Have you ever spent way too much time working on a project for it to not turn out the way you hoped?! That’s exactly what how this wood slat accent found a home on my custom coffee bar.
I entered the Furniture Flip Challenge hosted by The Builders Challenge and Do It Yourself Magazine with plans to simply sand and stain an old chest before turning it into a coffee bar.
![Chest-before-sanding-staining-and-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Chest-before-sanding-staining-and-wood-slats-1-1024x768.jpg)
After several failed attempts at staining the chest with a lighter stain, I settled on a black gel stain to hide the imperfections. Even though the black stain looked good on the chest, I felt there was something missing…it had no character.
Luckily, I found the inspiration I needed! I decided to take the slat wall design that I used in my boys’ bedroom and add it to the chest!
![Close-up-of-wood-slats-on-furniture](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Close-up-of-wood-slats-on-furniture-1-768x1024.jpg)
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Cut Plywood into Slats
For the wood slats, I decided to use 1/4″ birch plywood. The 1/4″ plywood was thin enough to lay inside of the existing trim on the chest.
![Quarter-inch-birch-plywood-for-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Quarter-inch-birch-plywood-for-wood-slats-1-768x1024.jpg)
I ripped the plywood into 3/4″ slats using my table saw.
![Cut-plywood-into-strips-for-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cut-plywood-into-strips-for-wood-slats-1-1024x768.jpg)
Sand the Wood Slats
Using a sanding sponge, I sanded the cut edges of the slats to get rid of any rough spots.
![Sand-wood-slats-with-220-grit-sanding-sponge](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sand-wood-slats-with-220-grit-sanding-sponge-1-1024x768.jpg)
Stain the Wood Slats
I chose to stain the wood slats with Early American stain. I used a paint brush to stain the slats. The sides of the plywood sucks up the stain and it’s easiest to apply it using a brush.
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Stain-wood-slats-with-paint-brush-1-768x1024.jpg)
Once the stain dried, I quickly wiped the front faces using a rag. I did not bother staining the faces that would be against the chest.
![Stain-wood-slats-with-Early-American-stain](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Stain-wood-slats-with-Early-American-stain-768x1024.jpg)
Determine the Slat Design
I tested out several different designs using a 2D software. This helps me to visualize the design. I hate putting time and energy into a project to not like the final design.
![Chest-Designs-with-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Chest-Designs-with-wood-slats-1-1024x541.png)
I’m so glad I drew them all out. I originally planned to go from corner to corner, but I like the slightly offset design so much better!
![Chest-Design-with-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Chest-design-with-wood-slats-1.png)
Another benefit of using a design software is that you can get the cut angle from the drawing. Most of my cuts would be made on an 18 degree angle. I laid one of the wood slats on the chest to be sure that I liked the design before I began.
![Use-wood-slat-to-determine-location-of-first-line](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Use-wood-slat-to-determine-location-of-first-line-1024x768.jpg)
Cut the Wood Slats
I made one template piece that would work for most of the wood slats. I cut several pieces based on the template using my miter saw. I decided to leave all of the pieces that needed to be cut on a 72 degree angle for later.
Install the Wood Slats
For the first line of the design, I used a straight edge to ensure that the line was straight across the doors.
I secured the wood slats to the chest using construction adhesive. In order to make sure that they stayed in place, I used painters tape for delicate surfaces.
![Install-first-line-of-wood-slats](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Install-first-line-of-wood-slats-1-1024x645.jpg)
After the first line was in, I was able to use a spacer to install the rest. The spacer made installing the slats so much quicker!
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hold-wood-slats-in-place-with-painters-tape-768x1024.jpg)
Once I had a sectional complete, I placed a weight on the slats until the construction adhesive could dry.
![Hold-wood-slats-in-place-with-painters-tape-and-weights](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hold-wood-slats-in-place-with-painters-tape-and-weights-1-768x1024.jpg)
Make the Custom Cuts
It was super quick to install the full pieces. The pieces that required a 72 degree cut were another story.. I couldn’t make these cuts with my miter saw, so I had to break out the oscillating multi tool.
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Cut-small-wood-slat-details-with-oscillating-multi-tool-1-1024x768.jpg)
I placed the wood slat where it should go on the chest and marked the cut line. I then used my multi tool to make the cut.
Seal the Wood Slats
Once the construction adhesive was dry, it was time to seal the slats! I sealed both the chest and wood slats at the same time using polyurethane.
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Wood-slats-glued-to-chest-1-1024x768.jpg)
The finished product was stunning! The wood slats were the perfect finishing touch for this chest!!
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Custom-coffee-bar-with-coffee-maker-stored-3-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Custom-coffee-bar-with-sewing-machine-lift-2-2-1024x768.jpg)
Be sure to check out my post on how I made the custom coffee bar to see how it works!
![Custom-coffee-bar-with-wood-slats-on-furniture](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Custom-coffee-bar-with-wood-slats-on-furniture-1-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Nicole-Signature-Jonathan-4-300x173.png)
![](https://simplyalignedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Pinterest-Graphic-7-1-683x1024.png)
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