Full storage bed made from farmhouse storage plans.
This is the shiplap fireplace design, we added built-ins to each side and left the mantel off, we may do one later. We love it and it added so much floor space.
Cindy Hutchison
This was my first project, and I did it together with my two oldest children (13 & 11).
We started with the basic Kentwood Bookshelf plan, but wanted to have it a little shorter to make use of the tabletop. We also wanted it wider to fit a specific location in my daughters' room.
Broadly sticking to the Kentwood instructions, we measured the longer space we had and what that would mean for each of the measurements for the cuts. It was tricky to get the measurements right for the 1 x 12s in the middle which had to be a little longer than the 2 x 2 and 1 x 2 frame fronts to fit snuggly, but we got there.
We finished the top and back with 1 x 4 boards instead of planking. It added cost and weight (whole thing probably weights 150 pounds), but hopefully it will last a long long time. We routed the front edge of the table top to give a nicer finish.
Painted it white in the end. Tried to put a clear coat over it, but made a mistake of using an oil-based clear coat which turned the whole thing yellow. Had to sand it down and repaint. Ugh. Lesson learned!
We're very happy with the results.
I wanted a table with storage, I added a couple extra "shelves" This was the easiest design to do this with. Just be sure to add from the top shelf to the bottom if you are using a Kreg Jig. You might want to pre-paint also . My shelves are 5 inches apart to fit perfectly my little flat style containers for art stuff and playdough.
Play Deck and Swing
Wed, 09/03/2014 - 07:35
You have a BEAUTIFUL view from your yard! Just curious, where do you live? I assumed somewhere in Europe due to the currency. The play area looks fantastic. What lucky kiddos!
Wed, 09/03/2014 - 08:21
Thanks. Lovely part of the country outside Omagh, Northern Ireland
I originally built this for a small closet in an old home. When I moved, I took it with me and was able to rearrange it to fit in a traditional closet. The center section is a modification of a toy storage plan that I use to store folded clothes.
I desperately needed storage in our 1910 house that was not in the basement. I wanted a place to keep my sewing machine and accessories, at-home school supplies, and other odds and ends. We had an alcove in the kitchen that was about 74 inches wide and 17 inches deep, so I decided to build something to fit that space. I really liked the Simplest Armoire plan but I also really liked the Kentwood Bookshelf, so I ended up somewhat combining the two. Since I had a fairly large space, I made the cabinet about 6 ft X 6 ft. The hardest part was getting it into the house. This project was my first big DIY building project without my dad's help. I did call him a few times during the project however, and he helped me hang the doors. I really enjoyed using the Kreg Jig and I appreciated having all of the Kreg Jig instructions for the Kentwood Bookshelf. It was a huge help, as I had only used the Kreg Jig a little and with my dad in the past. My husband has been a great support as I have ventured into building furniture. He works from home, but any time that I needed him to help hold a large sheet of plywood he was quick to help. This was definitely a big project for a beginner, but I enjoy a challenge when it comes to fixing things and creating things. Fortunately, this one worked out in the end! Now what should I build next summer...
Sun, 05/31/2020 - 13:27
This is so great, and I can't wait to try my hand at emulating it. I'm buying a place so old there's no record of a date. Still has adobe bricks with straw sticking out stored up in the attic. Not a closet in the whole darn place, so I'll probably end up making more than one, and probably using one as a clothes closet and another as a pantry. Thanks so much for sharing this!
I modified the origianl plans by making the cabinet taller. I also built 2 cabinets and trimmed them both together to make it appear as if it is 1 giant cabient. It measure over 7 feet tall and just over 6 feet wide. I did add an additional 1x2 brace in the center of the cabinet to help support. I also cut an additional 1x4 to use a brace when anchoring it to the wall. I also chose to add an additional 2 trim pieces to each door because they are much taller than the original plan doors.
After watching Ana White's video on easy garage shelving on FB, I knew right away it was the perfect technique for adding shelves to my laundry room. The project was easy and turned out great! I did the majority of the work by myself, although my Hubby did help me with some heavy lifting at the end (we had to add the shelving before the front frame due to the walls on either side). The shelving unit itself took only a few hours to build. I painted it the following day making it a weekend project. We have considered adding trim to the front to give it a more finished look, but right now, it is serving its purpose. I will definitely use Ana's technique again. It was simple and straightforward! I loved it.
I'm so happy that I found the plans for Ana's miter stand and rolling carts! It was just what I needed for my garage shop... so everything can be organized and stored compactly but things can pull open and expand when I have a project (which is all the time, actually).
The actual miter stand was super easy to build - the carts took a few days working non-stop (when the kids permitted).
I made a few obvious changes from the plans:
-made deeper shelves on one of the carts
-added drawers on one of the carts
-added ped board on the end caps of miter stand
Something I didn't consider before building this was the slope of our garage floor. There's a 3" difference from one end of the legs to the other so I had to use riser blocks to get everything perfectly level. Unfortunately there's no way to level the carts as they aren't stationary but they slide in/out just fine.
I'd recommend this build to everyone! Check Home Depot clearance often for deals on plywood!
Wed, 02/07/2018 - 11:35
Would you be able to share the original plans? It seems that once the contest ended, the links to the plans stopped working.
My son and I conquered this project over the winter. Cut all the pcs and the assembled 4 chairs for less than $150.
We have lived in our home for 2 yrs now and have been trying to figure out what we wanted to do with the plain boring wall with cords handing from out behind the tv due to no power outlet on that wall. We finally decided to do the whole wall in shiplap but the the cost of lumber going through the roof I went with 1/4 underlayment that I had ripped down to 6in strips at my local hardware store. I cut them down to size with my miter saw the painted them white before I attached them to the wall with 1 1/4 brad nails and used nickels for my space in between each row. The cabinets are 36 in tall. The carcass is made fro 3/4 in MDF and the face frames are made from 1x3 pine and attached with wood glue and brad nails. Cabinet doors are made from 1x4 pine for the frame and 1/4 underlayment for the center. I used my hand router to route out a 1/4 deep groove for the center to drop into the frame I used wood glue and brad nails to attach it to the frame and filled in any gaps with paintable caulk. They are attached to the studs in the wall with 3 in wood screws. The mantle is made from 1x6 pine boards and attached to a wall bracket made from 1x6 that are attached to the wall in each stud with 3 in wood screws. The mantle is attached with wood glue and 1 1/4 brad nails. The shelves were made out of 1/2 Poplar 4x8 plywood sheet ripped down to size. The wall brackets are made from 1x2 pine attached to studs with 3 in wood screws. And the shelves are attached with wood glue and 1 1/4 brad nails. I added 3 1x2 spacers to each shelf between the top and bottom board to prevent them from sagging before attaching the face of the shelves with wood glue and 1 1/4 in brad nails. This project took about a month to complete because I worked on it during free time. Also this was the first major build I have ever done so I was also learning along the way. Some parts were frustrating but most of it was fun and a great learning experience. Also this project evolved as I was building it. My wife loves the finished product. Now it’s time to find my next project.
Sun, 05/30/2021 - 11:05
What a beautiful space you created, thank you for sharing!
Tue, 12/05/2023 - 11:47
Surprisingly makes your living room appear so much larger compared to the before picture! Thank you for sharing your photos with us and congrats on a great result!
I have built some other stuff before, but not with paint and sanding and such. It was definitely a great learning project. There are imperfections, but it's a toy, so kids will be having fun and that is all that matters.
Mon, 02/07/2022 - 20:12
Did you attach the landscape fabric to the bottom of the side boards? Looks great.
I built a wooden toy truck using a leftover 1x4 board in my garage. For this build I used Ana White's plans for the wood wheelie cars. This was a quick and easy project and my first project using my scroll saw. Not too shabby for my first go at toy making. However, I am not happy with the finished toy. If I did it all over again, I would take my time with the finish. Also, the driver was not perpendicular to the truck's body when I created the holes for the axles, so the truck leans slightly. My son does not seem to notice its flaws, so I will try to overlook them as well! Check out the blog link for more project details!
My daughter found this plan on the Ana White website and now, we have made 3 tables total. Pictured is the 2nd one we built together and is currently in her house now.
We have two young kids who don't want to take their shoes and put them away (as well as two adults who are the same way) so I asked my hubby to make Ana's shoe dresser. He did a great job and we were so excited with how it turned out!
My wife and I have a 2 year old, 85lb, golden retriever named Lily. She has a tough time jumping up on our bed and has hurt herself on a few occasions. I was inspired to build her a step, but also wanted some storage. When I saw the Becca Trunk I knew I had to build it!
I used oak ply and solid oak for the trim, including some decorative leaf inscribed trim for the top and bottom. My wife and I picked out some outdoor furniture fabric that was stylish and would hold up to a big dog jumping on it. She used some firm padding and staple gunned the fabric to create a really neat and clean look (I am lost when it comes to that stuff, but she is a genius with scissors).
This was my first project to build although I cut wood for another project a year ago. The plans were simple and easy to follow. Now I want to build more! Thank you Ana!
This was my first major build and while not perfect and I was little clunky building along the way, I’m happy with how it turned out and I think the girls will love it for Christmas. We are beach dwellers and surfers, but I’m also a former (always) a farm girl as well, so we put a surfing pig on it too. I wanted to keep it whimsical a bit so put starfish knobs for the burners. Took me a long time and more money than average probably because of learning curve as well as having to sneak work on it between working, toddler and infant. I got a Kreg and more tools for Christmas, so I am looking forward to more building!
update: My little destroyer broke the door within 10 minutes because it was too big for her to work around. So I “remodeled” it and made the door just the top half so that is her oven. MUCH BETTER. Now she can use it far easier and it isn’t dropping to the floor.
Hi Ana, I recently made two of your posts. First, the 2”x4” hall tree and then the house number planter. We found some unique hooks at Hobby Lobby for the hall tree. This is great to keep the kids’ backpacks off of the floor. On the house number planter I stained it with Antique Beige, but is more gray than beige. I then put 3 coats of spar urethane on it to protect from the TX sun.
Sun, 12/26/2021 - 17:58
Those are both great, thank you for sharing! I will need to check out that Antique Beige finish, just gorgeous~
My daughter loves her new bed! The plans were easy to follow and didn't take very long to build. It took me about 2 weeks to finish. I suggest measuring your mattress first and adjusting dimensions accordingly. My daughter's mattress is a bit longer than usual, so I added about an inch to the length. I added drawers to one side and left one side as open cubbies. I also added a 2x4 base below the storage boxes for support. Ana has plans for this in one of her kitchen cabinet plans. I'm so glad I did, as I've already found 3 kids hiding on the cubby side, and one of them is 14! I didn't run the 2x4 base all the way to the head/footboard, so it wouldn't show. This changes the height where the storage boxes attach by 1/2 an inch. The bed may suprise you at how high the mattress sits, but I think that is normal with a storage bed. My daughter loves sleeping up high. Thank you so much for this wonderful plan! I love Ana's website and have learned so much!
