I took this picture prior to putting the lower shelf pieces on. Never got around to taking one after.
I longed for two matching toy boxes to sit at the foot of my boys beds. I loved the idea of a simple/clean line box without a lid that they could throw toys or blankets and pillows in without the chance of any fingers getting pinched. I altered the plans slightly from the ones provided by Ana and finished them off with a satin white paint.
I ran into all sorts of problems building this! I started building it based off the materials I had on hand, not really knowing what it was going to be in the end. I started with the plywood box I hadn't intended for it to be a TV console, at first I was thinking a stand for a 55 gallon fish tank (which I have since sold.)
Once I decided what I was actually doing, it went together fine. I was going to make all three of the central column area into drawers, but I can't afford the hardware for that right now. I made the farmhouse style top and stained it to match the coffee table I made previous. However, I had many issues with finishing, problems with the legs, and after attaching the top accidentally broke off one of the breadboard ends of the top.
Finishing it was most exasperating. I started out with a mini-roller and white gloss paint. After I got it completely painted, I put on poly, but the poly dried very yellow and completely ruined the finish. I had to sand it almost completely back down to the wood to get it out. By the way, I learned something important about sanding which I will share with you... the cheaper sanding discs (made from clay) are crap. Get the ones made from ceramic. They last considerably longer and get the sanding done SO much faster. I love the guys at Lowes. :)
After I got it sanded back down I got some flat paint and used my sprayer. I love flat paint, it was so easy to get it on evenly. I did water it down quite a bit though. Then I sanded it down to a beautiful very smooth finish with some slight distressing. HOWEVER - flat paint needs a top coat, and I again screwed it up. Not as bad this time though. I used a spray on poly just in some places which gave it a little bit of an aged look, not too bad. Not exactly what I wanted, but doable.
I have not reattached the top with the expectation that I will still need to do more finishing, and it will be easier that way, and I will still be adding large caster wheels instead of legs on the bottom to raise it up a few more inches.
Also, the smaller cubby areas over the doors... they aren't big enough to use a sander to get the insides.
I used invisible hinges for the first time on this project which worked out quite well, and I love those.
I would love suggestions on finishing... if I use flat paint because it's easy to work with, what is a good top coat for that? Or should I stick with gloss paint and no top coat, and try that for my next one? Paint with primer? Still learning...
They say it takes 10 years to become proficient at a skill.. I've got about 8 years of building left before I'll be good at it. :)
Sun, 10/27/2013 - 23:32
Hi There,
I do two coats of primer, and I sand very lightly, just enough so the surface feels smooth. I follow that with one coat of white semi gloss for most of my builds. White hides so many flaws! If I think the project needs a topcoat I will use Varathane Diamond Coat. That's what works for me. Hope this helps!
Val
artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca
This was easily the most elegant and functional tower design I found on the internet and it does not disappoint! I made a few modifications that included a lower, squarer (?) profile to fit under our counters, a hand painted mural, some stain, and of course some Yeti-your-feet-go-here-footprints on the platform. As soon as the paint was dry, I set my son up at the counter in it. His little face lit up with delight at all the new details and things to see. He instantly started looking at everything with swift little back glances at me that said “Really Mommy?! I can stand here?!” Totally worth it!
Tue, 01/12/2016 - 15:55
this is so cute! I love the hand painted drawing. This project has been on my to build list for a while. I think my little guy is big enough to make good use of it now.
Farmhouse Bench completed. Pine base painted black. Bench top is mahogany stain on maple.
This is going to the cottage to live at the end of the bed. Will be used as extra seating at the dinner table as required.
Used Anna’s cup tree plans for this project. Thank you Anna!
I’ve also successfully built a few of your beds. Your plans are always straightforward and easy to follow.
What you do is so appreciated!!!
Angel
Sun, 03/12/2023 - 22:11
Attempted to submit while logged in, but could not. Thank you
Due to limited space and inclement weather, this table took us a bit longer than a weekend....in a perfect world, we would have been done a lot sooner...however, it was completed just in time for Thanksgiving dinner...hence the mis-matched chairs. I LOVE my new table. It turned out even better than I had hoped. Thanks Ana!
Wed, 10/02/2013 - 13:11
I don't know how I missed seeing your beautiful table! What a nice finish. I'm planning to build one for my son and his wife and would love to know how's it holding up. Would you do anything differently?
This is the third smaller sized chair that I've made. This was for my nephew's first birthday. Adjusted the measurements to suit smaller kids. My chair gift list keeps getting longer. I've got another 4 to finish before January.
.
I modified this sideboard from the Anna White plan that used 2x4s and 3/4 inch plywood, by substituting select pine 1x4s for the face frame and 1/2 inch maple veneer plywood for the vertical partitions and shelves. Vertical partitions were inserted into dadoes in pine 2x4 cross pieces joining the two base 2x4s. The end pieces and doors were made with tongue and groove joints using 1/4 plywood and 1x4 or 1x2 frames. Next was addition of the face frame(1x2s)and base. The 1x4 base covered up the 2x4s, and was mitered at each corner. I used ball bearing slides to attach the drawers, made of 1/2 inch plywood. I painted the carcass with a latex paint and purchased 13/16 inch Cherry boards to join together to make the top. The drawer fronts where made from 1/2 inch plywood, with rabbitted pine edging added to match the doors. The Figure shows the finished side board with hardware installed.
My husband built this conversation set during covid. Since then he has built so much stuff for our yard. More pics to follow.
I started baking my own bread a few months ago, and storage was an issue. My husband decided to build me an old fashioned bread box and set out designing one on his own to fit in our small galley kitchen. I love it. It is a double decker, so I can fit two loaves in it just fine. The inside is coated with a food-grade sealer.
Sun, 12/04/2011 - 02:32
That is a great idea indeed and I love how it has a shelf inside.
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 03:49
This is an awesome idea, can't wait to make one for my kitchen. Beautiful job! Thanks for sharing this!
Sat, 06/30/2012 - 07:05
Just what I'm looking for! Do you have a pattern or measurements on this project? Thanks!
Tue, 08/20/2013 - 10:40
Please, let me know if there are plans/measurements somewhere. Love this!!
We followed the plans closely, and it turned out well for the first project. It was the perfect size for what we needed! My husband had never built anything like this before and after a little research on how to use the kreg jig, he was able to finish it in a weekend.
We built the chairs first using the Modern Outdoor Chair Plans found here on Ana White. We then modified the plans to make a 75" couch that fits 3-25" cushions. Both were super easy to build. We are very happy with them. We built the couch on the porch because it is very heavy when finished. Everyone loves them!
My daughter wanted a TV stand with a space for her sound bar, along with storage for toys and blankets. Hardware for barn doors were used from a video you had posted
Tue, 03/28/2023 - 15:44
This looks fabulous, love the finish choice. Thanks for sharing!
We love the look of farmhouse tables but not their hefty price tags. So we decided to build our own. $60 in supplies and a week-end's worth of time left us with a beautiful table that has a story. Ana's plans were easy to follow. Building furniture is so rewarding...and easier on the wallet!
Sat, 12/10/2011 - 06:35
I think this is the motivation I needed to get my butt outside and move the lumber in from the yard and build a table. Thanks!
Sun, 01/01/2012 - 16:59
Not the original poster but looking everywhere lately for metal chairs I know these are from Cost plus world market:)
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11108348
Thu, 01/12/2012 - 12:32
Hi, I love this, great job! I am wanting to build a bigger one that will seat 10-12. I love the farmhouse table on this website, but I do not like the way the supports underneath prevent you from sliding chairs up to the ends. Do you think it would be sturdy enough without them? Like you did for your table here.
Thanks!!
Our dear friends built us a pergola over the summer and I wanted a big outdoor farm table to go underneath but had no interest in spending thousands on one already made. So, thanks to Ana White, I found the directions to making this 'anthropologie knock-off' for under $200! We made ours 10' long by @46" wide. And I included support boards on the underside of the table top for additional support and to try to address the fact that one of the boards us a little warped. It's not nearly as beautiful as our pergola and still needs to be stained/treated, but I can't wait for next spring and summer when we can hang and laze around out here! I'm so proud of us. Thanks Ana!!!
Built this over 5 days, around my son's naps (including 2 days for sealant to cure). Actual time was probably around 8 hours total. Not too bad for my third project! I only built one shelf and am using it for storage in our master bathroom. I love the way it turned out. Thanks again, Ana, for a great project plan. :)
For my first ever DIY project this was easy and fun. Didn't take long at all, less than 2 hours. Will be making the sectional also.
Thu, 06/20/2019 - 10:57
Looks awesome! Thanks so much for adding a brag post! Can't wait to see the sectional.
My husband and I built the art table to give our 3 year old for Christmas. We have had great success building from other Ana-White plans and the Clara table was no different. We did modify it by adding a 1x3 to the legs to give it more stability. I think the table is great without it but we have older kids too and wanted to make sure the table could withstand them sitting on it or leaning against it.
The table was built with scraps from our garage so the top is modified slightly because of that. I think the only thing we bought for this project was a 2x2 for the legs. Can't beat a $3 table!
