Love this bench design! The Hubs and I just built an outdoor table from some old interlocking boards and two of these benches are just what it needs! :)

I just finished 1 of the 3 projects I'm building... so there's an opening! LOL!

I might try building this with some sort of backrest and a few seat cushions and use it with the Fancy X computer table I just built. that way we can both work at the desk without having to try jamming chairs in there.

great job!!!

I LOVED this table when I saw it on pinterest. I sent the link to my daddy and asked him if we could make it soon. Couple weeks go by, we move into our new house with an empty dining room. We planned a housewarming party and planned to use the living room and kitchen area.
Dad got to the house before us and when my husband and I drove up with our kiddos, I saw it. The most beautiful handmade piece I had ever seen. My dad had made it for me right before he came over. He said it was easy, cheap ($50 + $13 for stain), and took about an hour and a half. I was elated. The kids and I went to work with a hammer and screwdrivers and anything else we could find to bang it with. I dressed up the rustic table with parson chairs from pottery barn and lace doily table runners and big tall glass hurricane vases. Amazing. I can't WAIT to try the fancy x desk all on my own!

I ran across this site randomly today. I love it!! So many great ideas and I love that the furniture is made to last. I already have a long list furniture I want to get started on. Ana White, I like your style!

Just wanted to drop a quick note and a quick thank you! I had a co-worker ask me if I would build this bench for her dining room set. I finally got around to it, and it came out great! So great I am now building a few more for me and some friends. And all this from carefully selected home depot wood....wish I could find elsewhere to buy quality wood :(

I modified some stuff and added a few steps:
(Summary)
1. Instead of 2x2x8 I bought 2x4x8 KD studs and cut down to match the size of the 1x2 pine boards. The 2x2 comes out much cleaner looking this way and not so ragged as the store bought 2x2 looked.
2. On the 2x4 uprights I trimmed the rounded edges off so that the 2x2 angle pieces sat "square" against them and did not leave a gap between the rounded outer edge of the 2x4 and the flat surface of the 2x2
3. Set up a jig to cut all the 2x2's!!! So important!!!
4. Painted the bottom and made some distressing marks on the boards and the edges of the bottoms (painted, sanded some edges, used minwax marker to darken)

How do I upload pictures?

Thank you again!

Hi Ana, great bench! I'm building the Shanty sisters' most recent dining table (http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2014/05/restoration-hardware-inspired-dini…) and would like to build this bench to go with it. Since the table will end up being around 87", I think I'd like to modify the bench top to be 83" so it is closer to the length of the table top with a couple of inches at each end. How do I figure out the cuts for the two 1x3 cuts? I think the 3-2x6 cuts will be @ 83", I just can't figure out where to make the 2-1x3 cuts. Thank you in advance!

I just wanted to let everyone know the plans are wrong for the full length bench (if you are making it to go with the table).  The plans for the full length bench are supposed to be such that the bench will slide under the table.  The table legs will end up being at 72 inches measure from outside of leg to the outside of the other leg (65 inch stretcher + 3.5 + 3.5).  So the INSIDE measurement between the 2 outer bench legs needs to be slightly greater than 72 inches.  The plans call for two 34.5 stretchers so what you end up with is 34.5 + 34.5 + 1.5 for the middle leg = 70.5, thus about 2 inches short.  

I think when these plans were made they incorrectly accounted for the middle leg being 3.5 inches but the 2x4 is turned the other way so it only adds 1.5 inches to the overall measure. 

So in short, the leg strechers need to be 35.5 (or 36 to be safe) instead of 34.5.  Unfortunately I found this all out the hard way, already built the table and the bench and found out the plans were wrong when I tried to slide the bench under the table.  Hope this helps someone else and I hope the plans are updated.

I just built the fancy farmhouse table and it was my first project. I now want to make the bench but am not sure where the screws should go especilly the small 2x2 ( 6 inch) pieces for the legs- attaching them to the centre piece . I am making the 63 inch bench.

I have made several of these benches in last few years , with few changes . My question is why do some of them wobble ? I usually attach my base to top upside down and do from under , so tried doing from top and still had a wobble . Any ideas why this sometimes happens ?

i did 6 of them in dec and happens 60% of the time :(

Where do the pocket hole screws go for the stretchers? Top and bottom or both next to each other on the sides?