Kitchen table and storage benches
I built these for my son's new home. The bench seats lift up for storage. I was rushed to get them done for the housewarming/adoption party. There are things I would do better if I did another set.
I built these for my son's new home. The bench seats lift up for storage. I was rushed to get them done for the housewarming/adoption party. There are things I would do better if I did another set.
Ths set is based on the plans for the 2x4 sofa. It is very east to adjust the sizes to create the perfect piece for your space.
Using these plans I simply changed the seat sizes to 24" and 48" to create a chair and loveseat. I have also added a 1x4 across the rear of the seat to act as a bottom support for the 1x3 slats I added for back support. The other major change was using 2x3's instead of 2x4's. With the shortened length these can be a little less bulky with sacrificing stability.
So I love Restoration Hardware but think their prices are exploitative. I found a picture of a couch I really like from there. Turns out it was discontinued so I looked on Ebay and found cushions for it and I just tried to copy the picture as best I could. I considered trying to learn about bending wood for the arms but that would have significantly delayed the process so I just took a 2x6 and cut the curves with a band saw. It worked.
Sun, 05/12/2013 - 09:31
could you please share your instructions for your couch? My email addy is [email protected] thanks!!!
Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:30
I love your variation!! It looks like a cross between the outdoor sofa and the Bristol? Could you tell us what size wood you used for the different components? I know 2x6 cut to shape for the front leg......but what about the seating area slats (1x3?) and the back rest slats (1x3?) and the back leg/backrest upright (2x4?) and the top of the back rest(2x4? with radius end) and the box for the seating area (2x4?) You did a truly amazing job!!!!!!! I would love to see more pictures if you have any showing your progress through the build! [email protected]
Tue, 05/13/2014 - 12:51
I like the way you curved the front legs.
I am wondering how you curved the back legs/backrest?
Sun, 07/13/2014 - 09:42
Great job. Since its now 2 years later, how are your joints holding up at those
The better way to garden! I built the original, and then the fish got too big for the 55gal tanks below. Had to upgrade to 2 300gal IBC containers. Now I have 50 tilapia that are ready to eat, adn enough vegatables to feed us for the year.... awesome!
My very first time building a piece of furniture! Thank you so much Ana White for the plans, I have so much more confidence moving forward and building more!
Modified the dimensions of the 4x4 Truss Table and bench.
Our youngest was done with his little boy bed and so we decided we should make him a bed - he picked the clubhouse bed and we went to work. This was a fun build - I used the "Kreg" Jig for just about everything. We decided that he would need a new bookshelf and thought the truss shelves would look great next to the bed. He is so proud and excited for his big boy room, thank you Ana and Jaime for the plans and tips.
With three boys ages 17, 14, and 9 sleeping in one small bedroom, an efficient bunk bed/loft bed system seemed to be the perfect choice. I used the bunk bed plans from The Handbuilt Home, but I increased the height, and moved the steps to the end. The loft bed is basically the same as the bunk beds, but without the bottom bunk. I left the top rail off the head of the loft bed, creating a space so that they could crawl from the top bunk to the loft if desired. The short side rails on the top bunk are attached to the head of the loft bed.
The beds are modular and could be stand-alone beds, but I used TimberLok heavy duty wood screws to screw the beds together at the "intersection" on the bottom rail of the top bunk and loft, and the bottom rail of the bottom bunk and loft. That makes the beds very sturdy.
The entire system comes apart for storage or if a move ensues later. One other modification gleaned from a brag post was to use spacers on the cleats of the side rails so that you can just lay the slats down without having to screw them down. What a time-saver!
Thank you Ana White for the lovely plans and to all the brag posters for the ideas.
Wed, 07/02/2014 - 11:56
Look at all that florr space now! Great job, thanks for sharing!
Wed, 07/02/2014 - 14:18
Thank you for the kind words, Ana. I don't know what they'll do with the extra space under the loft, but I'm sure the boys will think of something!
Sat, 07/19/2014 - 14:41
Sorry about the tripple comments somthing I did by mistake.
Tue, 07/29/2014 - 21:50
Jacqueline...sorry for the late reply, but I've been out of town and just now saw this. The plans for the bunk bed itself is from Ana's book The Handbuilt Home. The loft part is basically the same build, but I left off the bottom bunk. I did increase the height of the beds and moved the built-in ladder to the foot board. I tried to explain my mods in the "about this project" section of the post. If you have any questions, just email me.
Fri, 04/17/2015 - 18:39
Well, as I mentioned in the original post, I built these beds to be modular so that they could be moved or stored. Less than a year after the beds were finished and installed, my family moved. As we took the beds down, we made sure all the parts were labeled and grouped the slats for each bed. It was easy to reconstruct it at the new house, especially because the spacers between the cleats for the slats enabled us to just lay them down w/o having to use screws.
Created using the plans/template from Ana White's monogrammed snowflake.
I decided to make a hanging B in the middle. Two small eye hooks and some thread.
Paint used was Krylon's ruby red glitter and a clear sealer
At the start of the COVID situation, I decided to make a furniture set for my three seasons room. I figured, i had all the tools, so why not. We used the Modern Chair and Modern Love Seat ( but extended the love seat for 3 seats). I added a middle support on the couch to accommodate the longer length. I also added the backs, because we found out that the cushions we ordered liked to fall off the back. I just made a 10 degree cut on 2x4's and added a 2x6 piece for the top of the backs. I also ripped a 2x4 down to make the table top close to seamless ( I did not properly join the 2x4's) It was a great project, my wife and i enjoy doing these projects together. We cant put a children's play set together, but we can create things from scratch.
I love this plan and this table. This was my first project, and I think I turned out really well.
We built the farmhouse king size bed over the last week. We used 2x4 hangers to hold the 2x4's in place and used 2x4's to support the mattress. We put 7/16" plywood on top of the 2x4's to support the mattress. We struggled with how we were going to attach the side rails to the bed frame and finally came up with a way we felt would be strong enough. Please see the pictures included to see exactly how we attached the rails to the bed frame. We used lag bolts, and metal brackets.
When your dog needs a home add gorgeous as your own
Sat, 10/08/2016 - 07:47
i loved doing this project, but it is not for the beginner. I used a drill press to drill out 5/8 holes for the solid steel dowels. if you would like more information please email me @ [email protected]
Really nice accent bench and super easy
My father loved his woodworking and refinishing antique furniture. He built a wood shop years ago and loved spending he retirement years in there. He enjoyed going to auctions and the like and picking up antique pieces for $5 and $10. He had an antique oak dining table that someone had given him years ago. Cancer took him 4 years ago and he still has that shop full of antiques. I came across the old table and it was in sad shape. It was literally in several pieces and the legs were cracked. I decided to refinish the table.
I had some oak plywood and 1" by oak left over from other projects. I went ahead and removed all of the bracing and replaced all of it. I began stripping off all of the old finish. The underside of the table had been painted. The legs were the real challenge. Not only were the legs turned, they are fluted. I stripped off what I could with liquid stripper. I then used a power washer to help remove more. I then began sanding by hand every nook and cranny. I then filled all of the little cracks with wood filler. I used pin nails on the larger cracks. Once everything was stripped I began seeing a beautiful patina that only time can create.
I then began staining with Minwax Aged Oak gel stain. I used 2 coats on parts and up to 4 coats on other parts trying to get a uniform appearance to the wood. I used between 3 and 6 coats of Minwax quick drying polyurethane on the table. I sanded with 220 and 320 grit sandpaper between coats. I think it turned out pretty well.
The only thing I really had to buy was new casters. I think I spent about $10 for them. Everything else was left over from other projects. I worked on the project here and there between other projects I was working on. I think I probably had around 20 hours total on the project. Stripping and sanding the legs took the longest time. Somehow I think dad is smiling down at me when I finish his projects he had on the back burner.
Sat, 04/05/2014 - 11:53
Hello,
I have almost the exact table that you featured on a different project where you refinished an antique white oak 5 legged fluted table. I was wondering if you could provide info. on removal of these antique castors? My husband is tall and we would love to remove the original castors and possibly add wood furniture feet to add to the height of this short beauty. Any info. would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time!
In reply to Antique caster removal by Coconutpalm79
Wed, 01/21/2015 - 22:58
I'm sorry I have not been on in a while. Most casters come in two parts. The wheel usually has a stem on it. This can usually be removed by simply pulling it down. If it is stubborn then you may have to use pliers or channel locks. Once this is removed, you will find a sleeve that fits into the table leg. These tend to rust over time. Also they become quite stuck. I usually use a very fine standard screw driver to work them out. Occasionally the outer rim of the sleeve breaks off. I have used a drill and drill bit that fits the same size of the inner diameter of the sleeve. Use a very slow RPM on the drill and it should come out. Good luck with your table.
Made this loft bunk a few hours at a time, over the course of several months. Spare time and weather in Utah has been less than cooperative. I used some back pack strapping screwed to 1x3's for the mattress supports. For the finish I used 2 coats of paint with primer, and 3 coats of high use water base polyurethane. With a 5 and 7 year old I didn't want to be worried the paint would be getting dented and chipped off for a long time. I wanted to stain it originally but failed to remember to wipe off the wood glue before it dried so it got painted. This was a very fun project to build, my son loves it. Now to build another one for his sister.
This was my first project from Ana's website! She does such a wonderful job making the plans easy to follow for the novice builder.
I really needed a rustic coffee table for my new living room. All of the retail stores expect you to pay hundreds of dollars for a table less than half of the quality. I am so happy with how the table turned out! I already have a list of other furniture that I want to add to my home. Thanks so much for all you do, Ana!
Love the plan Ana! I made a couple slight revisions and made mine out of all 2x material. I used 2x6 for the arms with a taper and extended the arms over the front leg by 1.5 inches and used 2x6 and 2x4 for the seat and back slats. Boys it sits great! One other thing I did is I used pocket holes and concealed all my fasteners so I don't have any screws showing.
Mon, 10/19/2020 - 13:58
Great job. I too have prepped 2x6 for the arms, also with a taper, but only a 1" overhang on front. Appreciate the pics. I've made all my cuts but was starting to get concerned that the larger dimension arms would look funny. I also considered doing the stretchers as 2x6. Your pics make me rest easy that they'll look fine. Also using pocket holes where possible. Good stuff!
Cheers!
When it was time for a big girl bed for my daughter I was so excited because I had been WANTING to make the Hanging Loft Bed since first spying it on The Bumper Crop and Ana White. I'm a novice so this was the perfect first project for me and my daughter LOVES it. If you have unique space challenges in any of your bedrooms this is the bed for you.
Wed, 09/12/2012 - 23:10
That turned out great! Very well done first project.
Tue, 12/18/2012 - 17:17
What a great idea! I can't wait to make one for my little girl next weekend. Can I ask a few questions? How did you affix it to the ceiling? I will not be able to get on top of the ceiling so I will be finding he joists with a stud-finder. I assume you screwed in eye-bolts?
How did you make the rail and ladder? Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks so much for the idea, my Daughter is going to love it!
Thanks,
Rob
Tue, 12/18/2012 - 20:48
Thanks Rob!
I replied to you on the blog...
Jennifer
Thu, 08/01/2013 - 06:03
I just wanted to say that I just came across this and absolutely love it! My daughter and our new baby will be sharing a room and now I have inspiration on how to make it work! Can't wait to try this out! Love the ladder...how did you make the ladder?
I had always wanted a bigger entry way at my front door. Last year my husband was gone for 3 weeks (military training) and I had the perfect opportunity to make it happen.
as you can see the original closet took up half of the entry way, and was not very functional as far as storage. It was always crammed full of stuff and there was just no good way to organize it.
With the help of my mom and sister (huge thanks) we tore out the closet, put in a new floor in the entry way, built a bench with nooks for my girls, shelves below for shoes, and shelves above for storage containers.
The new floor was added as we found after the closet was out that the oak flooring did not continue under where those walls had been, and after consulting with a wood floor specialty guy, I was informed that the flooring in my house has not been made for some 50 years now. We added new flooring (which has been better with wet shoes anyways) and moved on.
The bench/ shelf was built by us with the size of the space in mind, and the height of the tallest shoes also in mind (my husbands boots) there are two cubbies and enough bench to seat one at a time to get shoes on or off. the back of the cubbies is painted in magnetic paint. very helpful when the girls need to take notes to school with them, I simply hang them up and they stuff them in their back packs on the way out the door. we have found that friends pictures go up through the school year there too. The round black containers that you see are perched along the top two shelves. They are $1 discounted, plastic garbage cans that I spray painted black to match. They have recently been labeled, gloves, hats, scarves, flip flops, out door chalk, etc. the very top shelf which you need a step stool to reach hold the off season bins and the lower shelf holds the in season bens. there are also 2 bens below the bench seat to hold, flip flops or gloves and hats for easy access for my girls.
Over all, the overhaul (:) has been great. people can now actually get into my house and out of the weather more then one at a time. the storage is much more efficient, and I feel much cleaner looking.
and best of all, because I like to change things up all the time, I can change out the bins to square or rectangle and any other type of material, anytime I like, I wont always have to stick with the repurposed garbage cans that I am using now. although these suckers hold a lot more then I ever would have thought.
This was my first really big project. and I am pretty proud of it. - And my husband actually thought he was in the wrong house when he came home from training :)
This build was the one that really got me into woodworking. I fell in love with this bed - and Ana White - as soon as i stumbled onto the plans online.