When is a sliding door console not a console? When it is a sliding barn door kitchen island! This one is another special request by one of our readers. The ask was for a 40″ wide, by 34″ deep, by 36″ high sliding door console that was intended to be used as a kitchen island. We though, what the heck, why not. So here you have our latest iteration of our popular sliding barn door console plans.
Looking for more options for sliding door consoles? Then check out one of our other sliding door console plans.
Materials:
- 1 – 36″ x 40″ piece of 1 1/2″ thick butcher block (top)
- 4 – 1×8 at 8 feet long (shelf and floor)
- 1 – 4′ x 8′ sheet of 1/2″ thick plywood (for the back door)
- 4 – 1×2 @ 6 feet long (trim)
- 5 – 1×2 @ 8 feet long (shelf supports)
- 2 – 1×4 @ 6 feet long (face frame)
- 1 – 1×3 @ 3 feet long (center face frame)
- 8 – 2×3 @ 6 feet long (or 2x4s ripped to 2 1/2″ instead of 3 1/2″ wide)
- 1 – 4′ x 8′ sheet of 3/4″ plywood (for the sides)
- Wood screws
- Nails
- Hardware for sliding doors – You can buy the hardware for sliding doors, or you can make your own. I made my own for my rustic barn wood dog crate.
Tools:
- Saw: circular, miter, and/or table saw.
- Drill / Driver
- Nail Gun or hammer
- Kreg jig
- Sander and sandpaper
- Square
- Tape Measure
- Wood Glue (I’m a fan of Titebond)
Step 1: Build the upper and lower frames
Start by assembling your assembling your upper and lower frames. These are made out of 2x3s, and are identical. Instead of trying to find 2x3s, I almost always start with standard construction 2x4s, and rip 1/2″ off of each long edge to cut them down to the desired 1 1/2″ by 2 1/2″ final dimensions.
Use wood glue and 2 1/2″ wood screws for all joints.
Step 2: Add the plywood sides
Cut your two sides from the 3/4″ plywood sheet. These are each 34 1/2″ high, by 31 1/4″ wide. Note that these will be 1/2″ wider than the frames so that you can let that 1/2″ overhang the back edge and will conceal the outer edges of the back panels we’ll add later.
I like using 16 gauge nails and wood glue. The glue itself, if applied correctly, will provide a much stronger bond than any mechanical fastener. So the nails are really just holding it in place until the glue dries.
Note: Now is a good time to check to ensure the piece is square, before moving onto the face frame.
Step 3: Attach the face frame
The outside of the face frame is made out of 1 x 4 boards, while the center stile in this design is made from a 1 x 3. All of the pieces can be attached together using either biscuits, pocket screws, or mortise and tenon joinery. Just remember, if you plan on using mortise and tenon joinery, you are going to have to cut your boards longer than the measurements shown in the diagram below.
Step 4: Console floor and shelf
These sliding barn door kitchen island plans use four 1x8s cut to 37″ for both the floor and the shelf. I find it easiest to cut all of these pieces at the same time. Wood glue and a few finish nails can hold the floor in place.
All of shelf supports here are made from 1x2s. The outer vertical supports should be pushed flush to the cabinet sides, while the middle ones are centered on the face frame boards. Use wood glue and nails to attach all of them. Note that the front supports are not the same length as the supports in the back due to the 3/4″ gap left by both the floor and shelf boards. We use additional 1x2s in the horizontal position to fill these gaps.
A variation from most of our consoles is that in these sliding barn door kitchen island plans we’re adding additional vertical supports in the four corners. They really shouldn’t be necessary, but given that the unit is going to be used as an island and will see a fair amount of people leaning on it and bumping into it, we like prefer to add the extra support just to be safe.
Step 5: Rip and attach 1/2″ plywood back planking
When you are ready to install the back planking, you have two options:
- Make all of the planks the exact same, which means cutting eight boards at 4 5/8″, or
- Make the boards varying widths for a more rustic/reclaimed look.
In either case, you will install them the same. Use wood glue and nails (or staples) at the top and bottom of each board to attach to the frames, and also secure the middle of the planks to the middle shelf to provide more structural integrity to the entire piece.
Note: it’s also a good practice to ensure the back of the piece is still square before you start attaching the planks.
Step 6: Island Top
The next step is attaching the top. Unlike most of our sliding door console plans, this unit is going to be finished to be more of a traditional kitchen island. So we are using 1 1/2″ thick piece of butcher block cut to our custom size. Align the top so there is an even 1″ overhang on both the front and the back of the piece, and 3/4″ overhanging each side. To hide the fasteners, use a Kreg jig and pocket screws from underneath going through the upper frame. Alternatively, you could use 4″ wood screws going straight up through the upper frame as well. For the second method, I definitely recommend pre-drilling the holes and even countersinking them to better hide the screw heads.
Step 7: Bottom Trim
The bottom trim is made of 1×2 stock, cut with 45 degree miters. Simply glue and nail it on.
Step 8: Door and sliders
The simplest way to build the door is to start by cutting one 17 1/2″ × 29 1/2″ piece of 1/2″ plywood, and then laying 1 1/2″ plywood strips around the edges and in an X pattern. Though how you build the door is really what will add your custom touch to this piece, so feel free to experiment. Just remember to keep them at the proper finished dimensions.
After you have your doors built, you just need to attach it to your barn door sliders and your new sliding barn door kitchen island is ready for finishing. As we always like to point out, you can buy the hardware for sliding doors, or you can make your own. I really enjoy making my own because it gives a more rustic or antique feel to the piece.
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