This project was built and designed by Anthony from Wood Pack DIY.
The video follows Anthony as he helps his neighbor Oscar make a custom credenza for an office, blending plywood construction with a solid walnut top and drawer faces for a modern, streamlined look.
Throughout the build, Anthony demonstrates layout choices, joinery that accommodates wood movement, and a few practical fixes when surprises pop up.
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Design
The credenza aims for clean, modern lines with inset doors and drawer faces complemented by a solid walnut top for warmth and contrast.
Anthony kept the aesthetic restrained: painted black lower elements and pulls, natural walnut surfaces, and low, discrete feet to preserve a minimalist profile.
Lumber Prep
Boards were milled and matched for grain flow, with careful selection and flipping to get pleasing continuity across the top and drawer faces.
Edge banding was applied to exposed plywood edges, and the walnut panels were planed and thicknessed before Domino alignment was used for panel glue-ups.
Joinery and Allowing for Movement
Rather than running dadoes fully through the front, Anthony made interrupted grooves so the joinery remains inset and hidden from the front face.
The top was attached with a combination of fixed front screws and oversized holes at the rear to allow the solid walnut to move seasonally without stressing the cabinet.
Assembly and Clamping
Glue-ups were handled in stages, and having an extra set of hands made aligning the carcass and installing internal supports much smoother.
Pocket screws were used where appropriate—such as attaching the plywood back and the undercarriage—so clamps were needed only during initial setup rather than long-term.
Shaping, Hardware, and Fixes
Finger-pulls were routed directly into the door and drawer faces for a seamless look, requiring careful stop settings and mirrored cuts for each side.
When a hinge jig was set incorrectly, Anthony patched the mis-drilled areas with a plywood plug and trimmed it flush before re-drilling the correct hinge pockets, demonstrating a useful recovery technique.
Finishing
Painted areas received a water-based black poly that shows a bit of grain while providing a durable surface for the cabinet base and doors.
The walnut top was finished with Rubio Monocoat Pure in two coats to enrich the tone, while drawer interiors and bottoms were sealed with multiple wipe-on polyurethane coats and light sanding between applications.
Lessons Learned
The build highlights several practical lessons: plan for wood movement, test-fit hardware before final assembly, and keep a stash of scrap material for quick repairs and patching.
Mistakes—like misplaced pocket holes or slightly mis-sized drawer faces—were addressed with straightforward fixes, showing how joints, alignment, and measurement checks can save a project from major rework.
Why This Credenza Matters
This credenza is a solid example of combining plywood efficiency with solid wood accents to achieve a refined, functional piece without exotic techniques.
Anthony’s approach—thoughtful grain matching, allowance for movement, and practical fixes—makes the project adaptable for woodworkers who want a modern cabinet with long-term durability.
Please support Anthony by visiting his website (he sells awesome plans): https://www.woodpackdiy.com/.
Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
The movement accommodation strategy here is something every woodworker should nail down early. Those oversized holes at the back of the top attachment are crucial — walnut can move quite a bit with seasonal changes, and fighting that movement will either crack your top or pull your cabinet apart. It’s one of those details that separates furniture that lasts decades from pieces that develop problems after the first year.
I really appreciate the interrupted dadoes approach for keeping joinery hidden while maintaining strength. It’s a clean solution that avoids the usual choice between exposed joinery or weaker construction. The finger pulls routed directly into the faces are another nice touch — no hardware to loosen or break, and they give the piece that seamless modern look.
The repair techniques shown here are gold. Every woodworker needs to know how to patch a blown-out hinge mortise or fix a misplaced pocket hole. Having matching plywood scraps on hand for plugs is smart shop practice. These aren’t failures — they’re just part of the process, and knowing how to handle them confidently keeps projects moving forward instead of heading to the scrap pile.