For today’s project, we’re building a sofa arm console that’s designed to keep your couch-side remotes and reading materials in one place. And some good news for those new to DIY, this project is very beginner-friendly—you only need one piece of wood, a single one-by-ten (1 x 10 - 48").
Today Eli, from our Lake Union location, will guide you through the steps to build a sofa arm console.
Eli was inspired to build the console because he and his wife kept misplacing their TV remote, and they were looking for more book storage.
Ready to get started?
Step 1: Measure and cut wood
The first step is to cut the 48” one-by-ten into six different pieces, using a speed square, a pencil, and a table saw.
Find the widest part of your couch arm and measure that distance; this is the interior distance between pieces A and C. First, measure that furthest distance and then add an inch and a half to account for the thickness of pieces A and C, and that gives you your overall length of piece B.
Using your speed square and pencil, measure and mark each cut according to the instructions for each piece (below). Note that we recommend beveling one edge of piece F—this means you’ll cut one edge at a different degree (anywhere from 45 to 60 degrees) to make a bevel, otherwise known as a sloped edge. To do this, adjust the angle setting on your miter saw (or circular saw) before running the wood through.
After cutting, label each piece with its corresponding letter (masking tape or a pencil work great).
Cutting list:
- A: Measure from the top of the sofa arm to the bottom of the seat cushion (in our case, 12”).
- B: Measure the widest part of your couch arm and add 1 ½” (to account for the thickness of pieces A and C; in our case, 9 ½”).
- C: Similar to piece A, measure from the top of the sofa arm to the base of the sofa frame (in our case, 13”).
- D: 3 ¾”
- E: 5 ¼”
- F: 2” (cut on a 45-degree to 60-degree bevel on the long edge)
Step 2: Sand wood
Now that all your pieces are cut, it’s time to sand.
Grab a medium-grit sandpaper and remove any splinters or flaking on the edges of the wood, while also smoothing out any other rough spots.
Step 3: Drill surface guide holes
Next we’ll lay the groundwork for fastening the pieces together by drilling guide holes. Grab your power drill and pieces B and D.
Using a ⅛” drill bit, drill guide holes into the face of pieces B and D at three points on the pieces, ⅜” away from the edge: 2 ½”, 5” and 7 ½”. We recommend marking these points with a pencil before drilling.
Once you’ve made the three guide holes in both pieces, put piece D to the side. Now take cut B and use a 3/8” bit to drill an additional ¼” into the face of piece B’s guide holes.
Step 4: Transfer guide holes to A, C, and E
The next step requires a little setup. We want to transfer the guide holes we made in Step 4 (2 ½”, 5” and 7 ½” at ⅜” from the edge) to the ends of A, C , and E.
In order to have easy access to the end of the pieces to drill the guide holes, use a clamp, or your preferred alignment method.
With the board facing up towards you, drill the three guide holes 1 ½” deep into the end grain of the boards. To do this, measure the depth you want onto the drill bit (in this case, 1 ½”) and wrap a piece of tape at that measurement. Begin drilling into the board, and stop when the tape reaches the surface of the board.
Before moving on to the next step, take a minute to pat yourself on the back—you’re halfway done with your console!
Step 5: Stain or paint (optional)
If you’d like to stain or paint your sofa arm console, this is the step to do it.
For tips and tricks for staining wood, check out our tutorial: How To Stain Wood
Step 6: Assemble sofa arm console
Now it’s time to begin fastening pieces together using your screws and a power drill.
Use the guide holes to align pieces A and B. Drive screws into all three of the guide holes until the pieces are securely attached.
Then take piece C and align it with the other end of B and secure with screws.
Step 7: Plug holes
Note: Before this step, we recommend testing that the console fits to your couch the way you need it to before closing the holes. Once you’re comfortable with how the console fits, it’s time to plug away!
To hide your drill holes and give the surface of your sofa arm console a smoother look, we chose to add wood plugs.
First, apply dabs of glue to the top of each screw, then place wood plugs into the drill holes.
Next you’ll want to put a cloth over the wood plugs and gently hammer the plug until it sits firmly in the hole. Tapping your hammer gently and using the cloth will protect the wood from denting.
If the screw is set deep enough, the top of the wood plug should sit level with the surface of piece B. However, if the plug still stands out, carefully trim it with a saw as close to piece B as possible, and then sand to smooth.
Step 8: Attach media shelf
Now it’s time to attach the pieces that make up the media shelf to the console (and say goodbye to living room clutter!).
Align piece D to the bottom edge of piece A. Place screws in each of the six guide holes on piece D and secure pieces A and D together using screws and your power drill.
Once that is done, take piece E (your sofa arm length) and align the guide holes to the other side of piece D, and fasten with screws.
Before moving on to the next step, sand down the six guide holes and their screws to create a flat surface on piece D.
Step 9: Attach remote holder
The last step in your DIY sofa arm console project is to attach your remote holder.
Using your speed square, mark 2” from the top of piece B—this is where you’ll attach piece F to the console.
Next apply Gorilla Glue to the bevel-edge side of piece F and align the glue side to your 2” mark. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds to allow the glue to set and hold.
Lastly, you’ll want to use clamps on both ends of piece F to hold into place. Wait 24 hours for the glue to fully bond.
Step 10: Install and let TV time begin!
And that’s how to build your very own DIY sofa arm console. We hope this piece will keep your space organized, and save you from having to search for any misplaced remotes.
For more living room organization DIY projects, check out this DIY blanket storage ladder and our DIY midcentury modern coffee table with storage.
