I don’t like dressers. I feel like they often take up a lot of space and aren’t useful for anything other than storing clothes. Though I hang up the majority of my clothes, I needed find a better storage solution for folded items than 1) piles of clothes on the top shelf of my closet and 2) plastic storage bins. What did I do? I set out to build a storage bench/seat for my room.
Now, I’ll start off saying I did not and possibly could not have done this on my own. Once again the most amazing partner ever stepped in to help me design the bench, pick out supplies, and taught me how to use a power saw (which is amazingly scary, btw). There was a lot of trial and error (mainly because I am not so good at cutting straight), but I ended up with something that I absolutely love!
I measured the space in my room where I wanted the bench to go. Afterwards, I used those measurements to make the frame.
Thank God we have a basement…I didn’t have to do this outside in the cold. Using a power saw is invigorating and scary. Luckily, it didn’t matter too much if the cuts were super straight and the ones I messed up terribly, Avery fixed them for me.
Here’s the frame made from 2×3’s. It’s 4ft long, 2ft tall and 2ft wide.
Next, I had to add a bottom, top, and sides.
At this point, all I needed to do was add a cushion and fabric. (btw–the baskets came from target)
Next, I stapled the cushion to the the top of the bench and then covered with fabric.
All in all, wood + fabric + cushion + baskets cost about $75. I’m sure there were cheaper options (I thought about buying a thrifted trunk and just adding a seat), but I really wanted to learn to cut wood and assemble this from scratch. Plus, I wanted to make sure I had enough room to store the items I wanted to. I’m pleased with how it turned out!
Until next time,
A.Reese
January 15, 2013 at 8:04 AM
You ladies are pretty awesome! You rocked it Todd Oldham style!
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January 15, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Thanks Bianca!
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January 15, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Looks great. i need to build one for my alcove
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January 15, 2013 at 9:51 AM
I’d imagine building one for an alcove might be even easier, since you could probably build it to slide right into the space…..think about it. 🙂
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January 15, 2013 at 9:03 AM
Beautiful job MissAshante. One of my fav. Classes in 7/8th grade was woodshop! We got to build things! I done like dressers either but I do have the issue with storage of folded items so I’m a victim of plastic container/drawers in my closet!! Im needing a thrifty idea on closet organizing ~ I refuse to hire and pay $5,000 to have it done by a “professional” when I’m sure it can be done for $100 or so!!
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January 15, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Thanks! I had never used a power saw before, so I wanted to try. I’m happy with the results, and I was able to get rid of those plastic containers in my closet! The storage bins I use hold quite a bit (I think they’re 12in x 12in) and they didn’t cost much (8.99 a bin on sale at Target).
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January 16, 2013 at 3:37 AM
So, you have a power saw to loan to your friends now? Sweet. This is so gorgeous. Congratulations.
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January 16, 2013 at 6:43 AM
That’s exactly what that means, Lisa. Gotta get some use out of it!
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