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If you have any woodworking skills, which if you don't think twice about making one yourself, real wood. They look better, feel better, smell better, and everything else. I would suggest something with cedar involved, even if it is just the interior. It helps keep moisture down, smells nice, and doesn't transfer its oils to your clothes.
All that said, I wouldn't trust myself to cut two boards in a straight line without the proper tools. Handsaws can't hack it for me, I always twist the grip just enough to prevent it from being flush. 
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RJOberg wrote: I would suggest something with cedar involved
Cedar also keeps the moths away
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Moths, moisture, silverfish, lots of benefits, plus I really like the smell of cedar.
My mother was given my paternal grandmother's cedar chest when she passed. There are blankets, quilts, and other fabrics in there older than I am some older than my father, still in perfect condition.
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We have my grandmother's camphor wood chest, it has similar properties. Plus the stuff smells nice.
speramus in juniperus
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It would better if it were made of Sapient Pearwood.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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But then it might run away
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I shall buy precut boards, I am not totally help desk!
speramus in juniperus
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Only problem with Cedar is it's expensive, hard to find good wood to work with and is hard to work tends to splinter. If you do work with it your blades need to be exceedingly sharp.
I love the smell of cedar and love working with it but it's a PITA.
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Agreed on the splintering problem, although to be honest that was another reason I liked it. Most of my "work" with cedar involved splitting it, stripping the bark to use as a starter and then building a fire with it when I was backpacking.
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Yeah I backpack a lot also and it will start a fire real well but burns too quickly, by the time you get the beans out the fires out. 
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Just make sure it's not quite big enough for the lion to get through.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Exactly - and don't let the Witch tell you otherwise, Nagy!
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience
Greg King
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I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.
Lily Tomlin, Actress
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Get a little man in and you can go to the pub as he works.
That way the job is done well, and you can have gin without guilt!
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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I built mine at home in the alcove in our bedroom. I used a bi-fold door where the main rail is and a conventional pine door for the shelving. I constructed the carcass using 4x2 floor to ceiling. I used half-lap joints and strengthened them with angle plates. The internal division between the shelves and hanging space was done with 15mm MDF, same for the shelves and smaller pieces of pine (maybe 3/4"sq) were used to support the shelves although that was possible overkill as the weight isn't an issue. The outer trim over the carcass was done in 8mm (?) MDF and the visible joins were routed with a round-over bit. The trim around the walls and ceiling was dressed with conventional quarter-round. I assembled the entire thing with self-tapping screws and I didn't need or require any glue. Obviously, I used a filler to cover the countersunk screw heads. Preparation was typical for MDF; base coat and a good quality gloss. Get the best paint and don't use cheap "contracter" types of paint.
The only thing I made a slight boo-boo on was fitting the hinges. I routed the recess direct into the 4x2 carcass and all was well. It was only when I added the external MDF that I realised I should have done the hinges after fitting the MDF and not before. It means you can't open the door 180 degrees, because the MDF limits the opening to about 110 degrees. Still, it works well. The bi-fold doors came with a top rail support which the manufacturer made a mess of as the pivot hole for the "hardware" was about 1/2" too far in.
As for the joints, half-lap works okay but if you opt for a decent wood like oak you might want to use dovetails to make it look nice. I can do hand-cut dovetails but I have a jig and dovetail bits for my router. I didn't need any as all joins are concealed. Oak and the like are lovely to look at but if you do go that way, it's essential to make sure it's been kiln dried and laid properly. Never use green wood, that is, the stuff that's been milled but not dried. Green is fine but you have to be careful to make sure you lay it down like a bottle of wine for a week or two before use and then only in the area where you want to use it.
Tools: I invested in the best quality I could buy. If you buy or want a router don't go for the really heavy ones. For general trim, a laminate-use type of router is fine and a mid-size ia good for most other things. If you fit doors make sure you trim equal amounts from each side and get the absolutely square across the diagonals. A track-saw will do it far superior to a planer. If you buy MDF get the store/yard to cut it for you. Even though it looks like it won't be done right, those industrial grade machines are accurate to 99.9%.
If there is one thing more dangerous than getting between a bear and her cubs it's getting between my wife and her chocolate.
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Also MDF is carcinogenic so if the shop cuts it you do not have the fibres floating around the house.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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That's also a valid point and a reason I work on it outside. I believe another problem is that the dust is also highly flammable when there's enough of it in suspension.
If there is one thing more dangerous than getting between a bear and her cubs it's getting between my wife and her chocolate.
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MDF or MFC? Are you serious? That's like giving your wife a cardboard box.
Spruce isn't that expensive.
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I'd recommend big box store pine. It's an underrated wood because it's inexpensive. It takes finishes of any kind very very well.
MDF is neat stuff and all, but it uses some pretty toxic sh*t as a binding agent.
I can't recommend MFC. It was a bad library as evidenced by the fact that Microsoft never used it themselves. Crapware.
As for joinery: It depends what you're comfortable with. Your best bet is probably pocket-hole joinery (screws that don't show up on the outside.)
Though frankly, if I was doing it I'd probably just screw the damn thing together, make sure the screw holes were counter-sunk, fill them with wood putty afterwards, then stain/paint. Done and done.
I highly recommend lumberjocks.com. Those guys are awesome.
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mikepwilson wrote: I can't recommend MFC. It was a bad library as evidenced by the fact that Microsoft never used it themselves. Crapware.
Totally agree 
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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You people shame me. I keep my clothes on exposed racks, with an electronic gizmo to chase the bugs away. 
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Hmmm , there are 2 types of bugs, alive and not so alive... If you are talking about Windows as your guardian you can chase the alive ones only 
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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I refuse to regard moth-holes in my woolens as a feature.
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Are you sure it wasn't you that, in a sneaky manner, just convinced your wife that you need all these powertools. 
Because, really, if you need to ask the question you should go back to the shop and buy a flatpack.
But to answer your question: you need wood, I agree with Harold in this matter.
But also a proper drill, wood dowels, wood glue, clamps, a plane, a resaw, a router... but not the least, a design
Oh, and do have a look for Steve Ramsey on Youtube.
Politicians are always realistically manoeuvering for the next election. They are obsolete as fundamental problem-solvers.
Buckminster Fuller
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Jörgen Andersson wrote: Are you sure it wasn't you that, in a sneaky manner, just convinced your wife that you need all these powertools.
:innocentWhistle:
Actually, I need a pocket hole jig and the rest will be precut boards. Simples.
speramus in juniperus
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Have you considered buying an old one of approximately the right size from a second hand or antique store (aka junk store), sanding it off and giving it a once over with Polyurethane varnish?
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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