How to add a shelf to a console table

Geez! I was supposed to write this post a while ago and totally forgot about it! Back when I redid our entry way (for NO money) I showed you that I added a shelf to the bottom of our console table. It was so easy and made such a big difference. Let me show you what I did so that you can make one for yourself.

Add a shelf to a square legged console table- House Homemade

This is what the table looked like before the makeover. I didn’t change a thing about it except for the shelf. 

I had the stuff below it so that it didn’t look so top heavy but didn’t really like the clutter. I was reading this post by Cassie at Hi Sugarplum and it hit me! (also, #goals)

Hi Sugarplum

I could add a shelf below. And EASILY because the table has square legs. Luckily, my neighbor and boss from when I was a teacher, was willing to cut down the width of a piece of wood we already had in the garage, with his table saw. We don’t have one of those. Hubby would have done it by hand but boy is a table saw faster..

Add a shelf to a square legged console table- House Homemade

I measured the width of the legs and with a square, drew the section that I needed to cut out.

Now here’s where I could have done better.. I didn’t measure the tapered legs at the exact spot that I wanted to install the shelves, and DUH, they’re tapered, so I cut the notches a little too big to fit flush… It’s nothing that anyone would notice but me and it wasn’t obvious enough to do it over so I left it as is.

Add a shelf to a square legged console table- House Homemade

We had scrap pieces of square trim and I cut those to size and mounted them across from the inside of the legs.

A couple coats of paint to the additions and I was done.

I styled it with the wooden box thing that I found at a garage sale and a stack of hubby’s books. For a while I tried to hide them, now I’m embracing the amounts of books we have. The magnolia flower bookend was here when we bought the house. I spray painted it green years ago.

I just love how much more balanced and sturdy it makes the table look. It was such a quick and easy fix and even though it gives me another surface to dust, just kidding, I won’t dust it.. I’m so much happier with this 15+ year old cheapy table now. A shelf was just what it needed.

DIY: Adding a shelf to a console table- House Homemade

So what about you? Have you even done a furniture “hack” of any kind? I think this might be a first for me!

Thanks for reading, friends

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DIY: Adding a shelf to a console table- House Homemade

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2 thoughts on “How to add a shelf to a console table

  1. Thank you for your post. I have been searching for diy instructions on how to makeover my flimsy Kenzo Console table. Instructions on how to add lower shelf was not easy to find. But seeing your post on this project was worth the long search.

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