Modern Park Bench
This was my husbands's 1st Ana White project
This was my husbands's 1st Ana White project
This was the second part of my Tryde media center build. You can read about the console build here.
This part of the project was very quick to put together, I spent a lot of time reading the brag board and looking at pictures of what others produced. I really appreciate when people upload high res pictures of their builds so you can really look at the details - I've tried to do the same on my blog post about this project in case you needed further information (see link below).
I made the plan as per Ana's original, with some modifications. These were:
I hope you would give this project a go, as a hutch it is very simple to put together for a beginner and quite satisfying. To get more information about my build please read my blog post where I go in to a lot more detail (and leave a comment too, I'd love to know what you think!)
Happy building!
Tue, 10/25/2011 - 08:34
Annie this looks great!
I'm glad you found inspiration in my design. I think I'll go back and upload a side picture and the sketchup model I worked from so that other people can see the details of how I did the trim. I think yours turned out wonderful!
I don't like painted furniture in my home but I really like the look of your furniture. The antiqued white goes well with the stained console top and the faux drawers.
Great job!!
Tue, 10/25/2011 - 15:37
Aww cheers Perchik... You're right, the natural beauty of wood is lovely, but I have so many different shades of wood in my living room from collecting 2nd hand furniture and old college furniture over the years that nothing seems to match :) Plus I do like this modern trend of stained top and painted legs, it looks quite fresh. The hard part with this stuff is deciding which project to do next - so many to choose from :)
Tue, 10/25/2011 - 15:38
Oh also I think if you have that sketchup stuff to hand I would definitely upload it, I zoomed in quite a lot on your photos and others photos of completed builds to understand details that are sometimes difficult to visualise on the plans.
This was my first real woodworking project and I loved it! I had a big helper (my Dad), who has a full woodworking shop teach me how to use the different tools and assist with building. It took a while longer than the plans say because we did some extras like powersanding and rounding off all the edges on each piece before assembling it. My Dad was very picky about it having a polished look! Plus, I insisted on my Dad teaching me, not doing everything for me. We also predrilled and glued on 16 hinges so it would fold. That definitely took four hands to do and the majority of the time.
My 'small' helper (our last name is Small) and son Dominic is almost two and loves using it. In hindsight, I would have made it a couple inches less wide overall to fit better in our kitchen that has limited counter space. And would have painted it prior to screwing the sides together with the hinges to make it easier to paint. However, I built it at my Dad's over the weekend, then painted it later. I chose the bright green colour so it would be playful and gender neutral to pass on once we no longer need it.
Thanks for the inspiration and great plans! I will be back for more projects!!!!
Enjoyed making this project. Instructions were great. Very happy with the results.
I actually used the “Bedside End Table” brag plans. This is my first project using plans from this site, I’m pretty happy with it:)
"I scaled down your potting table plans and made this very fun coffee bar to fit my space exactly!" Jen Romito
I painted the entire cabinet a dark blue, then painted over it again with an antique white. After it was completely dried I sanded it all down to give it a distressed look. I used antique label holders for the drawer pulls.
Sun, 10/30/2011 - 19:53
Love these things! You did a great job - especially like the pulls!
Sat, 11/12/2011 - 02:55
It's funny cause I have been thinking about doing the same set up with the apothecary console under a wall painted tree. I have to ask how you made the tree - is it stickons or stencil (if so please tell me where you got them) or is it hand painted. It's absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 08:39
Its a vinyl wall decal. I bought it on etsy. I love it.
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 08:40
Its a vinyl wall decal. I bought it on etsy. I love it.
I love my new photo ledges. I had a huge space on my wall and these ledges are perfect. The ledges were so easy to make. I got a kreg jig for my birthday (I never thought I would ask for a tool for a birthday present) and I have gotten so much use out of it. I saw similar ledges at pottery barn for 10 times the cost of this DIY project. I saved so much with these ledges. The kreg jig has already paid for itself. The ledges make it super easy to switch out photos and I love being able to display so many fun photos. Everyone who sees these ledges loves them!! This was my first project. Thanks Ana for the great plans!
Mon, 10/21/2013 - 12:51
I might spray paint all the picture frames white or an oil rubbed bronze in the future...I'm not sure yet. Opinions?
Mon, 10/21/2013 - 18:27
Your gallery looks beautiful! Great job on your first project, congratulations!
(ps- I think the oil rubbed bronze would look super on the picture frames.)
You may remember my green stratton day beds that I built a long time ago- finally I have another project to post- I am soo happy I found Ana White's website. We just got back from a 2.5 week vacation in Israel and my dogs were staying with my sister. She told me they had been sleeping in the same kennel together instead of separately. Their kennels are too small so I decided to build them one using wood I already had. But since they are small dogs, I decided to size it down- but I wanted it end table height- so I built a smaller kennel- 20"H x 19"W x 28"D. but... I added a drawer to the top to bring it to the right height. You can read all about it on my blog- link below.
Not bad for my first project!! I decided to upholster the chairs so i used a solid piece of wood for the foundation of my seat and also decided I was going to use chalkboard paint I had left over
Sun, 04/21/2019 - 03:34
Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself
I followed your basic farmhouse bed plans and modified them. I have made three headboards now. Each time someone sees them, they want me to build one for them!
This is a great place to put on shoes and hang up your coat. My husband loves it. You can place your shoes on the shelf under the bench.
First time building furniture. This turned out much better than I thought. After this I probably could've build the farmhouse table myself instead of paying way too much for my wood dining table. Only if I have found Ana's site sooner. :)
Having a Kreg jig also made the whole process much easier.
We wanted to build a farm table with benches to accommodate a few more people in the same space. This plan was easy to use. We modified a couple of the supports to metal piping to change the look up. We also painted the table and used a stencil to create a old world feel to it. It was a very fun project!
Adirondack chairs from your plans. My husband added some rounding on the arms and back. We wanted them to look like well weathered beach chairs. To get that effect we used milk paint which lets the grain show through.
The best addition are the two wooden wheels on the back leg of the chairs, I can now easily move them around my patio.
Mon, 05/06/2019 - 11:10
What a gorgeous seating area and what a seal! Love the wheels too!
Fun and easy project. If I did it again I would definitely follow the directions to stain the wood first. My first Ana-White project. I’m hooked!
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 11:54
Way to go, can't wait to see what you build next! Thanks for sharing.
I'm a furniture builder now! This is actually the fourth project built from Ana's plans, but the first one complete and gifted. I bought my materials in the morning, and had it together by late afternoon. Now choosing colors, trim and do-dads to embellish was a whole nuther thing. I opted for chalk paint with a wax finish, and distressed her. She has mirrors on both sides as well as two, double hooks for hats, belts and jewelry.
My grand daughter is one pleased princess. Me too! I'm proud of myself.
Thanks Ana for the terrific instructions, encouragement and education you provide.
Fri, 11/11/2011 - 09:19
Great Project! I really loved the heart embellishment on the inside of the top...it makes it even more interesting to look at from many angles.
Question: does the waxed chalk paint finish feel that it may wear away with use? I am considering this finish but have never felt it in person.
In reply to Great Details by cathryn j (not verified)
Sat, 11/12/2011 - 19:20
I love the hearts too! Found them in a clearance bin at a local hobby supply store for .29 cents each. The price thrilled miserly me.
Regarding the wax, it feels very smooth and satiny. I'm new to the chalk paint and wax technique, myself, but I did research before using it. From what I gather, wax, in general, will eventually wear away and have to be redone. When the piece looses it's luster a soft rag should buff the sheen back. When you can't buff up a sheen, then it's time to rewax. It should last years. Ask me again in 5 years. :-)
Oh, I should add, the close up of the curly embellishment was taken before I waxed.
I came across a lot of conflicting info regarding the soft wax. Nothing bad, just different techniques, and it seemed the more I read, the more questions I had. Finally just dove in and found my way. I like, like the method!
Did I answer your question? And then some!
In reply to Great job! by margjack
Sat, 11/12/2011 - 19:49
She's a foo-foo girl, so yes, she was excited. Even more so when she was able to stand in front of her own full length mirror and see how stunning she was in the princess outfit her Aunt gave her. So cute!
Sun, 11/13/2011 - 19:48
You did a beautiful job, and I love the finish! I built the same piece, but only gave it an antique white painted finish. I may have to try some of your techniques on my next build.
Where did you find mirrors to fit? I can't find them short enough...
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 16:20
I'd planned to use mirror tiles, but while at the Lowe's buying trim and mastif, I came across 2 to a pack beveled mirrors for $19. They were the perfect size! Now that's luck.
Wed, 11/23/2011 - 18:43
Thank you, Ana, for this awesome site! I'm building Christmas gifts now. :-)
Sat, 12/31/2011 - 04:05
j'adore , je vais en faire une mais j'ai du mal avec les cotes de chez vous.... Happy new year Isabelle
We built this dog kennel as a donation to a fundraiser for our favorite dog rescue. It was auctioned off at the silent auction and all the money went to the dogs! :)
We used cheap furring strips for the majority of the project. We also had some leftover beadboard so we used that for the sides & back panel. We painted the base antique white and made a nice top out of some scrap lumber & old hardwood plywood. It took about an afternoon to assemble but another few days to sand and paint. We finished it while all 4 sides were separate to make it easier and it was still a pain to paint. This would be a great project to have a paint sprayer because it is sooo hard to avoid drips with this design.
The whole piece cost us almost nothing to make and we love how it turned out. We need to make ourselves one for our dogs!
The best part of this project was seeing it go home to someone who loves it and all the profits go to the Basset Hound Rescue!
Thanks Ana for the plans we couldn't have done it without you!
Fri, 12/06/2013 - 03:51
I'm working on this project right now and this is my first time building anything. How did you attach the 4 walls together and how do you screw the top portion on? Please help me, I would so grateful!!! [email protected]
I found an old coffee table with stained legs for $10 on one of those app "for sale" sites. Sanded them down and with two pieces of 1 by 4 for the apron and 2 pieces of 1 by 6 for the top made this table. Apron is No2 whitewood and Top is select pine. Top was stained in a dark color (Varathane Kona) and then painted gray and sanded back to show some of grain and stain through. Total cost of new table about $60 (most expensive part was the select pine for the top at around $35)
Seen this awesome plan on Anas site and had to build it in KING SIZE. The drawers are enormous, the bed is rock solid. I love it