I was honored this past March to be Matron of Honor in one of my best friend’s wedding, and as a gift to the happy couple I made them a guest book bench. I wanted this one to look extra special. I started out with Ana White’s Fancy X Bench plans and made a couple of modifications. I reduced the overall length to 54″ to sit at the foot of a bed or under a table, and used only 2 pedestals instead of 3. To make the top better for signing, I decided to substitute the planked 2×6′s for a pine 3/4" thick “hobby board” that was 15″ wide, purchased at Lowes. I framed it out with some 1×2′s to make it look chunkier. Once it was built I gave it three coats of white semi-gloss latex, and then drew up the art for the center. It’s the same font used on the wedding invitations. I wish I had thought to take a photo of the signed bench at the wedding! But I was a little bit busier at the moment. I’m really proud of this pretty little bench. As I received in one of the messages on my own wedding bench, I hope it sees the butts of many friends for years to come!

I made this dresser to replace two cheesy dressers my wife and I had when we first moved out on our own.  The style was taken from the Madison dresser design.  I added two more drawers as we were condensing two dressers to one and  I wanted to ensure I was able to use it!!

Rustic X End Table

King Size Farmhouse Bed

I absolutely love this table and couldn't believe how easy it was to build. It was a weekend project and gets so many compliments.

For the finish, I mixed steel wool with vinegar and brushed it on. The table really darkened up nicely and made the distress marks in the wood come out. I then applied walnut stain and followed up with 3 coats of poly.

In my post I have pictures of the finishing process and a video showing how to distress wood and apply the vinegar solution.

If you are looking for an affordable table that looks great, I'd highly recommend building Ana's table.

Best Storage Design For Your Home that keeps your books, clothes and anything in a appropriate way.

Storage Cabinets Design Ideas : http://www.spaceworks.com.au/melbourne/shelves-cabinets

Overall I am very pleased with this project and I deviated from the plan with the drawer fronts and the slides as well.

Inspired by a photo online and Ana's cheap and easy console table, I decided to make an entry table out of salvaged materials. I found a shutter at a thrift store for $5 to make the top, rescued some legs from an old kitchen table left on the side of the road, and some leftover barnwood from my rustic cooler project. I used the Kreg jig to put it all together, and now have a simple, rustic table that's the perfect size for my entryway!

I made these shelves to connect to a vintage sideboard that with a new granite top will become our kitchen island. Since the sideboard was dark and highly carved I wanted something chunky, sturdy and with a bit of style. Use links in the original post for all the building details.

This project was for a wedding gift... My wife gave the young couuple some ideas to choose from and after seeing these plans on Ana White they loved it. Thank you Ana for the great plans!!!

Patio table

I knew I had to make this the first time I saw the plans! It was super easy to make, I will definitely be making more of these. :)
I used duck cloth for the sling and embroidered a nautical design on the front.

I loved the plans, they were perfect~ hope to make more!

Well this was our first project and we made a few mistakes but we are thrilled with how they came out!

I built this bed for my daughter and we decided to build a farmhouse bed but it didn’t stop there.. We added a barn door feel complete with handles and then we bought some vintage wall sconces and turned them into lights for the headboard. 

I drew up the plan and built it with my sister. The drawers are fake, all of them are swing doors. Even though it's not perfect, I think it turned out great given that we built it in my sister's small city apartment.

At dinner a couple of nights ago with a good friend and his wife she commented that she really needed a stool of some sort for her older kid to stand on at the bathroom sink. Well that need became the next quest for me. I really savor trying to fill a need quickly and successfully. It took a few hours from the scrap pile to put the stool together and it appears from the picture that it was a success.

I deviated from the plan just a little by adding stiffeners on the four legs just because I did not like the direction of the wood grain and felt they might break off with enough lateral force.

If I build another stool of this type I think I would hinge the top step to give access to a small storage compartment. Should be easy to do and could add some versatility to the stool's function.