Community Brag Posts
Modern Sectional Sofa
I looked all around my town for a sofa that meet my needs. I wanted something with tall legs, modern lines and fit my living room. I did not have $3,000 to buy one online so I said to myself why not???
Comments
Sat, 07/25/2015 - 12:28
DIY Modern Sectional Awesomeness!
You are my hero ! Your modern diy sectional is amazing, love the blue fabric! Thank you so much for sharing! Ana
Mon, 08/03/2015 - 14:52
I'm so excited!
I've been looking for plans for a big sectional this would be perfect!
Potting bench with added sink
One of my first bigger projects. Added a sink by framing it out with 2x4s before adding the top on.
Modified Simple Rolling Bar Cart
I honestly think Ana is a mind reader. Whenever I need plans for a particular piece of furniture, they magically appear on her site. Of course if she was a true mind reader, everything will be exactly as I need it requiring no modifications. That's what makes her plans so amazing. I can build bigger and better because I've learned to modify her plans to fit my current needs.
This Cart was no exception. I had to make mine a few inches deeper and change the height of the legs and it was a piece of cake. I put this together in less than 2 hours and finishing was easy too.
I did a blog post all about what I did differently including how I constructed a towel bar instead of the pipe. Check it out at www.thepursuitofhandyness.com
Washer/Dryer Platform Pedestal
THE MOTIVATION
After a recent washer outage (that I was ultimately able to repair myself), my wife and I talked about eventually replacing our front-loading washer/dryer set. One of the bullets I hate biting is paying the exhorbitant prices for the matching pedestals for new washer/dryer sets.
Having just bought a good set of cordless powertools, and having watched my father when I was a kid build countless household fixtures, window dressings, furniture pieces, etc., I decided to try my hand and construct a permanent platform for our current washer/dryer set, thereby eliminating the need to ever buy manufacturer pedestals again.
The existing pedestals were a standard 15" high, with a storage drawer, which we felt was still not high enough for comfort. And, the washer pedestal drawer was entirely inaccessibl due to the 2" walls on the washer drain pan, so its drawer was totally useless, wasted space.
And, lastly, we really wanted more space for clothes baskets full of laundry, which we generally stacked (full and haphazardly) on top of the machines.
THE CHALLENGES
The largest challenges were mainly logistics, and gravity. The washer/dryer would have to be unavailable for at least 2-3 days while they sat disconnected in the next room waiting for their new home. So I coordinated with the family so they'd know when they needed to have their laundry done, or tough it out until I was done.
There was no way to know for sure what the drain connection for the washer pan looked like until I got the washer out. So it was a small gamble that I'd be able to get the parts needed to extend the drain pipe up to the new platform right when I was ready for them. Fortunately, this was no issue at all.
The biggest challenge turned out to be toward the end when it came time to lift our 230-lb. washer onto the new platform. I seriously considered disassembling the washer to the point that I could remove its molded concrete counter-weights, but instead (and arguably stupidly) elected to use a large hydraulic car jack to raise the washer. This ultimately worked, but I have to STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST trying this.
THE SPACE
Our laundry room is also the "mud room" between our kitchen and the garage. It is only large enough for the two machines, and the walk way between the two doors--in total, about 70.5" square. Building the platform from wall-to-wall made the most sense, and minimized framing by fastening edge framing directly to the wall studs.
THE PLAN
Pretty basic: 2x4's all around for the edge framing--back and sides fastened directly to the wall studs, and front 2x4 supported by two, notched 4x4 legs. 3/4" plywood for the subsurface, and 1/4" laminate faux-wood flooring on top (left over from reflooring, so it matches the floor below). Bore holes for the washer pan drain and the dryer vent. 1" quarter-round molding on the sides, and 5.5" face piece flush with the top of the molding across the front (spare lauan I had looks perfect). I also made a point of putting the machines on the platform before the face piece since it might have been in the way or damaged.
Anyone will tell you that it's best to at least sketch out what you want to do so you can minimize surprises, forgotten parts, etc. I, of course, did virtually none of that, and made several course changes and corrections along the way. For this project, I was lucky that I didn't need to backtrack at any point, and probably won't learn this lesson any time soon anyway. However, you SHOULD.
TAKE-AWAYS
The main mistake I made was while gathering the platform dimensions for cutting the plywood. It was only blind luck that kept me from having to do it more than once (and having to buy more than one 4x8 sheet). I know that it's actually very unlikely that two adjacent walls are perfectly square, so I made a point to measure the width between the walls at the back and at the front--and, sure enough, found a 1/8" difference--wider at the front. But when I measured and marked the plywood for cutting, I measured both distances from the precut edge, and then cut. By doing this, I inadvertently assumed that one of the back corners was perfectly square.
What I should have done was used a carpenter's square in each back corner to extend a square line from the back edge to the front, and then measured from the square lines to their respective side wall. This would have accounted for neither back corner being square.
Fortunately, my mistake wasn't big enough to keep the plywood from fitting, but it was very, VERY close.
GIDDY
I honestly couldn't be happier with the finished project (or more smug). We've raised the washer/dryer 9" higher than they were (24" off the floor), and we now have basket storage underneath all the way across. I placed two 24" plastic cabinets on top, which still leaves room for the detergent right over the soap inlet on the washer.
And, most importantly, I got to use every powertool I own. Kinda beats "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" thing, huh?
Comments
Fri, 04/17/2015 - 19:54
Love the built-in look of these!
Thanks for sharing the ins and outs of your project! Looks great!
Kid's Playhouse and Slide
I LOVE these plans. This was my first project, and although it was a big one to start with, the plans were easy to follow. If I can do it, anyone can. I added the rock wall. My kids and I love it. Total cost for me (including all lumber, nails, paint, slide, etc.) is about $850.
sandbox with benches
This sandbox has been around for some time BUT it is still a great project to build The plans were simple to follow and would be an excellent project for beginners. We built this for our grandson and future grandbaby. Was easy to complete in one day, including painting
Comments
Sat, 07/11/2015 - 20:31
Yep... Still love seeing this built...
It makes me happy, every time I see someone build this sand box. LOVE the color you chose! Great job!
mantel moulding headboard
Mantle moulding plan modified with a center 2 X 4 and used sanded plywood for the back. Finished with a few different mouldings but turned out great. Nice plan. With pre-stain, stain and poly, project extended to about a week.
Mudroom bench
Ana I came across your open bottom garage bench design and really liked the concept. Inspired by your design I put this together in our laundry/mudroom and am really pleased with the result. As you described, being able to clean under it is a huge benefit and the whole bench was less than $200 even with the solid oak boards I joined and edge routed for the top. Thanks for the inspiration and all of your project posts.
Comments
Fri, 12/02/2022 - 08:34
Striking set up!
WOW, this is gorgeous! Absolutely love the color choice the oak top and the hardware, bravo!
Coffee Bar
My wife wanted a coffee bar and I wanted a fridge for wine and beer. So we compromised on this.
Comments
Thu, 12/29/2022 - 10:02
Stunning Coffee Bar!
Pretty much everything you ned in one place! Thank you for sharing, amazing build! Sharing to social media, please email [email protected] if you'd like us to tag you!
Pull-out step stool
I needed a step-stool in my kitchen to reach in my top cabinets. I'm rather short so I was constantly dragging a chair from my dining table over to find things. I did a google search for a step stool and looked at images. As soon as I saw the picture I knew I had to build it, the retailer selling the original one I saw has a starting price of $270 and goes all the way up to $680! It took me 2 weeks off and on and several times of putting together and taking apart to get Ito the size specifications on the retail website.
Comments
Mon, 02/23/2015 - 13:27
Are there plans for this?
Are there plans for this? Looking to make but would like to know what materials are needed
In reply to Are there plans for this? by nengel21
Sun, 05/31/2015 - 18:27
I just used the picture i
I just used the picture i found online as reference and built it through trial and error. Unfortunately I don't know how to create plans either.I can tell you the legs are 2x3's cut at a 5° angle and the tops are 2x6's. I ordered the drawer slides from amazon for approximately $12 a piece.
Fri, 08/21/2015 - 06:34
Would love to recreate
Hi, I've been looking for the original image that you used as your model in an attempt to find dimensions to start with, but haven't been able to find it. Could you perhaps remember what brand it was or what site you found it on? If you still have the stool, could you maybe tell me the width of your top step and I could maybe go from there?
Thanks for the picture. This is a brillant idea and exactly what I'd like to create for my kitchen. I'm hoping to be able to use it as a counter height seat as well when I'm working in the kitchen.
In reply to Would love to recreate by robear529
Sat, 01/21/2017 - 06:42
Sorry, I haven't been on here
Sorry, I haven't been on here in a while so I just saw this. Here is the link to the stool I copied https://www.foreverredwood.com/3-step-wood-stool.html
Thu, 09/17/2015 - 14:04
step stool
This is on my list of things to make. Have to sort th shed out first though.
My First Project (Home Depot Inspired Bookcase)
My wife was watching TV and she saw a Bookshelf on a Home Depot commercial with diagonal shelving. She kept telling me how much she wanted a bookshelf like that. So, for my first wood project ever, I decided to try and tackle it for her. It is slightly over 7 feet wide and a little over 6 feet tall. I am currently trying to learn sketchup8 to create plans for this project.
Unfortunately I didn't use a certain plan from Ana's site for this project, but you can find any bookcase plan and place the diagonal shelves in place of the horizontal ones.
Comments
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 21:02
Beautiful!
So you totally just solved my no fireplace dilemma! I think I'm going to take your design here and leave an open space for some electric logs. Thank you so much for sharing, it is really stunning!
In reply to Very cool by nicwolford
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 06:10
Slots
Those were challenging because, as I stated before I am not even a beginner. I was going to try and use my little trim router to cut them but I learned quickly routers cause much saw dust. I don't have a router table and my router is small. I decided to use my miter saw. I measured out where the slots should go and Cut the outside boarders of the slots with my miter saw. I don't have a jig saw either so I chiseled the the remaining piece to form the slot. I then used my small trim router to smooth out the slots. After I got in a groove it went pretty fast. It was a lot of Slots. Like I said before, I am very new and I know there are easier ways to do this lol. Just a hint..If you ever use interlocking slots and plan on painting the project, I wouldn't make the slots exact to the bare wood. The primer and paint add to the thickness of the wood so it is important to take this into consideration before cutting the slots. Again, very new to this.
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 06:28
Your not new anymore...
I don't think that you can say that your "new to this" any more. You cut your teeth on quite an ambitious project. You did a fantastic job! And just wait till you learn sketchup, the FUN you will have! Keep up the great work and keep posting! Can't wait to see your next project!
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 12:32
I've never seen a diagonal
I've never seen a diagonal bookcase before, but I like this one. You'll never have to worry about straightening books that have fallen on their sides either.
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 15:22
So impressed!
This book case looks truly expensive! My excuse is always a lack of tools, but look what you did with what you had! Everything is square and precisely done.
In reply to So impressed! by Debi G
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 19:26
Thank you
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate all the input I have been getting. I look forward to posting more projects and getting more ideas.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 12:16
I really hope you post your
I really hope you post your plans! You did a nice job. I'd like to use a very scaled down version of this to make a wine rack in an open cupboard we have over our sink. Might have to pick your brain later. ;)
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 20:25
Great Job!!
I saw the same commercial your wife saw, and kept trying to describe the bookshelf to my husband. Now I can show him. Thanks for posting,and I hope you figure out Sketch Up so we can see your plans!
In reply to Great Job!! by mrs2tone
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 20:33
Sketchup
I have started to figure it out a little bit. I thank you for the comments and am close to finishing the plans. Again thank you for your comments
Thu, 05/10/2012 - 17:29
Wow! That is wonderful...I
Wow! That is wonderful...I have a similar one that I LOVE and wanted for years. It was in the Pottery Barn Catalog and OUTRAGEOUSLY priced...I don't remember exactly the $$. When "Hold Everything", a subsidiary of PB, went out of business, I got the second to last one they had in stock for $200. AND...When I saw the HD commercial I realized I might be able to make a more custom version someday. Your story inspired me to plan something, and also to perhaps even open up and learn SketchUp which I downloaded months ago...Look forward to more projects!
Mon, 10/15/2012 - 20:33
Well it's crooked. LOL Jk I
Well it's crooked. LOL Jk I think it is insanely awesome! I hope my first project is even half as good!
Mon, 07/15/2013 - 10:09
Great Idea
Great beautiful first build! Thank you for this great idea that triggered an idea for myself. Going take this format, and adjust the dimensions to fit as a wine shelf.
Modified Simple Modern Outdoor Table and Benches
We wanted two smaller tables and four benches so we can rearrange as needed to make one big or two small tables. We can also move them back and forth between patio and deck. We hoped to have this done in a weekend but it took us two weeks working at night after the kids went to bed. I love how they turned out but I'm not sure I will try another project this involved!
Comments
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 17:38
This turned out great! I
This turned out great! I really like the modifications
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 06:20
Looks great
I really like the idea the two tables and being able to arrange them differently. Now I have to make more!!! Great job.
Doggie Daybed
I've thought for a while about building a bed for our dogs, but wasn't sure where to start. We had an extra crib mattress so I set out to find a toddler bed that would work. I decided the Lydia Toddler Bed plan would work best. It doesn't look anything like it, but it was a great starting point.
First, I got rid of the canopy and the decorative side pannels. I also raised the bed 12 inches. (The hope is to add a rug on the floor underneath as sort of a "bottom bunk") The lumber store didn't have 2x2s so I used 2x3s for the legs. I also only used two 1x6s at the head and foot of the bed. They are seperated by 1" because when I got home, I realized they were actually 1x5 (RUDE).
All in all, it turned out exactly as I had hoped and the dogs love it! GOODBYE stinky dogbeds!
**Photo 1: Just finished building--the slats weren't screwed down yet.
**Photo 2: Deacon is testing out his new digs! See the stinky dogbed underneath?YUK!
**Photo 3: Dog Bed Completed! Mac & Deacon love it!
Comments
Thu, 10/16/2014 - 18:49
Luci's New bed
Thanks for sharing the great plans. We built this end in a few hours and she loves it!
Garage Shelving
I am a beginner diy'er and this was one of my first projects. Also it was my first time using the Kreg jig and I loved it! My shelving system was around 8 feet tall, 12 feet wide and 30 inches deep. I added some extra cleats to support my deeper shelves (30") and also used thicker (5/8") plywood. This was a fun and easy project to do! Thanks so much!
2x4 Outdoor Wood Sofa and Coffee Table
I previously had rocking chairs on my porch, but was looking for something much more comfortable that I could enjoy sitting on the porch and watching the squirrels play in the yard. Created this from your sofa plan.
Valerie Tanner
Workbench with pegboard
I made a workbench for my garage it was pretty easy. I also made an instructional youtube video if you want to learn how to make it. #diy #workbench #bench
Ana's Loft bed w/o the stairs
I fell in love with the loft bed but thought the stairs stuck out too far for my daughter's room so I revampd the plan just a bit to add three 'stairs' in the platform rather than the standard stairs in the plan.
I got started on the project on a Friday night, got my cuts made, my pocket holes drilled and pieces sanded for an early start Saturday morning, everything went together like a dream - though it would have gone MUCH faster if I had had a second set of hands; I had to balance all of the long peices on other peices to try and get them attached and it took much longer than it had too!
It was all together, the holes filled and first coat of primer on by Saturday afternoon - I used Zinsser primer so the knot's did not bleed through. Sunday morning I was painting and it was in place and decorated by Sunday night!
Great, easy to follow plans (as always) Ana - thank you, I have one VERY happy daughter!
Outhouse Plan for Camping Property
I built an an outhouse for my camping property in the PNW. The plans were great and easy to follow.
I did take the liberty of extending the the front wall to 8' still using the 15 degree roof line. I also wanted the option to shower during extending camping trips so I extended the floor and added one more back and side wall to create a shower house. With this design, I basically duplicated the side and back wall. Since I am in the middle of the woods, the Dutch doors were a last minute embellishment that I'm glad that I implemented in order to take advantage of the view!
For the shower, I used composite decking with 1/2" gaps for drainage and lined the inside with 6' lengths of corrugated metal roofing.
One additional note: I did build this on my back patio over a couple of weekends since my property is a fairly long drive from my home and about 2 hours round trip from the nearest hardware store. It broke down easily in about 30 minutes with 2 people and fit perfectly in the back of a full size pick up truck for the trip.
In summary, great plans and I love this site. Much appreciated and happy building!
Comments
Thu, 04/29/2021 - 16:44
Sweet Build!
Thank you so much for sharing, what a great addition to your property!
Kid-sized reading loft and desk
This project is a modified version of Ana's loft bed. We shortened it and made it a bit more narrow to fit our space and because we only needed a place for our eight year old daughter to read and work, not a place to sleep. We also added a desk to the bottom, making it a full-service work station for our elementary school girl!
Comments
Ana White
Mon, 05/25/2020 - 11:47
It's beautiful! I love the…
It's beautiful! I love the wood tone in your setting! Thanks so much for trusting us to build our plans!
ksymon77
Wed, 05/27/2020 - 05:34
You made it so clear and…
You made it so clear and easy! Especially the video/
Will build another one to make it a pair soon :)