Alright so last Tuesday I finally decided to tackle my living room eyesore – that sad old TV stand swallowing all the cables. Grabbed my dusty tape measure first thing in the morning.
The “Let’s Try This” Phase
Started by dumping everything on the floor – game consoles, weird cables from 2008, that one remote missing batteries. Sketchbook out, scribbling shapes while crunching numbers. Needed serious storage for mountains of gadgets without looking like Best Buy threw up.
Key moves I made:
- Watched those floating wall-hugger units – clean but terrifying drilling into studs
- Tore pages from design blogs showing wood-and-metal combos
- Scavenged leftover oak boards from Dave’s shed project
When Reality Hit Like A Hammer
Bought two gorgeous walnut slabs on Wednesday. Felt like a champ. Until the first cut – saw screamed like angry cats and the wood split crooked. Measured twice? Should’ve measured five times. Had to cough up for a replacement board.
Built the frame on Thursday. Had this genius floating shelf plan… then remembered TV weighs more than my dog. Reinforced with steel brackets – goodbye invisible magic. My drill got stuck three times and I definitely bruised my thumb.
The Nightmare That Was Cable Jail
Friday was all about fighting wires. Built hidden tunnels behind panels for power strips – sounded smart until all seven HDMI cords tried cramming through one hole. Like herding snakes. Ended up zip-tying bundles behind drawers cut with router holes. Pro tip: buy cable sleeves BEFORE screaming at tangled cords.
Final tweaks:
- Added peel-and-stick LED strips under floating shelves – instant theater vibe
- Cut ventilation slots after PS5 started overheating in drawer
- Weatherstripped doors so controllers wouldn’t rattle
Dust Settling & Lessons Learned
Sunday beer-and-reveal moment. Plugged everything in… and nothing smoked! Remote drawers slide like butter now. That wonky board? Hid it behind plants. Still love that walnut grain showing through the center open section.
If you do this: Double frame depth for AV gear. Buy extra cable guides. And for god’s sake – test fit drawers BEFORE assembly. Took me two extra hours shaving edges after glue dried. But damn, that customized nook for vinyl collection? Chef’s kiss.
