I know nobody has posted here in a while, but I thought I would share some pics of a box I built a couple months ago to use by our stove.
Unfinished wood box is sanded, assembled, and ready for stain and finish.
Applying stain, which really brings out the grain in the oak boards.
The finished product.
The top and bottom boards have a natural, live edge for a rustic look.
The bottom board still has some of the saw marks from the sawmill and a couple of knot holes--lumber came from trees my dad cut down and took to a sawmill. When I was younger, I helped him take several truck loads of logs to the sawmill, bring the rough-cut lumber back, and stack in a barn to dry for years (this wood was probably cut 20 or 30 years ago).
The shelves are removable and adjustable, resting on steel pegs (cut from a nail) in holes drilled at multiple heights.
Finish matches the wood used around the sides of the hearth.
In place and ready to load.
Shelves loaded with firewood, kindling, and newspapers (we ended up taking the bottom shelf out for now--will be more useful when we use two different kinds of firewood).