Built-in bench with baskets

Messages
229
Location
Vernon, WI
For over a YEAR now, my mom showed me some pictures out of a magazine of something she asked me if I could build for her. I said yes of course, and it took me this long to get my butt in gear and do it for her. Right when you enter our front door there is a little foyer area, or vestibule if you will, and directly to the right there is an area about 3' wide and 2' deep of empty space. She wanted a bench built there so you can sit and take your shoes off and what not, with 2 baskets underneath that could slide out and also wanted this thing to have a back to it with a shelf on top, being able to hang a mirror and maybe some coat hooks around it.

Made everything out of Poplar, AGAIN I KNOW! :eek: You guys are going to shoot me for painting all this wood! I can just feel it coming :eek: I'm sorry it wasn't my idea to paint this thing :) My mom wants it painted black but distressed with a cream color showing underneath. Don't know exactly how to do that. Maybe just paint it all cream first (or at least the areas to be distressed), then paint it all black, then sand the areas to be "distressed" revealing the cream underneath? We are going to take a trip together to a paint store and ask them how to go about it. I saw Norm Abrum do it once, but it was WAY more involved.

But anywho, I framed a little platform for the bottom and coverd it with 1/2" oak veneered plywood. I also used the plywood for the back. Had a whole sheet of the stuff for free... it was left over extra on a job I worked at :thumb: The bench is 6/4 Poplar, 3 pieces glued and biscuit jointed together then scribed it to the wall, even though I covered it with little side rails :) ...probably didn't have to waste time on scribing then, but oh well. Don't have the mirror yet but she is going to pick one out. Angie and I picked out the baskets from a fabric store they were 50% off so it was a steal! Built the face frame from 4/4 then glued it all and Kreg-jigged it together... kind of how you would make a face frame for a cabinet I suppose. I used either wood glue or PL wherever possible and screwed and nailed wherever possible for extra strength. Wasn't worried about nail holes since it is getting painted, so I filled them all in with bondo. Which brings up another question I have but I'll post it in a different thread. Also the base moulding I used on the front of the "base" is different from the existing base in the room, but I wanted it to appear as sort of a seperate piece from the room, so I had to butt the existing base and scribe it to the new stuff. Well I realized I have been rambling on far too long now so I'll just get to the pictures. OH yeah one last thing, sorry Larry I know you told me I need to build something for myself now, but had promised this quite sometime ago, so NOW I might just have to make myself something :thumb: Thanks for lookin' everyone.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2097 (600 x 450).jpg
    IMG_2097 (600 x 450).jpg
    43.7 KB · Views: 55
  • IMG_2102 (600 x 450).jpg
    IMG_2102 (600 x 450).jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 53
  • IMG_2232 (600 x 450).jpg
    IMG_2232 (600 x 450).jpg
    41.5 KB · Views: 56
  • IMG_2233 (600 x 450).jpg
    IMG_2233 (600 x 450).jpg
    47.9 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_2234 (450 x 600).jpg
    IMG_2234 (450 x 600).jpg
    45.1 KB · Views: 51
  • IMG_2236 (600 x 450).jpg
    IMG_2236 (600 x 450).jpg
    55.4 KB · Views: 69
  • IMG_2235 (450 x 600).jpg
    IMG_2235 (450 x 600).jpg
    46.7 KB · Views: 48
Nice work Westley! :thumb: Really like the look of that, can't wait to see it with the finish on it (even if it is paint :D). The painting with the lighter color, then dark, and distressing it should work. I've seen Norm do it that way. Might get a few sample boards and test it out.
 
well westly,your a smart fellar:thumb: if you promised yur mom this some time back and have been gettin any of her cookin since then you owed her:rofl: i have done just as you are doing and the rewards are far more valuble than you may know today but tommrrow you will.
 
That's a nice work Westley, and if it is going to be painted, so be it. After all it has to please your mom, which for the case is your customer at the moment so if she's happy, we are all happy as well.:thumb:
 
Looking good, Westley. No shame in painted wood, especially if that's what the customer ordered. And when the customer is Mom, she's most definitely right. ;) Looking forward to seeing the finished pics.
 
Westley,

Very nice work. I especially like the trim work. Great design, excellent execution. And you get at least two points for making Mom happy... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
nice work on built in!

Nice work look's great , like the use of poplar and kreg jig for face frame, as well as molding for extra character, great job, sure your mom loves it , the distressed part will give it a look that will appear as it has been ther quite sometime, more character! later, DB:thumb:
 
Very nice Westley. Your joints are really well done. I know there is a tendency to fill gaps with caulk when "paint grade" is specified - but your work doesn't need it. Well done.

No need to apologize for painting anything. Of course I can't criticize because I've been doing a lot of paint grade work recently - with more on the way.

Make sure you post pictures when it's finished!

Wes
 
Thanks for the nice words everyone, really means a lot to me, you guys are far too kind here :) Didn't get a chance to run to the paint store yet. My mom works 2 jobs. Pretty busy lady, so the trip will probably have to wait til next week. So I would guess a good week before we start painting it. But, I'll keep you updated of course.

Now I can finally start making myself something. First I have to clean the basement up! Then I'll start workin on making my oneway vari-grind knockoff. THEN I'm undecided... Either going to make a router table for the new router, or start workin on that electric guitar I wanna build :thumb: ...if that happens I will need to do some more reading, and that is definately a lengthy project. You guys have any suggestions?
 
Top