Widget HTML Atas

Home / building plans

How To Construct A Modern Built-In Storage Bench

You know that i friend of yours who has everything together How to Build a Modern Built-In Storage Bench

*This post is sponsored by PureBond®  and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my ain too are uninfluenced. 

You know that i friend of yours who has everything together? The i who ever looks flawless too everything she touches is perfection. That's my friend Alex from AVE Styles. Her trend is the perfect mix of modern too traditional amongst a salubrious does of boho mixed in.


Not long ago, nosotros were chatting too Alex told me she was wanting to come upward up amongst a improve solution for the infinite betwixt her kitchen too menage unit of measurement room. Its a large transition infinite that her kiddos use. She wanted something architectural that could reason the infinite too shroud the kid stuff. I went to her beautiful dwelling too nosotros sketched upward an thought for a modern, built-in storage bench that would give them a massive amount of toy-stashing space. 


After teaming upward with Modern Bunk Beds, I knew just what cloth Alex's bench should live made of. We chose 3/4" maple plywood because she wanted a modern look, too nosotros chose PureBond® because she wanted something durable, safe, too formaldehyde free. 


I'm sharing the materials too step-by-step teaching how to build a 172-1/2" long bench below. You tin follow the same steps, modifying the width of the components to fit your private space. 

To reckon Alex's total reveal, click here.


*This post is sponsored past times Columbia Forest Products too contains affiliate links. 

Materials List:

Cut List:
  • (8) 3/4" plywood @ 21-1/2" x 18" (*leave 2 panels long)
  • (8) 3/4" plywood @ 21-1/2" x 14-3/8" (*leave 2 panels long)
  • (8) 3/4" plywood @ 21-1/2" x 3-1/2" (*leave 2 panels long)
  • (2) 2 x 4 @ 96"
  • (2) 2 x 4 @ 76-1/2"
  • (15) 2 x 4 @ 11" - drill  two, 1-1/2" bag holes on each end 
  • (15) 2 x 4 @ 14-1/4" 
  • (8) 2 x 2 @ 19-1/2"

1. Cut all boards too panels to size, but larn out 2 of each size plywood panel a piddling long (about 1/2"). I'll explicate why later. If you lot don't accept a truck or you're but similar me too abhor trying to rip downward massive sheets of plywood, a bully pick is to guild project panels from HomeDepot.com. You tin fifty-fifty guild them cutting to a custom size.

2.Apply border banding to all raw plywood edges, cut too sand smooth. If you lot are going to stain or pigment your bench, do thus earlier assembly. 


3. I recommend edifice the frame separately, inwards your store or garage. Join 2 x 4 x 76-1/2" boards amongst 2 x 4 x 96" boards to create two, 172-1/2" long rails. 


4. Connect long rails together amongst a 14-1/4" cross slice on each end. Secure using gum too 2-1/2" screws.

5. You volition create two, ladder-looking grids. One for the make of the bench frame, too i for the bottom. For the top, Space cross supports 41-1/2" apart. Pre-drill through the side rails too into the terminate of the cross supports. Attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws. Make certain the caput of each screw are sunk below the surface of the wood. 


6. For the bottom grid, infinite cross supports 20" apart. Attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws driven from the ends.

7. Place the bottom grid on the floor. Align corner studs amongst the corners of the bottom grid. Attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws through bag holes. 

8. Place remaining 11" studs, centered over each cross support. Space front end studs 18" apart too infinite dorsum 39-1/2" apart. Attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws through bag holes. 

9. Place make grid onto the frame. Align corners too attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws through bag holes.

10. Align 2 x 2  supports betwixt dividers, even out to the make of the dorsum rail. Attach using gum too 2-1/2" screws, driven horizontally.

11. At this signal the inner frame is built too cook to live moved into place. Likely, you lot volition demand to take baseboards thus the frame tin sit down tightly against the wall. 

Use shims to ensure the frame sits level, front end to dorsum too side to side. 


12. Locate the studs inwards the wall behind the bench (and on the ends if applicable). Typically, studs inwards an interior wall are 24" pump to pump too 16" pump to pump inwards an outside wall. 

Pre-drill too drive 4" screws through frame too into each stud, i through the make too i through the bottom rail. Do a wiggle exam to brand certain the frame is secure. 


13. Apply structure adhesive to the dorsum of the human face upward boards. Stick them to the frame, making certain the make edges are even out too level. Either recruit a helper or purpose a few clamps to concur the panel inwards place. 


 If you lot don't accept a brad nailer, don't worry! You could pre-drill too purpose 2" screws instead. Actually, screws would run fifty-fifty better. The threads of the screw volition clitoris the human face upward panel "in" to a greater extent than effectively. Brad nailing saves fourth dimension too coin but won't live quite every bit strong. 

Normally, you lot would desire to drive nails inwards the management you lot desire the forest to live pulled (into the frame vs. away). I recommend driving the brads from the dorsum on this application entirely because nosotros don't desire to mess upward the beautiful surface on the pre-finished panels. 



Remember when I told you lot to larn out 2 of each panel long? Measure the exact width from the wall to the adjacent panel, too thus cutting to length exactly. Wall's aren't perfect too waiting to cutting the lastly panels volition give you lot a cleaner fit.  

Secure using 2" brads through the backside of the frame. 



14. Align 3-1/2" broad make boards, even out against the dorsum wall. Attach to 2 x 2 below past times driving 2" screws from the bottom.


15. Attach pianoforte hinges using 5/8" #6 screws. Mount doors, allowing a 1/8" gap betwixt each for movement.


If you lot cannot honor 21" piano, or continuous hinges, you lot tin easily cutting longer hinges downward to size. I institute a website where you lot tin order piano hinges inwards whatever length. 


16. To brand opening the doors easier, you lot volition desire to drill a finger hole. Adding a hole is also extremely recommend if you lot accept children inwards the house, thus suffocation isn't fifty-fifty a remote possibility.

Decide on where you lot would similar the hole placed too identify a strip of record on both sides of the door. Gently, purpose a 3/4" forstner flake to drill a hole. You may desire to drill one-half way, too thus flip the door too drill from the other management to attention avoid plywood blowout. 


17. Since 4 piddling hands volition live opening too closing the doors of this bench regularly, adding *soft-closing lid stays was a priority. We followed the directions included amongst the lid-stays too installed i on each door. 


18. Apply caulk at the seams where the bench meets to wall too floor. If you lot accept a large gap at the flooring seam, you lot may desire to boom on a strip of 1/2", quarter circular cut to create a nicer transition. 

The lastly criterion is to create total the bench compartments amongst toys too allow Alex do her decorating magic!

You know that i friend of yours who has everything together How to Build a Modern Built-In Storage Bench

It took some lawsuit too mistake to honor soft-close supports that would run well. I'm super happy amongst the ones nosotros finally chose. The doors are slowly to opened upward but unopen softly too smoothly. 


 We but created almost 36 sq ft. of awesomely hidden storage. That's a lot of Tonka trucks. I'm pretty jealous.

The pre-finished maple was a dream to run with! The make coat is every bit smoothen every bit butter too Alex's menage unit of measurement tin experience practiced knowing their novel storage bench won't live off-gassing formaldehyde into their home.

Guys, I cannot believe how stunning Alex made this space. I demand to recruit her attention too her textile mix-and-match mojo. You HAVE to larn reckon the whole reveal!
You know that i friend of yours who has everything together How to Build a Modern Built-In Storage Bench

Big thank you lot to PureBond for the gorgeous projection panels and Rennai from @ten22studio for the extraordinary photos! 

Do you lot accept an awkward infinite that needs some organization? Pin the picture below to salve the thought for later. Go cheque out Alex's blog and gear upward to autumn inwards love. 

You know that i friend of yours who has everything together How to Build a Modern Built-In Storage Bench


Let's live friends! Follow along, thus you lot never girlfriend a post