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The photo above is the plan for the garage entertainment center I’m building, and I’m so excited about how this is going to come together!
First things first, I started by cutting down my 3/4” sanded plywood and getting to work on the cabinets that will house the speakers. This is really where the build begins, and it’s always my favorite part, taking a design from an idea to something you can actually start putting together. I’m assembling these just like I do all of my cabinets, nothing fancy, just a method that works every time. I use wood glue first, then brad nail everything together to hold it in place. Once it’s set, I go back in and add pocket hole screws to really secure it all.
I’m attaching some scrap pieces of plywood to the bottom because I want these cabinet bottoms to sit a few inches off the ground. These act as spacers and make sure everything is the same height on both sides, and across both cabinets. I glue and brad nail the spacers in place first, then add the bottom panel and do the same thing. Once everything is lined up, I go back in with screws to secure it all.
Once that was done, I flipped the cabinet upside down to attach the top.
Once both speaker cabinets were assembled, I drilled a hole in the back of each one for the speaker wires to run through.
Tyler pulled it down from my workbench so we could do a test fit, and it fit perfectly!
Next, I moved on to building the center cabinet, but I needed to cut out an opening in the middle for the fireplace insert. I cut out the center by marking everything first, then using my track saw, and it worked really well!
The track saw didn’t quite reach the corners, so I went back in with my jigsaw to finish those cuts. Tyler helped me with this part so the middle wouldn’t just fall once cut.
Then he carried it into the garage and set it in place!
The next day, I started working on the face frames. I’m using 1×2 primed pine since these will all be painted. I like to assemble my face frames first using pocket holes and wood glue before attaching them to the cabinets. I used to install one piece at a time and nail them in place, but I’d always end up with pieces that weren’t perfectly flush. Putting the whole face frame together beforehand makes everything line up so much better, and it’s way more secure. Just make sure to double-check your measurements before assembling! I also like for my face frame to be about 1/8in wider than my box so there is about a 1/16 lip on either side. Once it’s built, I add wood glue to the cabinet box, set the face frame in place, and then secure it with brad nails.
Once the face frames were in place, there are only two for this build, none on the center cabinet, I moved on to priming and painting. I used BIN primer, followed by BEHR Cabinet & Trim Enamel in a semi-gloss finish, in the color Alabaster by SW. I normally use a satin sheet, but in the garage I thought a semi-gloss would be more durable and easier to clean.
Then I got everything in place and secured the cabinets together. I used 1.25” screws from the inside of the center cabinet, driving them into the sides of the two outer cabinets.
I had some leftover red oak plywood, which worked out perfectly since my workstation countertop is also red oak. So I used it to cut down a matching countertop for the entertainment center. This countertop had to be made in three separate pieces since the middle section needed to open. That way, we can keep our stereo amp hidden inside. It also gives us a spot to store remotes and other small items so they don’t get lost. I put a piece of plywood inside the middle section as a shelf, closed off from the lower section.
Before installing, I stained the plywood, along with a piece of 1×2 oak. This piece gets attached to the back of the center cabinet and gives me something to mount the butt hinges to for the middle section of the countertop. I’m using a BEHR water based Dark Walnut, the same I used on my work benches.
Then I got the butt hinges put in place and the center countertop installed on the cabinet.
Then I used wood glue and 1.25” brad nails to secure the countertop on both sides.
Once the countertop was in place, it was time to cover those raw plywood edges with 1×2 oak. I cut all the pieces at 45° angles so they would wrap cleanly around the entire countertop. For the front, I made sure to cut it into three separate pieces so the middle section could still lift up properly. I secured these using wood glue and brad nails.
Then I stained the 1x2s and even went back over the exposed plywood edges, those spots you’d see when the countertop is lifted, so everything would match and look finished.
Once we got the amp in place, we realized it was getting pretty hot, and it’s actually supposed to be left in an open area for proper airflow. So Tyler ordered a computer fan, drilled a hole in the back of the cabinet where the amp sits, and installed the fan. Now it stays cool and works perfectly!
Once the countertop was finished, it was time to start on the doors. I built the door frames using 1×3 primed pine, sizing each door 1” larger than the opening so it would overlay the face frame by 1/2” on all sides. I started by cutting the pieces down to size, then adding pocket holes with my Kreg Foreman, and then sanding down each piece with 220 grit sandpaper and my orbital sander. Just going over each piece lightly, careful not to sand off all the primer.
Then I used my countertop t-track system to hold the pieces in place while I glued and screwed them together. This really helps keep everything flush, since pocket hole screws can sometimes shift the wood as you tighten them.
Then I grabbed my Kreg Jig and drilled the holes in the cabinet doors for the hinges.
Then I installed the soft-close hinges with a 1/2” overlay. I buy these hinges in bulk because they are awesome and I’ll never go back to hinges that aren’t soft close!
For these doors, the plan was to use speaker screen in the center instead of a solid panel like I normally do, since the speakers are inside. Tyler found some speaker netting on Amazon and ordered it, and I’ll be honest, I was totally procrastinating putting it on. I can build anything out of wood… but fabric is not my thing. So he stepped in, took over, and stapled the netting to the back, hammered the staples in nice and flat, then trimmed off the excess. Will they look super nice from the back? Nope, but these doors will almost always be closed, so I’m good with it.
Then Tyler got the speakers installed, running all the wiring through the holes we made in the back of the cabinets.
Once the speakers were installed, I went ahead and put the doors on, making sure they had an 1/2 inch overlay on both the top and bottom.
Pause for dance break! Or for Tyler making fun of the way I shake my butt when I’m excited a project is working out!
Okay, back to work!
Then Tyler patched the hole in the wall from moving a wire… not his finest work, but he gave it his best shot 😂 At least it will be behind the TV!
Then the guys got the TV hung back up. We actually have three of these TVs because they’re such great quality and really affordable. One is in our pop-up TV cabinet on the back porch, and another is mounted in the corner of the porch with a cover over it.
And then the part we’ve all been waiting for… or at least I have! The Touchstone electric fireplace finally showed up, and I could not wait to get it installed. We tried to do a quick test fit before heading out to a wedding reception, and of course, it didn’t fit. At that point, I was already thinking I was going to have to recut the opening. I even left a little wiggle room from the measurements on the site!
But when we got back home from the reception, we realized the insert had these little rubber feet on it. Not really sure why, but once we took those off, it was the perfect fit. We did have to drill a hole in the back of the cabinet for the cord to go through.
Once we got the insert in place, we had to take the front off so we could permanently install it. There are little screws tucked inside that we used a screwdriver to remove.
The fireplace came with two options for the inside, fake wood or large crystals. We ended up going with the faux logs.
I double-checked that the insert was perfectly centered, then he screwed it in and reattached the front glass.
I’ve now used two Touchstone fireplace inserts, and I seriously love them. We used a longer one when we built my friend Michelle’s fireplace in her living room in California, and this shorter one for my garage. It’s already been doing a great job keeping the garage comfortable to work in when it’s cold outside here in Texas.
I also have a Touchstone TV lift on our back porch, and it’s such a fun feature. It does slow down a little when it’s below freezing, but with a little help it still works just fine. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing cooler than a TV popping up out of what looks like a regular cabinet while we’re out there cooking on the smoker with guests over!
But wait… we’re not done yet! Time to rip down some more plywood and build another cabinet above the TV for extra storage.
Then more pocket holes…
More wood glue, brad nails and screws to put the cabinet together.
I also added a middle support.
Once the cabinet was put together, I cut down some 1×2 primed pine for the face frame and built it using wood glue and pocket holes. I had to cut five pieces all the exact same size, so instead of measuring every single one, I measured once and set up a stop on my t-track system by my miter saw. It made cutting all five super quick and easy.
Once the face frame was built, I used wood glue and brad nails to secure it to the cabinet.
Then I filled all the brad nail holes and got it ready for paint.
I cut down some more plywood for the cabinet doors, the same way I’ve done for all the other cabinets in the garage.
Then I used my Kreg Jig to drill the hinge holes.
Then I got the doors and cabinet primed and painted.
This time, we installed the cabinet the smart way. We added a long piece of scrap plywood to the wall for it to rest on while we screwed it into place, so I didn’t have to try and hold it up like I did in the last post! My neighbor helped with this one since he’s tall like my husband and this cabinet is going up to the ceiling.
He even helped make sure Tyler wasn’t going to fall off the step ladder…🤪🫠
Then I added the cabinet hardware to finish it off.
And got the doors hung up. I’m not quite sure what will be stored up here, but it’s here if we need the space and it makes for a more complete look!
But wait… there’s more!
It still wasn’t looking quite built-in enough for me, so I cut down some baseboards and got them painted before installing them.
Then I got them installed and it made such a huge difference! I used my new pin nailer for this one because the nails are so tiny that you really can’t see the nail holes.
Here’s a quick video of this project.
And here are some great after photos for you!
And here is a good before and after!
What do you think, epic garage makeover or what?!
But don’t go anywhere just yet… next post, I’m remodeling my living room fireplace for the second time! I want it to match the stone backsplash in my kitchen, but of course, Floor & Decor doesn’t sell it anymore. So I’m attempting to recreate the look myself using mortar… wish me luck 😅
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