First Project of 2009

I've completed my first project of 2009!

My 14 year old daughter asked me to build her a DVD shelf for her bedroom. I liked the look of the DVD shelf I made for my living room a while back and wanted to make something similar. There isn't enough room on her wall for a horizontal shelf so I adjusted the design and made a vertical shelf.

I had a heck of a time installing the horizontal shelf in the living room, so I decided this time around I would design a built in French-Cleat system to make installation easier. I based this feature on the construction of the nesting boxes I made a couple months back with my younger daughters. By adding the French-Cleat at the time of the initial design, I could make the shelf sit flush against the wall and still not make the unit too bulky.

The shelf is built of Pine. For a finish I used the Minwax stain "Early American" before applying a BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) and paste wax. This is the first project that I've used a stopped dado for the shelf supports. I do prefer this look and will probably use it more often now.

For a "cool-factor", this unit also has a hidden drawer! Initally I was calling it a secret drawer, but it's not so much a secret anymore...

I'm pretty happy with the outcome of this project, which is a good thing too since my eight year old now wants me to build one for her room.