How to Build a Modern DIY Nightstand with Storage

Dress up your bedroom with a DIY modern farmhouse bedside table.

Why buy a new nightstand when you can customize your own for half the cost? Instead of buying a nightstand for Little Buddy's room, I opted to build our own nightstand with leftover wood from building the house. Learn how easy it is to build a modern DIY nightstand with accompanying storage and style.

This farmhouse nightstand is a wonderful way to utilize extra wood. I used white oak wood remaining from our building project. The only thing I purchased for this DIY project was hardware for the drawers.

I found plans for this easy build from Shanty 2 Chic (view here) and then adjusted them a little bit to fit our needs. It was nice to have some plans as a base.

Supplies for a DIY Nightstand

Refer to Shanty 2 Chic's plans for exact amounts on wood. If you don't have project wood around the house, head to a hardware store to pick up your supplies.

White Oak
Baltic Birch
Pine wood
Paint
Paint brush
Ryobi Planer
Ryobi Biscuit Joiner
Wood glue
Wood screws
Drawer slides
Kreg jig
Drill
Pocket hole screws
Sander
Sandpaper

Building a DIY Modern Nightstand

Shelf Bases

The first step after gathering the right tools and all of your supplies is to build the two shelf bases that will fit into the frame. I used white oak for the simple design of the shelves. Follow the step-by-step tutorial listed above. You will end up with an open shelf for the top and one for the bottom shelf.

Build the Frame

Next, follow the DIY nightstand plans to build the nightstand frame. It will end up in a U shape. I strongly suggest painting the frame before installing your shelves. You can use spray paint or a paint brush. Do touch ups once your shelves are installed.

Picking a dark color for your frame will make it look similar to using black iron or metal. This modern farmhouse design makes a great nightstand style.

Building a nightstand | modern nightstand | boy room | DIY nightstand

Install the shelves into the painted frame. You will want clean lines so it is best to have two people to get this level.

Build Drawers

Now it is time to build the drawer boxes and the top pieces. Shabby 2 Chic uses baltic birch and trims their drawers with pine. Since I used white oak, I had to biscuit join my wood. A biscuit joiner is a woodworking tool that joins two pieces of wood together. This is a biscuit joiner from Ryobi.

Plane the Wood

After the wood is joined together, the easiest way to get a nice and smooth surface is to plane the wood. I used this handheld planer from Ryobi for these solid wood nightstands. It was the first time I had used either of these tools, but I absolutely loved them.

DIY Nightstand Install

When the top piece of your DIY end table is done, it is time for installation. First, you will install drawer slides on both sides of the drawer. Next, secure the top piece for both shelves. Then, attach the drawer face to the drawer while everything is closed and assembled.

Finally, you will install hardware on the drawer fronts. Drawer pulls are a fun way to bring in more style with your home decor.

Simple Nightstand Projects

This is the perfect nightstand for Little Buddy's new room. It's the best combination of modern and farmhouse style. And I love the extra storage that both of the drawers provide. You can also use this DIY nightstand in a guest room or as a small side table in a living room.