Bar Benches with Storage

WE NEED MORE STORAGE is often something someone would say when moving into or building a new space. And that is exactly what happened to me. I not only needed storage I needed seating as well. I looked online, and since I'm a lover of high chairs, I looked into getting bar benches. They are basically benches that are the height of bar stools. Which would be perfect for the sit-stand work island I wanted for the studio. However, after much research and looking that it would cost me $325-$500/bench (and I needed 2), which were beautiful but had no storage. I began to weigh the cost of how much it would be to build them. And since I direly needed something with storage, I felt I didn't have much of a choice but to build it. Although it did cost a pretty penny to tackle this project, some materials were upcycled from other projects and build which is also nice. And the cost of two storage benches, there were enough materials left over that allowed me to build an upholstered bench for extra seating if needed.

ESTIMATION OF COST OF MATERIALS = $485

• 2x4x8's x 14 @$3 = $42
• MDF's 1/4" & 1/2"+
• (All upcycled / repurposed from other builds.)
• Upholstery Fabric, Suede Polyester (Beige color was upcycled from old roman blinds)
• Upholstery Foam Cushion x 3 = $180
• Bag Batting x 2 = $60
• Pink Upholstery Fabric, Suede Polyester = $60
• Metal Tacking Strip = $26
• Tacking Strip = $16
• White paint = $25
• Jute Webbing = $28 + $18 shipping + tax = $48
• (however, I still have an excess of this material)
• Heavy Duty Caster Wheels 5 pack = $28
• 1x2x8 x stripped in half (Material left over from previous builds)
• 1x2x8 (2 pieces) cut to length (tbd)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED:

• Staple Gun & Staples
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
• Hammer and a center punch/nail punch (This is to punch in the staples that were not properly stapled)
• Flat-head Screwdriver, needlenose plyers
• (To pry up the staples you mess up from properly stapling)
• Screws (For caster wheels)
• Power Drill & Screwdriver
• Kregg Pocket Hold Jigg & Screws
• Mitre Saw (To cut the 2x4's to size)
• Table Saw (To cut the MDF boards to size)
• Paintbrush, Paint Pan, Drop-cloth
• Trigger Clamps
• Adhesive Caulk & Caulking Gun (This may not be necessary)
• Safety Goggles, Gloves, Coveralls, Dust mask, Shop Vac.

Alright, I'm going to blog the basic steps to build one bench because I don't want to do directions that would have a bunch of different measurements. I'm not going to even throw numbers of the dimension of my build because I want you to be able to do it with your own numbers.

 

THE STEPS:

1. Used the Mitre Saw to cut the 2x4x8's into 15 pieces. 1_1x2x8 into 1 piece
• 5 identical pieces for the length of the bench. 2x4x(A)
• 3 pieces will be needed for the back.
• 2 pieces for the front.
• 4 identical pieces for the width of the bench. 2x4x(B)
• 2 identical pieces for the height of legs+backing. 2x4x(C)
  [Make sure to take into consideration the height you'll have to add on due to the rolling caster wheels.]
• 2 identical pieces for the height of the bench front legs. 2x4x(D)
• 2 Small pieces that reinforce the rolling caster feet. (E)
• 1 _ 1x2x(A) is needed for upholstery.
  
  
2. Make grooves on a certain side (1 of the sides) for the following pieces to allow the 1/4" MDF boards to slide in for the walls of your storage.
   [ Your legs C + D are going to need grooves on two sides ]
• 4 (A)'s
• 4 (B)'s
• 2 (C)'s (note: you need to mark where you need to stop since these pieces are taller)
• 2 (D)'s
  
  
  
3. Cut 4 _ 1/4" MDF to size, determine what you want your depth of storage to be. Let's make depth = (Z)
   
   ** You do not want your panels to be the exact depths of your grooves. You want the panels to be able to move a little to slide into place. That is why it is multiplied by 1.5 and not 2. This panel should slide and sit in grooves on all 4 sides.**
• 2 panels
  [ A+(depth of grooves x 1.5)] x [Z+(depth of grooves x1.5)]
  1 of these panels will sit into 2(A) grooves and 2(C) grooves (Back panel fitting into the back legs) and another one of these panels will sit in 2(A) grooves and 2(D) grooves (Front panel fitting into the front legs).
• 2 panels
  [ B+(depth of grooves x 1.5)] x [Z+(depth of grooves x1.5)]
  Both of these panels will sit into 2 (B) grooves and 1(C) and 1(D). (These are Right and Left panels, one edge fitting into the groove in the rear leg and another fitting into the groove in the front leg.)
  
  
4. Using the Kregg Pocket Hole Jigg, create pocket holes to allow screws to put your build together. You will need to drill 4 pocket holes, 2 on each end, on the internal side of your build (flaws facing inside of your build) on the following pieces:
• All (A) & (B) Pieces
  
  
5. ASSEMBLE!
   Using trigger clamps, clamp and screw your pieces together.
• Clamp, Drill pilot holes, screw together (C) and (E) the reinforcement for the rolling caster legs base of your (C) pieces.
• Install the rolling casters.
• Use a (D) piece, align with a (C) with caster wheel vertically, and mark where the top of (D) sits against (C). Mark both (C) Pieces.
  This is your height indicator of where your 2 top (B) pieces will align. One on the left side, and one on the right side.
• Clamp and screw together the sides of the bench first. The shortest sides.
• 1(C) left leg+1(B) bottom-left + 1 (B) top-left
• Slide in a B panel
• Clamp and screw together (B) top and bottom to the (D) left leg.
• Repeat assembly with the right side.
• Lay down 2 (A) pieces, 1 (A) bottom, 1 (A) panel-front, and 1 (A) top and assemble to right and left storage bench sides.
• Cut the split 1x2x8 to 1x1x8 strip pieces.
• I cut 2 of them to a few inches shorter than (B), and 2 of them a few inches shorter than (A)
• put in pilot holes.
• Install them with wood screws on the bottom edge of the (B) bottom left and right, and (A) bottom front. Centered on the inner sides.
• Lay the bench down, this time on its back (C) pieces down on the ground.
• Install the (A) top-back to (C) left and right.
• Install (A) middle-back. Make sure this is level with (A) top-front and (B) sides.
• Place and fit (A) back panel into place.
• Take a 1x1x(A-2inches) strip and line it up and center it with the bottom edge of (A) bottom-back, drill pilot holes, and screw/install with wood screws.
• Install (A) bottom-back to bench frame.
• Take the 1x2x(A) piece and place it on the top of (A) middle-back piece, make sure it's aligned. Drill pilot holes, and install. This piece is to help in upholstery later on.
  
    
   

  
  
  
  
6. Paint the lower half of the bench with white paint.
   (Paint in a well ventilated and dust-free area)
   
   
7. Using the table saw. Cut 2 of the 1/2"+ MDF boards to size.
• The Base=Board. Measure the width and length of the inside edges of the storage area of your bench. It would be around the estimated size of (B)x(A+X). Cut 1 of your MDF boards to this size. This is the base-board of your storage and should sit on the bottom ledge of your 1x1x(B-few inches) and 1x1x(A-few inches) installed strips as mentioned above.
• The Top-Board. Measure the width and length of the outside edge (-minus the back)
  **NOTE** if you're a beginner in working with wood and 2x4's, here's a tip. 2x4's are never really 2x4, the real measurement of the wood is 1.5"x3.5". **END NOTE**
  So with the note above, the measurement or dimension of your top board used for seating should be. (B+1.5")x(A+7"). Although this is your measurement, you have to take into consideration the amount of excess width that will be produced when it has been upholstered. I do advise to cut it perhaps a little smaller making the measurements (B+1.25")x(A+6.75")
  
  
8. INSTALL.
   Once your painted frame and sides of your bench have dried, you may install the base-board of your storage bench. I used adhesive caulking along the ledge where the base-board is to sit on all four sides before placing the base-board down to secure it. This is optional. If you want it to just freely place on the baseboard, feel free to do so.
   
   
   
9. UPHOLSTER.
• The Bench Seat.
• Take your (B+1.25")x(A+6.75"), Cut a piece of upholstery foam to size your bench-top original size (B+1.5")x(A+7").
• Cut your fabric with +6" on each side.
  So your measurements should be (B+1.5"+12")x(A+7"+12")= (B+13.5")x(A+19"). Both your fabric and batting should be the same size.
• Lay your upholstery fabric flat on the ground, Good side down.
• Your batting can be smaller than your fabric, I would maybe suggest +5" on each side.(B+11.5")x(A+17")
• Lay your batting out, overtop your fabric in the very center, allowing the fabric to have a border around the batting.
• Place your upholstery foam in the center of the fabric and batting. Making sure there is a 6" border of your fabric and batting around your foam.
• Place the MDF top-board in the center of the foam.
• and upholster with a staple gun. (please do some research before doing this on your own, I would suggest looking up: how to upholster a chair top)
  
  
• The Bench Back and Backing.
• Install the jute webbing, pulling it tight and stapling it down.
• Cut your foam backing to size.
• Having upholstered your seat top. I would suggest placing the bench-top on to determine how high tall the foam for your backing can be.
• Cut your batting to size, take into consideration how much give you want to give yourself for the wrap around.
• Cut your fabric to size.
• Upholster your batting starting from bottom-edge, slipping your foam in place, and stapling the batting down.
• Using the tacking strip, I upholstered the fabric bottom edge then wrapped it around to the back as I did with the batting.
  Working from the center out. Pulling the fabric tight and stapling it into the back.
• I used metal tacking strips around the exposed back of the bench. **Please research how to use these before using them in your projects.**
  I purchased a pink suede polyester fabric for this part and installed them carefully with the hammer, nail punch, needle nose players, and flat-head screwdriver. I felt I had a lot of misses with the staple gun and spent half my time prying staples out.
• Cut a piece of batting and fabric to size for the backing and installed it slowly and carefully. There are teeth on the metal tacking strips to be mindful of.
  
    
  
  
10. FINAL TOUCHES
• On your frame, inside, cut a strip of wood perhaps using the 1x1(A-few inches), install with pilot-hole and screws to the center and top edge of (A) middle-back. Do not install it on the 1x2x(A) upholstery piece. This piece is to help keep the back of your bench-top from sinking down in the middle.
• Keep your seat-top in place.
  On the other side of your bench-top upholstered seat. Where the staples and fabric edge is...
• I cut some jute webbing pieces and hot-glued them around the edges to hide these staples and fabric edges.
• I cut some more wood strips and carefully installed them to use them as a guide for the seat top, defining its edge and where it needs to sit in the storage area.
  
  

All my materials not only allowed me to make some pillow covers, but I had enough to build a small bench, paint it and upholster it to match. I also purchased some blankets to use as a bench seat cover to keep things clean.