DIY Behind-the-Sofa Console (With Power!)

Our DIY behind-the-sofa skinny console table…with power!

I have yet to share a full post documenting the basement finishing project we took on. I have a lot of photos and content to sift through first! I did share a post on Our Review of the Flooret Modin Flooring we put in the basement, and that had some progress pics you can check out.

I also shared our review of the Ikea Couch Cover Replacements I found and ordered. Love the finish, love the purple color, love the whole couch makeover. It made it a totally new couch! This post is all about how I made our DIY behind-the-sofa skinny console table for behind the big purple couch.

I wanted to have something you can set things on behind the couch without it taking up much room. And I wanted it to be low profile enough that you wouldn’t lean back on the couch and potentially bonk your head. It turned out perfect! So let’s jump in.

Step 1: Measure, cut, and sand lumber

The first step is to measure your sofa and cut your lumber accordingly. My sofa is 109″ long, so I decided the total length of my piece would be 108″ long. The “hard” frame of our sofa is 26″ tall, so I settled on making the whole table 26.5″ tall.

The four “legs” are placed at the end of each side of the table and then equally spaced throughout the table. I chose to add these supports because I have a kid, and I know she and her friends are going to sit on this table at some point!

Then I pulled all of the pieces outside to sand them using my orbital sander. I love my new cordless Dewalt orbital sander—makes it super easy to move around without having to worry about getting tangled in the cord!

Step 2: Drill pocket holes

Next I used my KregJig to drill pocket holes. You don’t have to use pocket hole joinery, but I like this method because it creates strong, clean joints that you can often hide on the undersides or backs of pieces.

I drilled three pocket holes on the top of each of the four legs. I also drilled two pocket holes on the ends of each 1×2″ horizontal support pieces.

Step 3: Cut the hole for the recessed power grommet

Cutting the whole for the recessed power grommet was the trickiest part for me. That’s because I didn’t have a hole saw bit that was the right size. So I had to use my jigsaw.

I first measured and marked the center both lengthwise and widthwise. Then I measure the diameter I needed to cut out for the recessed power grommet. The specific grommet I used fit a 3 1/8 diameter hole.

So after I measured and marked the center, I created a “star” by drawing a bunch of 3 1/8″ lines centered on the center point of a circle. I cut that shape out as a circle and traced it onto the lumber, then cut that out with my jigsaw.

The cut is totally hidden, so it’s not a big deal if it’s a bit of a rough cut. Which my jigsaw cuts always are!

Step 4: Assemble the piece

Next I assembled the piece first by attaching a leg to each end. I flipped the piece upside down and drilled down into the bottom of the table’s top piece. Make sure to face the sides with the pocket holes inward so they are hidden!

Then I added measured and marked 30″ from the inside of each end leg to place the other two legs. It’s important that this measurement is the same as the measurement you cut your 1×2 piece. Add the 1×2 pieces to straighten out the legs out and further stabilize the piece.

Step 5: Stain and finish

Next I lugged the entire piece outside to stain and finish it. I used an oil-based stain I had on hand. Then I finished it with a semigloss urethane I also had. I don’t love semigloss, but I also didn’t want to buy anything 🙂

Step 6: Finishing touches

I was so excited to get this in place! Yay! I pulled it back inside and put it up against the wall…and realized I forgot to cut out the spot to accomodate the baseboards and shoe molding! Ahhh. So instead of cutting out the baseboards I used my jigsaw the cut out an area that would accomodate them.

Once I had the piece in place, I used two L-brackets to attach the table to two studs. This probably isn’t totally necessary if you don’t have kids and you are pushing your sofa snug up against the table. But I wanted to stabilize the piece as much as possible and would recommend the same approach if you do, too.

Finally, I threaded in the recessed power grommet and plugged it in. It’s SO nice not having to fish behind the couch for a plug! This grommet is great too because it has two plug spots and three other charging ports.

And here’s how everything looks in place! It is so handy having a spot behind the couch to set things. My daughter mostly likes lining up her stuffed animals on it to “watch TV” down here…I love it because I don’t have to move to get my drink when I’m lounging!

What do you think? Let me know if you make this table using tips from my tutorial—I’d love to see yours!

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