Often the secret to great craftsmanship when it comes to making furniture isn’t so much as showing off, but learning how to hide certain elements. Hiding in a way that when onlookers finally realize what they’ve been missing this whole time, it adds a layer of discovery.

Great art is always about the process of scrutiny and the element surprise that makes that experience even sweeter. Just like this job from Chris Salomone. It’s a coffee table that, at first glance, looks like a stack of plywood sitting on some cubbies. Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll see that it’s actually hollow and has lots of storage within. The best part? It was built with just two sheets of ply. Talk about clever and resourceful. That’s the Plywood Stack Coffee Table in a sense.

Salomone cut a sheet into 36-inch long strips of plywood to create the perfect gigantic plywood illusion. He used those as cover for the hollow interior. Not only is this method cheap, but it also gives you extra storage — and your guests will never notice it’s actually a hollow piece of furniture. Unless you tell them, of course.

You’ll love the the exposed plywood edges of the Plywood Stack Coffee Table, which Salomone coated with Montana Gold. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can totally disregard that and go to town with the color of your choice. At the end of the day, you’ll still have a luxurious-looking pallet that doesn’t cost a fortune to make and actually adds function to your home. It’s a great conversation starter, and relatively easy to create if you put in the time and effort — what’s not to like?

SEE IT IN ACTION HERE