The cabinet is made in two separate pieces for ease of construction. The lower cabinet is the same width as the upper one, but it's 2 inches deeper. Four screws hold the two pieces together.

The cabinet measures 44 x 72 inches high. The upper section is 22 inches deep and the lower cabinet is 24 inches deep. This size will easily accommodate a computer or most large televisions. We used special hardware and hinges that allow the doors to slide back into the case when open, taking up much less room than conventional hinged doors. For additional storage, we added two shelves supported by adjustable brackets mounted to the rear of the cabinets.

If you are making the entertainment center version, you can use a pullout, swivel base for the television, and extra shelves can be added to hold stereo equipment, a DVD player, or other accessories.

We used 3/4-inch-thick birch plywood to construct the cabinet; the doors are beaded-board birch plywood framed with solid basswood. Birch plywood is widely available, easy to work with, and relatively inexpensive (about $40 for a 4- x 8-foot sheet; three sheets are required). To hide the raw edges of the plywood, we used an easy, press-on veneer tape, available at most home-center stores.

Construction is relatively quick, considering the size of the piece. Tools required are a portable circular saw, drill, router, and plate joiner. In addition, you will need several 4-foot-long clamps. A table saw and drill press are helpful but not absolutely necessary.

To create the deep-green finish, we used a water-soluble aniline-dye stain, followed by two coats of clear lacquer. We found the aniline dye much easier to use than conventional pigment-type stains, especially on a dense wood, such as birch. The powdered stain is simply mixed with water, brushed on, and then wiped off.