Remember this sad little number?
I found this little padded bench years ago at a second-hand store. I always planned on making a new cushion for it, but that just never happened. When I started working on the entryway, I was considering painting it and leaving it in the room.
That was before I discovered Ana White.
Ana is a mom who lives in Alaska, designs furniture, and posts the plans on her website for free so others can build it.
She also wrote a book.
This is not chunky, clunky homemade-looking furniture, either. She takes her inspiration from top furniture retailers, and shows you how to build it yourself at home.
She's the reason Donnie got me the pocket hole jig for my birthday.
I knew, as soon as I saw it, that I wanted to build her flip-top bench for my entryway. It's been on my pinboard for months. So, while Donnie was out of town on one of his many summer youth trips, I decided to build it myself. I took the plans, and the cuts needed up to Home Depot and had them cut it there. It takes forever to do it that way, but I was a little nervous to use the miter saw on my first time out.
I got home and made my first pocket hole joint.
I think I watched her how-to video on this about 10 times before I felt like I was ready.
By about midnight I had the frame made and was filling those pocket holes with spackle. This cell phone pic I sent to my mom is the only one I have of this stage.
Who wants to stop and take pictures when they're on a roll?
As it turned out, two of the cuts made at the hardware store were too long, so I had to use the miter saw anyway. I'm glad no one was watching. It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to turn the thing on! I'd watched Donnie (and years ago, my dad) use it many times, but I'd never noticed that step! There are several safety knobs, and a button for your thumb to get the blade going. Tricky.
Next was the paint.
Mermaid Treasure by BEHR. I wanted something bright for the room, since most of it is pale or neutral. And on the wall directly opposite of the entry is my giant orange sign. So this would balance it out.
Two coats of paint:
Pretty bright, huh? Well, it's not staying that way. I don't like distressing details on every piece of furniture, but I wanted to try out a new technique.
You lightly sand the corners to let the wood show through.
Then, working in sections, wipe on some wood stain in an even layer, and then immediately wipe it off with a different rag. The effect is a subtly aged look, and the sanded edges pick up the stain.
Love this.
It was simple, and it doesn't have that look that says, "HEY I DISTRESSED THIS FURNITURE MYSELF!!" That look stresses me out.
For the top of the flip-top bench, I wanted to use the same wood stain and leave the wood grain finish. The stain I used is Varathane Early American. It is nice and rich without any orange undertones. Very pretty.
I did about 2 coats on either side. I stained it before attaching it to the bench, because I didn't want any light wood peaking through when the hinges were used.
Attaching the top was the most nerve-wracking part of the whole build. I measured and measured to make sure I was even on both sides (2 inches) with an inch hanging off the back. Then I measured some more, and marked 6 dots where the screws would go. I'm pleased to say that not a single screw went through the storage portion of the box. It pays to be careful with measurements!
The lid of the storage section was attached by simply screwing the hinges to the back, and then the lid. Pre-drilling the holes made this a cinch.
I made this bench, from start to finish, in about 3 days. The directions were easy to follow, and the plans were accurate.
I didn't tell Donnie about it when he got back from his trip. Instead, I waited until the morning of his birthday:
It was a fun surprise. After all, he taught me almost everything I know about building things.
And now, with one woodworking project behind me, I am hooked. I keep looking through the Ana White book and website trying to decide which one to start next. Maybe some shelves for Emma's growing book collection...
