I designed and built a Mid Century Modern Dresser / Changing Table to match the mid century modern crib I built a few weeks ago for our son. I kept the same theme of using walnut to keep it high end, but added lots of pops of colors to make it fun. This DIY project will add a lot of character to your baby’s room!
Check out the full build video below!
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MATERIALS
STEP 1: BREAK DOWN LUMBER & EDGEBAND
I began with the build by breaking down the 3/4” walnut plywood sheets for the main case. Then I ripped some strips of walnut hard wood for edgebanding. Remember to keep the edgebanding strips wide enough so that when the bevels are cut on the front of the panels, the blade will not cut past the hard wood and end up revealing the ply. After the glue has dried, I flushed up the edgebanding using a hand plane and a flush trim saw.
I used a router with an edge guide to cut a rabbet on the back of all four panels for receiving a 1/4” back panel later. After that, I tilted my blade at 45-deg to cut the bevel around what will become the front edge of the case. With the blade still set at 45-deg, I also cut the miter joints in the panels.
step 2: main case joinery & glueup
With all the panels cut down to size, I began working on the joinery, starting by cutting the dado in the top and bottom panels for the main vertical partition. I do this by flushing up the top and bottom panels, and then running the router through both panels at the same time to keep the cut lined up. Next, I cut one more dado into the left panel for the main horizontal shelf later, before cutting some dominoes into all four panels and glued up the two side panels to the bottom panel, but just set the top panel on top without glue.
step 3: partitions
I used my parallel clamps as spreaders to remove any sag from the top panel so I could measure for the size of the vertical partition. I don’t have any footage for this, but after the vertical partition was dry assembled, I laid out and cut the dado for the main horizontal shelf into it, matching the dado that was cut into the left panel earlier. Be sure to check out the video to see the mistake I made when cutting the dados in the vertical panels.
Next, I cut a strip of walnut for the edge banding on the front of the vertical partition. This piece will receive 45-deg miters on both ends to match the bevels on the front of the top and bottom panels. Finally, I took it over to the router table to put a roundover on both edges of the edge banding. I didn’t glue in the vertical partition yet because there’s more to be done.
With the vertical partition dry-fitted into place, I cut the horizontal shelf to size and did another dry fit in order to lay out and cut the dados for accepting the smaller dividers.
This was when I realized I might have a structural problem. The cubbies will be made from MDF boxes later, which will be pretty heavy, and they’ll hold things that also have weight to them. All of that will sit on this long span of unsupported horizontal shelf, so I knew I had to put in an additional vertical support underneath. Once the lower vertical divider was cut to size, I glued in all of the partitions into the dados cut previously.
step 4: back panel
With most of the structure complete, I cut the back panel to fit and attached it with glue and brad nails. At this time, I removed the top panel in order to apply finish to inside the cabinet. This allows me to get into all those corners and tight spaces without getting into awkward positions.
While the finish cured for the main case, I made one more dado cut into the bottom surface of the top panel which will receive the last vertical support that will separate the top cubby and the top drawer. Then I applied finish to the bottom surface, glued in the partition, and then assembled the whole case together. Once the case was assembled, I applied finish to the outside of the case.
step 5: cubbies
With the case set aside, I began to make the cubbies, which were made from 1/2” MDF. To paint them, I just sanded them down, applied primer, and then applied a couple layers of paint. I taped up the glue surfaces before painting so it doesn’t compromise the joint.
These panels were then assembled with glue and brad nails. The tolerance on these boxes were very tight. Once they’re fitted into the cabinet openings, it can’t be taken out without removing the top left drawer first, and even then, it takes a lot of wiggling to get them out.
step 6: top left drawer box
The drawer boxes were all made from 1/2” plywood for the sides, and a 1/4” dado cut along the bottom for holding a 1/4” bottom panel.
step 7: door panel
The door panel was made from one piece of 3/4” plywood. This was the first time I used this hinge jig and it made the install process a breeze!
step 8: legs
Next, I moved on to making the legs. My initial design was to use some splayed legs that I normally make, but that would make this dresser way too long for a changing table. So I ended up making the legs that Chris Salomone made awhile back. They allowed me to make the cabinet 34” tall, which was the perfect height for a changing table. The legs were attached to the case using figure-8 fasteners, which will allow for any expansion and contraction of the wood.
step 9: drawer front
The two middle drawers were made with cherry, one of the bottom drawer fronts was painted MDF, and another was from walnut. All four drawer fronts were 20mm thick. After they were cut down to size, I used some screws to fasten them to the drawer boxes from the back side.
step 10: changing table
The changing table was also made with walnut, which is basically just a frame with four sides, a center partition to separate the changing pad and wipes, and two pieces of bottom panels made from 1/2” walnut ply. After cutting the miter joints on the frame pieces, I laid out and cut a rabbet along one edge of all the frame pieces for the 1/2” ply to sit into.
Then I used a dado set to cut a dado into each of the two long side pieces for the divider to sit in. After applying a chamfer around the edges of the frame pieces, I glued everything up, including the bottom panels.
Finally, after applying finish to the changing table, I used some L-brackets to hold it to the bottom dresser. I pre-drilled before screwing the brackets in since I was drilling into the edge of the plywood. This will prevent the plywood from splitting.