that's perfect. This could be super great for either a side table or toy trunk for the living room though. What about a design for one of those? Something with drawers would be even more perfect :)

marie (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 08:45

so it's now decided. i am making this for our living room. i have compiled a list of projects to start since my son will be in pre-k soon and my husband will be away for a year. i need things to keep me busy/sane. lol

The Trendy Tot (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 08:51

This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for! Anyone who has a lego maniac at home knows that those little lego table and chairs sets that they sell in the toys stores just aren't going to cut it. If your child has only a few of those big sets they need lots of surface to play and build and lots of storage too. I am soooo building this over the holiday break for our playroom, thanks!! The only modifications I would suggest would be possibly adding some sort of small lip around the top of the table to contain the legos (keep them from falling/rolling onto the floor, but that would be it. Thanks for sharing!!

Jennifer (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:06

Ana,
Once again, you have outdone yourself--this is gorgeous!!!

Speaking of gorgeous...how about that view from your living room windows?! Wow!!! :)

Amy (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:06

I have an Ikea Leksvik coffee table (that appears to no longer be available). It has six open spaces below for baskets, boxes, bins, etc. and would seem to lend itself to "conversion" in some way.

Alayna (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:10

This is really great! Our coffee table has become somewhat non-functional and in the way, but I still love having it and don't want to get rid of this. Having one like this would turn it into something that's not only stylish, but useful as well! And it would be great to hide some of the toy mess.
I'm going to try to convince my husband to make it for me.... :)

Thanks so much!

Jack (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:14

Hey Ana, great project. I still "play" with Lego blocks, even before we had kids. A couple years ago, I resurfaced the Lego table at our kids' preschool. Below are some things I learned during the process that might be useful to those looking to glue Lego baseplates ("mats") to the underside of the panels.

The larges, Lego/Duplo-branded plates are 15" square. The regular Lego baseplates also come in 10" squares, as well as 5"x5" and smaller 2.5"x5" baseplates. One thing to watch out for is that the baseplates don't have square corners (usually), so if you're gluing several together, you'll get a void where they meet. Be sure to lock the baseplates together with bricks when gluing so the spacing between plates is correct. Also when gluing baseplates to (painted) wood, I used a Loc-Tite craft glue; hot glue didn't work worth a darn and some super-glues didn't hold well either.

Erika (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:17

I love this, it's definitely been added to my list. I also love that pine outside, looks like you built your window around it!

Brittany (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 09:28

I love, love, love this table!!! It is the best of both worlds and I am all about that being a mom of 4. Thanks for your hard work, I love all your plans!! I am looking forward to making this table for sure!! =]

aubri (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 10:27

I love it, I have been trying to figure out a way to make a train table where I could glue the train tracks and just flip it over when not being played with, I think with some dimension modifications this will work brilliantly!

shelley (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 11:14

I actually shrieked out loud when I saw this post. Amazing!!!!! You are such a blessing to so many people! I am a SAH mom to 4 itty bitty girls. Buying beautiful pieces of furniture like would be so out of our budget. I can't believe you are so kind to share plans to build such beautiful things that are way nicer and real wood! God Bless you!

Shawnda (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 11:18

Ana, you have outdone yourself. This is completely BRILLIANT! My son had a train table when he was small and he later used it for lego. My dad built it with storage drawers and everything, but it wasn't really something that I wanted in the common areas of the house. This, however, I would put right out in the open so that EVERYONE could see how beautiful it is! :)

Shea (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 14:26

FAB-U-LOUS! We have been living without a coffee table for over two years now. I do believe this will be our first project for the new year. I LOVE this. Thank you!

Suann (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 14:51

Love this, and am just thinking how to adapt the inserts to match the farmhouse-style furniture. I guess I could plank and Kreg the insert tops? I can't think of another way to do it, as making a "double layer" would make the inserts awfully heavy.

summer (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 14:53

another awesome plan.. I am asking santa for a kreg jig and some replacement saw blades.. this is at the top of my new years list!!

Sarah (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 14:55

I love this!! What a great idea!
I'm a little confused about how to get the top panel off. I know Ana said something about drilling a hole in it to lift it up, but is there a way to get it off without putting a hole in the top? I would rather not ruin the lines.
Any ideas??

Sarah (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 15:41

I can't stop thinking about how to do this! Any ideas for some sort of hinge to attach one of the edges in step 8? That way, you could simply fold down an edge and slide the top panel out. Is there a small hinge that can lock the edge up and then collapse?

Deb (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 16:00

We need a train table but have no where to put one. You would make my daughter's Christmas if you could give us a plans for a coffee table/ train table. We are almost done with the doll crib and some new chairs for her art/ school/ tea party table. All we need now is to build the play washing machine and keep or fingers crossed that you can get the train table plan done while we still have time to build it and we will have an almost all handmade Christmas.

Thank you Ana!

Erin (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 16:07

I love this table! Stylish board game storage is just what I need. I'm thinking it could also work for scrapbook supplies or other crafts.

sumi (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 17:03

Love it. the best coffee table .. it is what I have been looking for.
I will try to build one for my daughter.. :-)
Thank you so much ANNA White

Sheri (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 18:59

Yippee, now there's a coffee table I can build to match my step up side tables! You are amazing, thanks for your designs!

Rebecca (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 19:24

How many ways can you say LOVE! This might just be my favorite piece of furniture on your site. I absolutely adore it! As soon as I am able I will be making one for my living room, the room I swore I'd never put a table in but always secretly wanted to because it is the kids play area. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!

alexis (not verified)

Wed, 12/08/2010 - 21:31

We are a "no coffee table" kinda family - but that may have to change now!!! :-) Awesome plans!

Lara (not verified)

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 05:46

I agree. I was building my own plans for the West Elm Sliding Top Coffee Table, but I think this might work just as well! Not as "modern" but definitely just as functional. (What amount of begging would it take for you to work out the Sliding Top plans for us, though???) ;)

sharon (not verified)

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 06:54

Umm...can I just pay you to make it for me? Seriously, we are not handy people. We are useless like that. But we make up for it by stimulating the economy. :)

Summer F. (not verified)

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 07:01

I absolutely adore this brilliant plan!!!! My mind instantly started reeling wondering if I could turn this table square with 4 compartments. I'm so excited!!!

Roxanne (not verified)

Thu, 12/09/2010 - 08:57

I love this!! Any ideas with hidden storage are right up my alley. Bins and boxes are nice to put on shelves, etc., but I love that this absolutely looks like a coffee table, and it is kid-friendly/functional with storage! Thank you! Keep 'em coming! :)