As part of our breakfast nook makeover i wanted to create a built in look dining bench not only do dining benches look cute and cozy but they re a practical space saver.
Making a bench seat from cabinets.
Step 19 plan your front panel trim.
Anika s diy life shades of blue interiors easy storage bench ideas.
Place the bench top on the cabinets and make sure it is centered and square.
Lay the remaining larger pieces of the lids face up on the bench.
I used ikea kitchen cabinets to easily build a dining bench that looks built in but it s still movable.
You can also make simple and elegant diy benches out of old kitchen cabinets and bookcases.
The base of our bench seat is built from 2 x 3 dimensional lumber.
Leave a 1 16 gap between the plywood pieces for the hinge.
I used 2 1 2 x 1 4 poplar board.
Installation instructions for a built in diy window seat with storage step 1.
Build the base frame.
Add trim to the front of the bench seat.
Here are two great examples.
Since the ikea cabinets are only 15 tall and a standard chair is 18 20 high you ll need to raise up the cabinets by 3 4 to get them to the right height for sitting.
The corner bench with storage and the ikea hack window seat bench.
Remove the cabinet doors for access to the interior.
Fasten wood cleats to the wall in the open corners to support the 3 4 inch thick by 19 inch deep end panels used to create a sturdy top for the window seat.
Both diy bench ideas are absolutely gorgeous and totally made from scratch.
Susan teare joanne palmisano.
Make sure the screw is not too long that it will protrude throught the top of the bench.
How to use stock cabinets to create bench seats.
This kept the bench slightly recessed to the cabinets on either side.
The first thing you need to do is build a base for your seat.
Because my bench seat is 92 long i decided to create 3 rectangles.
Make the faces of the cabinet face frames flush with the base front b and align the cabinet end panel with the end base divider c.
Build it in with panels.
Bench seating with built in shelving and doors can be expensive especially if you need something that fits perfectly into an existing nook in your.
For a truly custom look attach filler boards and decorative panels that mimic the look of cabinet doors using 2 inch finish screws fastened from inside the end cabinets.
Apply construction adhesive to the top of the base and set the cabinets in place.
To make the stationary piece of benchtop that will go against the wall rip a 1 7 8 piece lengthwise from each of the lid pieces and screw them face down along the wall on each side of the bench.
Be sure to purchase panels to cover the sides of your bench if you are going to be exposed.
I added front trim to my bench seat to mimic the look of the cabinets i chose.