DIY Coffee Table With Hidden Storage

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April 21, 2026

On April 21, 2026

Small spaces need creative storage solutions. This coffee table functioned as a coffee table, and a place to store our board games and miscellaneous items when we had guests over. It was the perfect way to keep our living room space organized and functional while still making a visual statement. You can find the full tutorial for this project on YouTube!

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I am beyond excited to share this tutorial with you!

Here’s what you’ll need!

Biscuit Joiner (Starter Kit)
#10 Biscuits
Wood Glue
Glue Brush
Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig
(2) Inset Hinges
American Walnut Stain
Black Spray Paint
Wood Putty

First step in this process was to square up my boards using the miter saw.

Then I measured and cut the pieces for the top and bottom panels.

Once I did that, I went ahead and marked where I wanted to join the panels together with the biscuit joiner.

I then clamped the boards to my workspace and used my biscuit joiner to create grooves in each one.

Biscuits (besides sounding delicious) are a really cool way to join boards and have the joinery be concealed inside the boards instead of using something like pocket holes, which you have to cover up later.

Once my grooves were cut, I then went ahead and added biscuits and glue to each one of the boards.

I used my glue brush to make sure the glue was applied everywhere it needed to adhere.

Next, I just attached the boards with the biscuits to the boards with the grooves. I had to do this twice, once for the three top panels and once for the three bottom panels.

Once everything was aligned, I then used parallel clamps to apply pressure to both sides of the board on both panels.

I also made sure to flip the panels over just to make sure that everything was flush on both sides.

I then used a damp rag to wipe away all the excess glue.

As the top and bottom panels dried, I cut out the two sides, the back panel, and the front panel of the actual carcass of the table to prep for the next step.

I then drilled pocket holes in one side of each of the side panels. That way, I could connect them to the back panel with pocket holes while keeping the front free of pocket holes, since we’ll be attaching the front in a different way.

Next, I connected the side pieces to the back panel with wood glue, and some pocket hole screws, which I forgot to document (sorry!)

I came back the next day and removed the clamps from my panels.

Then I attached the top panel to the carcass of the table with a couple of corner brackets, as well as some L-brackets. We’ll be attaching the bottom later on, and I’ll show you that in the next step.

After the top panel was attached, I clamped the front of the table onto the carcass.

Then I removed it from the workbench, placed the bottom panel onto the workbench, and then set the entire table on top of that.

At this point, my thought process was that I needed to clamp the bottom panel to the entire table so it didn’t fall off, but then I realized the front panel was clamped and I needed to open it to attach it.

So I adjusted the clamps until I was able to attach the bottom panel and still have enough room to open the front panel.

Next, I figured out where I was going to place my concealed hinges, since that’s how we’re attaching the front of the table.

I used my Kreg concealed hinge jig to create the openings so the hinges would sit flush with the inside of the front panel.

These hinges are what make the table look like a solid piece while still hiding that secret storage.

I then attached the hinges to the front panel as well as inside the table and made sure everything opened and closed smoothly.

Next, I cut my 2 x 2s into the pieces for the base, as well as a small support for the center of the table since there was a little bit of sagging.

I added that center support with some wood glue and then tapped it into place using a mallet.

Next, I attached the bottom panel to the unit by pre-drilling holes and securing it with wood screws.

Once the table itself was complete, it was time to build the base. I drilled pocket holes into the ends of each of the frame pieces and left the leg pieces alone.

Then I attached the frame pieces to the leg pieces using wood glue and pocket hole screws.

There was a lot of screwing and a lot of gluing.

But in the end, you should have a couple of separate units that will come together to form the base.

Which will eventually look like this one.

After assembling everything, I went ahead and filled in any cracks or imperfections in the wood.

Then sanded everything down smooth once those patches dried.

Next, I painted the base black, but you can choose any color you like.

I also stained the top of the table with wood stain. I was going for more of an industrial, rustic look here, and I felt like the stain and the black base worked really well together.

I had to assemble the table in place since the space was small.

But once everything was there, I attached the table carcass to the base by driving wood screws up through the bottom of the table.

Living in a small space can be hard – so, it’s so important to have furniture that you like and that works for you. This coffee table helped hide our embarrassing clutter when friends came over, and it looked great while we put it to use.

Anyway, I hope you love this project as much as I did!

Until next time, happy DIYing friends!