My home theater setup has gotten a lot simpler over the years. I used to have a whole rack of equipment but these days I really just need somewhere to put a cable box and maybe a streaming device. I didn't want a big TV stand on the floor eating up space, and I didn't want to pay a few hundred bucks for something from a furniture store either. So I built this wall-mount floating TV cabinet and I'm really happy with how it turned out.
The whole thing is made from a half sheet of 3/4" plywood and a box of pocket hole screws. It's cheap, it's straightforward, and it looks clean on the wall. I'll give you the exact dimensions I used but it's easy to size it up or down to fit your setup.
Here are the free plans, the full cut list, and every step I took. And if you've ever wondered whether a floating cabinet can actually hold a TV mounted on top of it, I'll answer that too because I get asked that a lot.
- Built from a 4' x 4' half sheet of 3/4" plywood, costs around $40-60 total
- All joints are pocket screws, no complicated joinery
- Cabinet is 47" wide x 15" deep x 8-1/2" tall in these plans, easy to resize
- Mounts to wall studs with #10 x 3" truss head screws, at least 4 screws into 2 studs
- I painted mine white to match the room but it stains just as well with a hardwood plywood
What You'll Need
What You'll Need
Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through the links below, at no extra cost to you.
Cut List
I sized my cabinet at 47" wide, which is a few inches longer than the 46" TV it sits under. Adjust the width to match your TV or the space you're working with. The depth and height can stay the same unless your equipment is unusually deep.
| Part | Qty | Width | Length | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 1 | 15" | 47" | 3/4" Plywood |
| Bottom | 1 | 15" | 47" | 3/4" Plywood |
| Back | 1 | 8-1/2" | 47" | 3/4" Plywood |
| Sides | 2 | 8-1/2" | 13" | 3/4" Plywood |
| Fronts | 2 | 8-1/2" | 6" | 3/4" Plywood |
Cut Plan
Step 1: Build the Front-to-Side Assemblies
The cabinet has two L-shaped assemblies, one on each end. Each one creates a small open cubby that's great for a cable box, streaming stick, or a stack of Blu-Rays. They're made by attaching a Front piece to a Side piece at a right angle.
Start by drilling all your pocket holes on the larger Side piece. The two horizontal holes closest to the front edge will be used to attach the Front. The remaining holes will attach to the cabinet later. Carefully align the two pieces and screw them together with 1-1/4" coarse Kreg pocket hole screws. Then on the inside face of the L, drill 2 more pocket holes in the Front piece for attaching to the cabinet later.
Step 2: Attach the Back to the Bottom
Prepare the back panel by drilling 7 pocket screw holes along both the top and bottom edges as shown in the diagram. Apply glue to the bottom edge of the back, align it with the bottom panel, and screw it down. The glue is important here. Use it on all your pocket screw joints for extra strength, especially since this cabinet is going on the wall.
Step 3: Attach the Sides to the Bottom and Back
You'll notice the front pieces don't run flush with the top and bottom of the cabinet. That's intentional. Plywood thickness varies and cutting with a circular saw isn't always perfectly precise, so I designed it so the fronts are offset a bit rather than having to be perfectly flush. Honestly it also looks nicer that way, less like a plain box.
Use a square to draw a line 6" in from each end of the cabinet, running front to back. Align the outside edge of each Side assembly to this line. Secure each side to the back and bottom with glue and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Step 4: Attach the Top
Align the top panel with the rest of the cabinet. Start by screwing the top to the back panel first to get it locked in. Then secure it to the front pieces using the 2 pocket holes you drilled earlier in each Front piece. The screws on the sides inside the main cavity are a little tricky because it's tight in there. Use a stubby driver or a short #2 square bit to make it easier.
Step 5: Drill Cable Holes
Before you finish or mount anything, drill the cable holes. Use a 1-1/2" Forstner bit or hole saw. That size is big enough to pass the head of most power cables through without any trouble. Think about where your equipment will sit and where the cables need to go before you drill. It's easier to route cables toward the sides of the cabinet to keep things from piling up in the back behind your boxes.
Step 6: Sand and Finish
Fill any pocket holes you want to hide, sand the whole cabinet smooth starting at 120 grit and finishing at 220, then apply your finish. I painted mine white to match the room. If you used a nicer hardwood plywood and want to stain it, just make sure you're not using Sandeply since that stuff doesn't take stain evenly. Stick with a PureBond maple or birch for a stained finish.
Step 7: Mount the Cabinet to the Wall
This is the most important step to get right. Figure out where you want the cabinet on the wall and mark a level horizontal line at that height. Find your studs with a stud finder and mark them. You want at least 4 screws going into at least 2 studs. 2 screws per stud minimum, and hitting 3 or 4 studs is even better if your cabinet width allows it.
Drive #10 x 3" truss head screws through the back panel and into the studs. The truss head spreads the load across more surface area than a standard wood screw, which matters when the cabinet is carrying weight.
That's it. The whole project came together in an afternoon and the materials ran me less than $50. It's been on the wall for years and holds everything I need without taking up any floor space.
FAQ
It depends on your TV height and how you use the room. The most common approach is to figure out where you want the TV to sit first, then position the cabinet directly below it with a small gap. Most people end up with the bottom of their floating TV cabinet somewhere between 40" and 55" off the floor when the TV is wall mounted above it. If you're sitting on a couch and watching TV at eye level, a good rule of thumb is to have the center of the TV at roughly seated eye level, around 42"-48" from the floor, and let the cabinet fall where it naturally lands below that. Don't start with the cabinet height and work up from there.
Yes, if it's built solid and mounted well into studs. Use glue on every joint, not just the back panel. Make sure you're hitting at least 3 studs with your wall screws. That said, wall mounting your TV separately and using the cabinet just for equipment is the better setup. It's safer, you can tilt and swivel the TV independently, and there's less stress on the cabinet and wall attachment over time.
A 4' x 4' half sheet of 3/4" plywood is all you need for these exact dimensions. If you're making the cabinet longer than 47" you might need to step up to a full 4x8 sheet depending on how much wider you go. The cut plan on this page shows how all 7 pieces fit on the half sheet.
No. A circular saw with a straight-edge guide gets you clean enough cuts for this project. Or just have the lumber yard cut it for you. There aren't that many pieces so most places will do the cuts for free or close to it. Bring the cut list and the cut plan.
Absolutely. The width is the main thing to change. I built mine at 47" to match my 46" TV. A good rule is to make the cabinet a couple inches wider than the TV so it doesn't look undersized. The depth at 15" and height at 8-1/2" work well for most cable boxes and streaming devices, but you can go deeper if your equipment needs it. Just update the Top, Bottom, and Back lengths in the cut list and recalculate your pocket hole count.
Sandeply is a budget option that has a smoother surface than standard sanded plywood with less visible grain. It's great for paint because paint doesn't care what the wood grain looks like underneath. PureBond is a hardwood plywood (usually maple or birch) with a clean face veneer that takes stain well and looks good with a clear coat. If you're painting, save the money and go Sandeply. If you're staining or going for a natural wood look, spend a little more on PureBond or a similar hardwood ply.
Comments
Join the Discussion