*This post contains an affiliate link.
So you’ve seen built-in dining room seating on Pinterest, but you feel like it’s for custom- built homes, and way too tough to tackle as a DIY? Well, I’m just a girl, standing in front of (really just typing on) her computer, asking you to think again. C’mon. Have just a tad more faith in your DIY abilities. It is 100% doable. With a bit of planning and patience, you will have yourself a custom bench that can even store all of your Christmas decor (well, at least that’s what we will be using ours for!).
I can’t provide you with plans per se, because every space is different, and your needs may be different than ours. However, I am going to walk you through how we built ours, start to finish, so you can see just how doable it is. Okay?! Ready? Grab your notepad and pen, and lets dive in.
1. Measure, and measure again.
Write down all of your measurements and carry them around with you, so they are handy when you hit the store for your materials.
We wanted an L-shaped bench, so we measured both lengths as well as the depth and height.
A few notes on depth: Think about whether you want room for pillows behind your back. ADD a few inches for pillows, if so. I started with a standard, comfy seat depth of 18 inches and added 4 inches to that to account for pillows. We ended up with a 22 inch depth for our bench.
A few notes on height: Consider whether you’ll add an upholstered cushion to your bench. If so, SUBTRACT the inches from your height accordingly. Normal seat height is about 18 inches from the floor, so I wanted our bench to be 18 inches AFTER we added a cushion. So, our height ended up right around 15 inches.
A few notes on length: Will you want to add trim to your bench? I suggest that you do, as it really helps to give everything a custom, finished look. If so, be sure to adjust your measurements accordingly for that, too! We made the mistake of forgetting that on one side, so our bench overlaps our door casing a bit, but we were able to make that work. Depending on your space, exact measurement may be much more crucial (but, you can do it!).
2. Build your 2×4 frame.
The base of this bench is 2x4s. Easy to find, inexpensive, and sure to make a solid place for sitting. I won’t begin to try to be technical and explain how we pieced it all together, but the photos should be a better explanation than I could ever give. Keep in mind that sometimes wood is not exactly the measurements that it’s labeled as, and measure all of your other pieces accordingly.
We started on the short side, and I am so glad we did because it turned out that our walls on that side were FAR from straight. So we had to do a bit of “rigging” to make everything work and end up square. Make sure that if you can’t find studs, you anchor your frame using drywall anchors.
3. Add the “skin” onto the bench.
Once you’ve completed the frame, check (and double-check) to make sure that everything is level. Then you’ll want to measure again for the “skin,” ie, the plywood or other material you decide to use for the bench fronts and sides. We went with a super thin, sanded plywood. You could use whatever material you want (1x or MDF), but I wanted inexpensive and easy to transport! You’ll want to make sure to account for that material before you start your bench though, as it’s thickness will determine how deep and long your frame should be.
We had ours ripped down at Home Depot, and attached it with our brad nailer (our favorite one is here – no air compressor required!) and that took all of 10 minutes to do!
I wasn’t worried about the edges being perfect, or even everything lining up perfectly, because I knew the trim would cover all of that up (another reason to add trim)! I also pre-primed the plywood and filled any small imperfections before moving on to the next step.
4. Add the trim.
We used simple primed 1x3s to do our trim, and kept it really basic. Adding trim will give your bench such a beautiful, custom look! We added ours with liquid nails and a couple of brad nails each. I didn’t want to have a fill a ton of holes from the nailer, but it really helped to add a few so the trim wouldn’t slip while the glue cured.
5. Caulk and paint.
This one speaks for itself. Filling any gaps with caulk goes SUCH a long way to achieving a finished look (the photos below show a before + after).
I painted ours with a satin finish so it would be “wipeable.” We used Sherwin Williams Alabaster, which is a very slightly creamy white. It’s *just* creamy enough to make it not quite as stark as a true white.
6. The lid.
Admittedly, the lid was a challenge for me. I didn’t want to spend the money on expensive hinges when I knew that we’d only be lifting the lid once a year for Christmas decor. We opted for mdf shelving board and had it cut down into 3 sections so that lifting them wouldn’t be too cumbersome, come November. We’ve had them just like this for a couple of months and have had no problems with them sliding around!
For the ends, instead of just painting over the mdf (it would be very bumpy and look unfinished), we added trim. I just glued it on, and caulked all the gaps before painting. So simple!
Also, I plan to make a cushion for the bench soon. I will be sure and share!
That’s it! It’s truly a doable project and will be SUPER impactful in just about any home. Be sure and drop by to share if you decide to give it a try!