Building a corner table

Recently we decided that our existing naugahide couch and loveseat combo in the basement just wasn't cutting it anymore. They were at least 15 years old, and while the upholstery was intact the cushions were sagging and the fake leather thing was just really really cold.

So- Sectional time!

Pretty nice, eh? There was one problem however- that little corner space behind the curved section. What do you do with that?

Well, if you're me- you get some plywood and fabric, and make yourself a shelf/table thingy.

Here's the finished product:

In the interest of thinking anyone cares, and because I've been getting some comments from people that I don't update my blog much- here's a quick overview of what we did.

I should mention here that most of my practical building experience was gained in High School theater shop, where the rule was that all platforms had to support a dancing student that you might actually like. I was also thinking of the fact that people come over with their kids, and kids like to climb around on things- so this shelf is probably several times stronger than it really needs to be. But it also won't collapse under anyone's weight any time soon- so that's a win.

Materials: one 8x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, 3 metal corner brackets, one retractable outlet, one right angle plug adapter, and 1 yard of upholstery fabric.

Step one: Make a the top.
This is tricky, because the curve is not exactly easy to measure ( for me anyway- I like straight lines). So I got some cardboard and made several templates.
Once I got one I was happy with, I traced it on to the plywood and cut out the top.
I also marked out the hole for the power grommet, and cut it with a hole saw (more on this later).

I then made the base. Rather then mess around with legs, I decided to make the base out of interlocking pieces of plywood. This provided me with several advantages: I was using the same material as I used on the top, so less waste, the plywood pieces provide more strength and stability, and the base and top could be moved around independently to get the best fit.

Each piece has a cutout which is 1/2 the height of the piece. By fitting them together like a 3D puzzle I get a strong base without having to be too precise on my measurements.

Once the base was set, I was able to judge the fit for the top and cut the whole for the power grommet. I picked a power unit that hides down in the table or lifts up and tilts. This gives me 3 standard outlets and 2 USB ports, so I can charge phones/tablets without wall warts and still plug in a laptop, lamp or other device. When the unit is retracted, we have a nice clean look.
Link to power grommet

I also got a Hug-A-Plug adapter so that the cord would plug into the wall better behind the couch

Once this was all set, we bought a couple yards of fabric from the couch manufacturer (we could have gotten by with 1!) in the color to match the Ottoman.

Since Sherri is the master gift wrapper here, she got the fabric wrapped around the top, and we stapled it in place. Note the hole for the power grommet- the fabric is glued to the inside of the hole.

After this it was just a matter of putting the top on to the base, and using Corner brackets to secure it.

Then drop in the grommet, plug it in,and we have a table!

Slide the couch back into place, and enjoy!

Here's the shelf with the outlets retracted. This should work.

I'm sure someone will tell me all the things I did wrong (this being the internet) but this works for me!