Community Brag Posts

This was a pretty easy build. This was my first project and this looked like a pretty straightforward plan. I read over it several times before deciding what to do. I didn't like that it was held together using only screws. I anticipated that these beds will be moved several times over their lifetime and I did want to hassle with the screws stripping out the wood. Instead I used a 3/8 bolt and washer/nut set up so I could take the bed apart without worrying about stripping out the wood with screws. This necessitated drilling several large unsightly holes at the connection points. To help disguise this I trimmed it out using door casing and finished it out by staining the whole bed. The result was a classic look that will last my daughter's lifetime.

I will note that I changed a few parameters. I routed and the edges including the slats with a rounded corner edge. I used a 2x6 for the top cap of the head/footboards. With the addition of the trim work and bolt hardware, this did change the overall cost of the project. Total cost was probably close to $200. Had I stuck strictly to the plans I would have been closer to $100.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CABINET! It's the perfect finishing touch to our kitchen remodel. We are still waiting on the finishing touch; a hand-polished Hoosier style latch for the doors. We found them at House of Antique Hardware. I will say that this cabinet required "non-mortising" hinges, ones that don't require you to dig out anything in the wood and that don't bulge up together in the space behind the door. These were nearly impossible to find in our town in a small enough size, even with the two big box stores and smaller hardware shops. We had to order them online HardwareSource. These were cheap at this source and we even ordered two styles in case we didn't like one of them. A local shop could order them for us @ 6 hinges for 48$!! The ones we found online came to $17 with shipping.

We modified our cabinet a bit because we wanted it to have feet that were different than the original plan. I have a thing about cabinetry that I can't see under! So, we just made the cabinet flat bottomed instead of having the bottom shelf sit higher and the facade on the bottom front. We also added I-frames to the interior of the doors because we have high humidity where we are and we thought it might help keep the doors keep their shape over time.

After building just the bookshelf part, we kept looking at it like we couldn't believe we built it. It's really beautiful. We do a lot of remodeling, demolition, and rebuilding in our home, but have always been intimidated by building furniture until finding this site.

My husband was so jazzed by our newfound furniture building skills that he built the planter/trellis for his mother last weekend for her birthday right after we finished this project. Pictures of that will be forthcoming as soon as we plant the rosebush in it. Thank you Ana White!!!!

The bench was easy to build with great instructions. I had Home Depot make my cuts for this first project and then I went and bought a miter saw and other power tools for future ones. So much fun. 

This chair was pretty easy to make with Ana's plans. I plan on making four more just like it (updated: completed). The only modification I made was adding another slat to the back of the chair. I used a miter saw for all cuts which really helped with the speed of the project. The 2x2's are treated pine and the 1x3 slats are cedar that I got from the "orange box store" for about four bucks a stick. I also primed and painted the 2x2's (legs) before I assembled. I could not imagine trying to paint the legs white and not getting at least some on that beautiful cedar. The contrast really pops in person. Thanks ana-white.com! $20 per chair.

Here is one of the new chairs I'm building for our new fire pit.  They are made out of four pressure treated 2x6s (and one 2x4), and have a comfortable 18" seat depth, 19" seat width, and 110 degree angle for the backrest.  

More information, and a link to our plans are located on our blog, FamousArtisan.com

Found this on the website and had to build it. Turned out perfectly.

I wanted something quick and easy to display or hold magazines or blankets. I used two 3x5x8, cut the bottom at 5 degrees and the top that leans against the wall at 85 degrees. You don't have to do this, but I liked the look. Last, I drilled 8 holes at 1 1/4" diameter to fit 1 1/4" dowel cut in inch increments: 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11. I used a brad nailer to hold the dowels in place from behind.

I love my new sofa! It is ten times more comfy than our old one. We live on an island and it was definitely cheaper to build my own sofa than to ship one in and pay duty on it. Thank you Ana for making this possible! Never thought I'd be building my own sofa, but we are so thankful for it. We even threw together our own little ottoman/toy box to go along with it from scraps...added bonus!

Just wanted to do something a little more original.

I adapted the plan for the Shoe Rack Bench to give it multiple levels and allow it to serve as an entryway table in addition to a shoe rack. I used 2 x 10's for the project.

I love this plan! It's so versatile. I made this bench for my daughter's entry. First I painted it with an all in one paint/primer in light grey, then I sanded it down to reveal some of the wood grain and roughed up the edges a bit. Next, I brushed a dark ebony stain over the entire bench, one section at a time, and wiped it away. I thought I would get less stain, but really enjoy the end results. Thanks Ana!

This is a project we built this weekend. My husband and I desperately needed some sophisticated storage space in the living room that is kid friendly, so we accepted the challenge. We together built a coffee table with trundle storage inspired by a plan on ana-white. We are truly inspired by her designs and plans help a LOT! Check out our work!