Modified these plans slightly for my needs. I kept the table saw open for easier dust collection and only had one side of shelving on the other bench to allow for storing larger items. I can’t get over how much storage in a small space you get with these and how multi functional they are.
Flip down tray added for computer keyboard.
Wed, 12/27/2017 - 20:15
I love this, it is exactly what I am looking for! Is some type of extra support needed for the flip down tray for the keyboard ? If so, what would it be, or is there a special hinge I should look for?
Build the perfect console table for your home! - by House on Hillridge
This project was a Christmas gift for the niece and nephew. It turned out better than expected and was easy to do. I followed the plan, just made it shorter and narrow for a 3 and 6 year old to use. Mom and dad liked it a lot. I took off 8 inches from the height and width. Luckily someone else had the chalkboard paint leftover. That helped to keep the cost down. I had left over plywood from another project. I just bought the hinges and 1x2 and 1x3's. That's why the cost is fairly low for this project. Its worth saving those scrape pieces. Thanks Ana.
A few weeks back, my niece asked it I wouldn't mind building a Toy Box to auction off at a benefit she's holding this Saturday (December 5th - 2015). She and her husband are adopting 4, count 'em FOUR orphans from Latvia, so naturally I was more than happy to oblige. I didn't use any specific plans per se... I just used some pocket hole cabinetry I've seen on this site and others, as well as some pictures I found on the internet of different toy boxes and blanket chests for inspiration. The final project cost about $55 all in, including lumber and hardware. I used 1x3s and 1x2s for the frame, one 4x4 sheet of 1/4" plywood for the panels, and one 3/4" x 16" x 8 foot project board (which I got for $11 and change!) to use as the bottom and lid of the chest. For hardware, I used a couple of box hinges, a lid stay so that the lid both stays open on it's own and closes softly (gotta save those little fingers, y'know ;) ), and a cool wrought iron knob I found at Hobby Lobby for about $2 (gotta love the 40% off Black Friday Deals!). Oh... I also picked up a little quote plate from Hobby Lobby too, just too add that extra touch. ヅ Stain is Rustoleum American Walnut with 3 coats of satin poly.
UPDATE: The auction was yesterday and the chest sold for $330! ヅ
Loving this furniture! We modified it slightly by raising the height of the couches. Added some height and a slight tilt in the back. The chairs are super comfortable as the plans are done. We used 6” 25x25 cushions. We plan on staining soon.
Jaime Sallis
Mon, 11/18/2024 - 03:28
Building your own furniture is such a satisfying project, especially when it turns out looking exactly how you imagined. I’ve always loved the idea of DIY outdoor pieces, but let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to tell which materials or designs are worth the effort. I found that reading up on others' experiences can save a lot of time and mistakes. That’s when I stumbled upon 1stopbedrooms reviews which gave me some solid insights into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to furniture that’s both stylish and durable. It definitely helped me refine my approach and led to a pretty successful DIY outdoor furniture set!
I started with the Cindy Wood Console Table but modified it. I wanted the center to be open so it could be used as a vanity table. I omitted steps 2 and 4 and altered step 3 so that the length of the centerpiece is only 8 3/4 long. I also omitted step 7. In step 8, I made the front-facing go all the way to the bottom, my cut was 27 5/8. All other steps were the same.
Since it is a vanity table, I also made a bench to go with it. I used 1X4 for the legs and side pieces. The total dimensions of the bench are 22 inches long, 12 1/2 inches wide and 18 inches tall. I had to buy an additional 10 feet of 1X4 to add this to my project. The cuts for the front and back of the bench are 14 7/8, the sides are 3 7/8 of 1X4. I used pocket holes to put the legs, font, back, and sides together. Because of using pocket screws, make sure to put the sides together first, then the front and back. I used leftover 1X2 pieces to create a railing on the inside of the bench for the seat base to rest on. I put the railings 5/8 inch from the top of the bench and secured them using wood glue and 1 1/4 inch screws. I used leftover plywood as the seat base. I cut the plywood to be 10 1/2 by 20 inches.
UPDATE: For everyone that was asking to see additional photos, I have uploaded them all to flickr. Here is the link: HERE Since doing this table I have built probably 15 more just like this one and developed a much better process then in the pictures above. If you have any questions or want to chat about it further shoot me a comment or email at [email protected].
I had originally seen this table on the Pottery Barn website. My wife and I really liked it but couldn't afford to pay the $1200 bucks after tax and shipping. it didn't look to difficult to build so I decided to give it a shot. The wood for the top of the table was almost 3in thick 4.5in wide and 51in long. It was wood from an old pallet that was used to transport a very large air handler. Very heavy dense wood. Since the lengths were only 51 inches I opted to put 2 horizontal pieces on either side to extend the total length to approx 70in. I was inspired by the plans for the benchwright table that I saw on this site but chose to deviate from the plans on here to make it as close to the real thing as possible. I also happen to have access to very thick pieces of hardwood. The only thing I had to buy at lowes were the legs. The legs are 4x4 Douglas fir posts. The top pieces were all glued and screwed together. The ends were also done this way but had a very large lag bolt that held them together to match the pottery barn table. This was originally very rough wood so anything to help get the warp out was used. The legs are set at a 10 degree angle and the table stand 30 in tall. The hardest part of this table was finding the turnbuckle and the threaded rods so it could officially be 99% like the pottery barn table. I also had no idea how hard it was to find left hand threaded anything. I ended up finding everything I need at McMaster.com and my local Fastenal store. To make the brackets that went on either side of the rods i simply bought a piece of 1/8 sheet metal at my local Home depot and cut it to size. They also sold hammered brown paint which gave the metal a worked old look. Once this was all constructed I used two heavy coats of wood conditioner to seal the wood. This was the key to getting the color I wanted. It tells you on the can not to let the wood conditioner dry on the wood but if it does, when you apply the stain you get a 100% consistent color. Worked wonders. It almost felt like I was cheating. I used a water based condition and stained it with rustoleums "dark walnut" stain. Finished it with 5 coats of minwax semi gloss. I only did 5 coats because I was brushing it on and had trouble getting the bubbles out of it. In the final picture it looks much shinier then it is in person. The last picture of when it was still in my garage is a better indication of the final finish. I have a boat load of additional picture, so if you have any questions or want to see more pictures of how it was constructed, shoot me a message. Thanks!
Sat, 05/19/2012 - 22:40
This is incredible. I mean really, really incredible. I cant wait to see what you build next!
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 08:16
I've had trouble with bubbles too... I have two pieces of advice for your next bubble-free project...
1. Get a sprayer. Seriously.
2. If you don't get a sprayer, use the foam pad-brushes for your final layer of poly. Put the last layer on thick and use the largest side of the brush (the side) and lay it down over the wood and drag it slowly accross with the whole large surface on the wood. If it is soaked in poly it will lay it down smooth with little if any bubbles, keep the surface you're working on flat, and after you've finished that, just make sure you clean up any edges where the poly may have dripped down. Last step, when it's almost dry, use 600 grit sandpaper to VERY lightly smooth out any little bumbs, which will come off more like paste than dust. But really, you should just get a sprayer. :)
In reply to Bubbles... by Bunnie1978
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 17:42
Hey Bunnie,
Thanks for the tips! I completely agree with you about the sprayer. I do actually have a sprayer but didn't want to get the garage covered in over spray. Maybe one of these days I will get ambitious and apply another coat. :)
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 09:35
This is awesome! Can you give more direction as to which specific items you got at mcmaster.com and Fastenal?
Also, how did you attach the sheet metal pieces? If you have any more pictures of the underside (frame) of the table, I'd love to see them!
Thank you very much, and again, this is spectacular. We want to try to build this, too.
Great job!
In reply to This is awesome! Can you give by SawgrassHomeGirl
Mon, 05/21/2012 - 09:23
See my comments below...
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 10:38
Love it! This project turned out great and I love how you tracked down the hardware - that finishes it off perfectly!
Like SawgrassHomeGirl, I'm wondering what the actual names of the items are that you tracked down. I went and paged through the McMaster and Fastenal sites, but since I'm completely unfamiliar with mechanical doodads I'm not even sure which categories to look under.
Fantastic job! Thanks for posting this!
Sun, 05/20/2012 - 18:13
Thank you for the nice comments. This was my first official project so I am happy that it turned out well!
Sure! I'd be happy to know the names of the hardware items. At Mcmaster.com the turnbuckle I purchased was Item number 30045T44 . It is about 6in long and seemed to fit nicely with the length of the table. the rods were just simply threaded rods which I purchased at fastenal since we have a few of their stores in town. The rods come in 6 ft pieces so I didn't want to have to pay the shipping. If you don't have a Fastenal near by here are the item numbers for the rods; 90322A220 -right hand threaded rod and 95625A160 - left hand threads. They are a bit more expensive at mcmaster though.
The biggest thing I was worried about was that the entire rod had threads on it so I was worried that it would look odd. But after getting it painted you don't even notice that it isn't just a solid pipe.
Sawgrass: shoot me your email address and I'll send you some more pictures. This site only allows me to post 5 additional photos. But to elaborate on the frame and the metal pieces, I didn't' really build a frame for it. You can essentially break it down into two pieces: Top and the legs. Instead of building a frame and screwing the pieces down on it, I opted to screw each of the pieces together using a Kreg tool and also glue them. the wood was heavy enough to support everything without an elaborate internal structure. The two end pieces help keep things from warping. The only reinforcement I did for the top was to take 3 2x4's and screw them horizontally on the underside. You will be able to see all of this in the pictures. As for the metal pieces, i drilled 5 holes in each piece. 4 holes for the screws that hold it to the leg region and one half inch hole in the middle for the rod to go through. I have a bunch of close ups of this process so you should be able to get a very good idea of how things work. Overall I tried to keep everything as simple as possible.
Thanks for all the interest and if anyone has anymore questions please don't hesitate to ask!
Tue, 05/22/2012 - 09:01
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! You did a fantastic job on this table and I am adding it to my ever-growing list of projects to do!
Now I'm off to find that hardware. :-)
Thanks, again!
Fri, 11/08/2013 - 06:33
My e-mail is [email protected]
My husband is making this table for Thanksgiving dinner. We are expecting 14 people so he is making the table a total of 12 feet long! Any input or pictures will be greatly appreciated!
Lisa and Gary Peters
Angola, IN
In reply to More information please! by lillylamp
Fri, 11/08/2013 - 08:13
Hey Lisa,
Check your email. 12ft long! I think you'll have to edit the build a little from my design but if you have any questions about the pictures please let me know and i'll be happy to help you out!
Thanks!
Tue, 05/22/2012 - 16:58
So i wanna build this table this summer, could you shoot me some more pictures of the designs and actual steps for building it. i absolutely love it, and i hope mine comes out as good as yours!
In reply to Love this table by Destiny (not verified)
Thu, 05/24/2012 - 10:59
Sure will, what is your email address?
Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:35
Hey Nathan can you send more the steps also of how you build the table and any difference between the Ana White steps.
In reply to Pottery Barn Table by Jay Daniel
Wed, 04/10/2013 - 13:54
Hey Jay,
I didn't really follow the plans listed, I just kind of built things as I went. So i don't have anything that I can send you. However, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about any part of it.
Thanks Jay
Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:35
Hey Nathan can you send me the steps also of how you built the table and any difference between the Ana White steps.
Sat, 05/26/2012 - 13:13
This has been on my to do list for a while now, but I haven't been able to work out the hardware details like you did. I would love to get some more pictures especially of the underside and of your rod to stretcher connection. Thanks again and you did an amazing job!
In reply to Awesome table! by Robert (not verified)
Mon, 11/04/2013 - 13:30
Hey Robert,
Here is a link to the rest of the pictures:
Sat, 05/26/2012 - 17:54
I love this table! I am new to this site and to building, but I want this to be my first project. Could you possibly email me the detailed pics and plans also so I can get started? :) Thanks so much!
Sat, 05/26/2012 - 18:07
Sorry, I forgot to sign in before I submitted my post. I posted the above post as Aubrey but this is my username so you can contact me.
Thanks Again.
In reply to Love the table!! by Aubrey (not verified)
Mon, 11/04/2013 - 13:30
Thanks! If you have any question please ask away!
Tue, 05/29/2012 - 18:41
I am really inspired by the table you built. It looks like you built your legs with 4x4s. Did you drill through them to get the notch on the outside or did you do something else just to get the look? Great work!
In reply to Amazing Table by ajmccallister
Tue, 05/29/2012 - 20:58
Hi Aj,
Yes, I did use 4x4's for the legs. It was much easier this way, did a great job achieving the heavy look I was interested in and was the closest I could come to the pottery barn table. To answer you question, no I did not drill through. I attached the 2x4 cross member with 2 leg screws from the outside of the 4x4 leg. I then cut a small piece of the 2x4 and nailed it over the lag screw holes to simulate the 2x4 cross member coming through. It looks just like I cut a hole and the whole thing is coming through. I get asked how I did it by people that see it in person because it doesn't look like a separate piece is just nailed on.
If you look at IMAG0306 and IMAG0308 on flickr you can see what it looks like without them on and if you look at the bottom left hand corner of the picture you can see the pieces that have been cut and not put on yet.
In reply to Cost? by Sara (not verified)
Mon, 06/11/2012 - 11:01
The Lower portion was probably about $200. The biggest expense was the threaded rods and the turnbuckle. The rods were about $30 each and the turnbuckle after shippping was about $20. The wood for the lefts and cross members were purchased at my local lowes so they were pretty cheap. As for the top, its hard to say since wood prices vary quite a bit between types and thickness. If you were to buy wood like I used you would probably have to visit a sawmill and see if you could get rough cut wood that is at least 2.5 inches thick. I would estimate $300 give or take. If you follow the plans that ana has setup for the top you don't necessarily need to get wood that is that thick. You can achieve close to the same look but just using 3/4 in pieces. I think if you look very closely at the pottery barn pictures, they do not use 100% solid wood either. But I wanted the heavy look and the solid appearance. So total you are probably looking at $500-$600. Hope this helps!
Wed, 06/20/2012 - 11:28
Great job Nathan - I appreciate your workmanship on the table. You've answered one of my questions regarding the look of the cross member protuding thru the leg - slick idea. My other question - why all the large round holes in the bottom of the table? By the way, the dowel effect that you accomplished really pops. I too like the looks of the thicker boards. Thanks for posting an interesting and comprehensive article. Curt
In reply to Benchright Farmhouse Table by Curt (not verified)
Thu, 06/21/2012 - 13:06
Those holes in the bottom of the table were there when the wood was salvaged. This was a pallet so they had it bolted together with large lag bolts. The bolts had large washers inset into the wood. The bolts were secured on the underside of the wood and went through every piece. Luckily, they were consistent and only bolted from one side.
Thanks!
Tue, 07/10/2012 - 06:36
Thank you, Nathan, that really helps! Did I mention your table is beautiful?
Fri, 08/03/2012 - 12:53
Hi Nathan,
Awesome table. I just hope I can find some 3" thick lumber without breaking the bank! It looks like you attached the legs by putting 2 bolts through the legs into the small apron on the short ends of the table. It also looks like you might have also put in some pocket holes on the inside of the legs, going straight down into the underneath of the table boards. Is that right? I am just wondering how sturdy it is, since it's such a heavy table.
Thanks!
Lea
In reply to Attaching Legs by leabea28
Mon, 08/06/2012 - 11:43
Yes, you are correct. I attached the legs with 2, 6inch lag bolts. I pre-drilled them at the correct angle (which I eye balled) and ratcheted them in. I was a little worried about them being sturdy enough so I went ahead and made a few pocket holes and secured it that was also. The legs overall are very sturdy. The table probably weights 150-200lbs and I was able to pick up one side of it only holding onto one leg. Table doesn't wobble at all. The cross member holding the legs together also helped pull everything together.
Thanks for the question! Feel free to ask any others!
Nathan
Sun, 08/12/2012 - 18:17
Fantastic table! Thanks for posting all the instructions and places to buy hardware. My husband and I can't wait to try this!
Sun, 08/12/2012 - 18:19
Fantastic table! Thanks for posting all the instructions and places to buy hardware. My husband and I can't wait to try this!
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 09:33
Nice work! I made bench seats in this style - maybe I'll post pics sometime too! I saw in your description that you used thick wood to be more like the original... just wanted to let you know that I have seen the "original" and yours is much better! Pottery barn does NOT use solid 3" wood for the top. If you look closely at the pics in their online catalog you can even tell... they use thin planks with a side piece to make them look thick. The only hefty piece is on the very end .
Also, I wanted to mention that I have had great luck with wipe-on polyurethane... never any bubbles. Just be sure to use lint free cloths and lots of thin layers.
Again, nice work!
In reply to Better than the "real" PB Benchwright by 3RaysofSunshine
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 09:54
Thanks for the nice comments!
Did you apply the poly with a brush or with a cloth?
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 10:05
I apply with a cloth. It takes many coats but they are so thin they dry fast. In between coats, I wet sand with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. After towel drying, I run my hand across the surface. You'll feel any spots you missed. Then use a tack cloth to pick up any dust (there's always some...) I get a perfect finish using this method. I'm sure spraying is great too... I just like not having another piece of equipment to clean!
My last project (a patio table) I had run out of the wipe-on poly and decided to use something else - whatever I had on hand. Grr! Not nearly as nice looking so I'm doing it over. I'll post pictures of a few projects as soon as I can figure out how.
Sun, 11/18/2012 - 21:15
Why cant my husband make stuff......booooooooo! Wonderful table I am so jealous lol.
Fri, 01/04/2013 - 07:37
This is a great Table! I'd love to build something like this. Good Job!
In reply to Amazed by Shannan with an A
Tue, 04/23/2013 - 10:23
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like it :)
Thu, 05/02/2013 - 10:52
Hi! Just wondering what tool(s) you used to cut the sheet metal and drill the holes in it.
Thanks.
Lea
In reply to sheet metal cutting by leabea28
Thu, 05/02/2013 - 15:04
Hey Lea,
It was only 1/8 in thick metal so a simple jig saw with a metal bit worked great. Wear eye protection though. It shoots off all sorts of hot metal bits. To drill the holes I just used a power drill with a metal bit. Make sure you drill 100% straight or the bit will bind and jerk the drill right out of your hand. Ideally, a drillpress would work much better since I nearly broke my wrist on the second large hole.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks,
Sat, 06/01/2013 - 20:36
The table looks awesome man! Love it. I just got done building the benchright table to Ana Whites plan, see mine here http://ana-white.com/2013/05/farmhouse-benchright-table-build-0
I just ordered the left hand threaded rod, right hand threaded rod and turnbuckle from McMaster.com...total cost for all 3 was 22 bucks. Here are the McMaster part numbers:
90036A033- left hand rod
98841A033- right hand rod
30045T44- galvanized turnbuckle
I'll hopefully get the rods and turnbuckle this week so I can totally complete this project.
Again, awesome job nathan!!!
In reply to Very nice job, nathan!! by tcoche
Fri, 11/14/2014 - 05:06
I saw your listing for the parts number, thank you. I was wondering, these are galvanized parts....how are they being made dark for the finished product?
Fri, 06/28/2013 - 10:52
Please, PLEASE send me the plans on how to build this table. Yours turned out great!
Thu, 07/11/2013 - 12:55
I'd love to if I had plans. I kind of just built this as I went. Feel free to ask any questions though if you aren't sure where to start or your stuck somewhere.
Thanks!
Rustic X Console, built as directed. After building we sanded the whole thing pretty well, and did one coat of walnut stain. After the stain dried, I went back and painted over with a bright beachy blue, and while the paint was still wet, wiped it with rags. You have to work in small sections so the paint doesn't dry too quickly. I also went over some areas (where the paint was too thick and on the shelves) with a wet rag, then back over with a dry one. Two coats of satin polyurethane (spray) on top and all done! I want to get rid of the lamp and do 3 different sizes of white lanterns instead!
Tue, 07/10/2012 - 19:21
I love that finish - the stain and the paint color go perfectly together.
In reply to I love that finish - the by mycreativeescapes
Wed, 07/11/2012 - 17:45
Thank you so much! It's Minwax walnut stain and Valspar (you can get at Lowe's) Beach Sparkle (semi-gloss) paint over it. Followed with 2 coats of spray poly and you're good to go! :)
This is my first build from this site! I used 6" boards to give the siding a plank look rather than using plywood. To make the height work, I used 8" boards for both the top and bottom planks. I also made the door a little taller. Other than that, I followed this plan step-by-step. It was very easy to follow and I really enjoyed making this bed. My daughter (and my sons) really enjoy it!
This has become my dream sewing/craft desk!! This project took about a week from start to finish (with work days in between). The shorter portion of the desk is used for my machine and sewing. The taller portion is used as a cutting table. The plans (dimensions) were tweaked some to get the perfect heights for me :).
Wed, 03/25/2015 - 06:31
Your desk is GORGEOUS!!!! It's exactly what I've been looking to build for my space. I would love to know how you modified the plan to make it.
Wed, 03/25/2015 - 07:21
I need to modify my home office/craft space and building a couple of these just may do the trick.
Wed, 03/25/2015 - 07:23
I also wanted to comment on the thread shelf you build, that is really awesome, you can see all your colors right in front of you. Mine are in a drawer and I have to pull the whole thing out to see what I need. This is really giving me ideas.
Fri, 09/04/2015 - 08:45
Would you please send the plan instructions (with measurments). It is perfect for me as I sew and embrodery both and have two machines.
Toy chest / hope chest for great grandkids. My first project in about 30 years. Never had time before.
Ed Smith
I built these sofa tables for my wife’s client. She has a interior paint business. Her client was talking about wanting she sofa tables, so she volunteered me to build the tables. I didn’t have a design for the tables, so I looked at several different designs and talked to the client on what she was looking for. So I just did some rough sketches and got some ideas from my wife. I used mostly 1 bys for the build, just depends on the size on what width and length of board you are going to need. The top of the large table is a 5/4 preglued board that Menards has in store, again depending on width and length on the size of board you use. I used the 5/4 board for better stability and strength. I used a red oak stain then applied several coats of poly to finish. On the top I used a 200 sandpaper after a couple of coats of poly to get the top smoother for more coats of poly. Over all the build was pretty easy if you have good woodworking knowledge. Used pocket holes (Kreg) to attach sides and frame to top. On the large top side I used two 1x8’s to get the width i needed. Joined them with pocket holes (Kreg). If you can dream it, you can build it.
This chair was made off Ana white'smodern outdoor chair with modification to add back support. Without the back support the back pillow would keep falling off. The cushion are 25x25 but very thick for comfort.
Thu, 07/04/2019 - 12:48
What degree angle is the extended back cut. I can't find any instructions on this?
I made the 4 chairs to complete the dining suite. The table was made from the X based pedestal table plan.
The timber was all cut from 200mm x 50mm pine sleepers and finished with Cabots clear finish.
Mon, 03/06/2023 - 13:35
What a beautiful set! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing work:)
We wanted a small garden to fit on the back patio stones and this plan fit well. We reduced the height because we have 3 small children to "help" water the plants. The trellis was hoping that we could extend the amount of produce we could grow. They're very heavy, sturdy and straightforward to build. Thanks very much!!
We had an 8' mudroom, that previously contained our laundry area as well. We moved that and had this space to fill up. We used 3/4" plywood for the most part, and some 1x2 finishing pieces in the front, as per your plan. We built the bench and then installed it, but the upper shelves had to be built in place on the wall, because we couldn't fit it in the room if we pre-built it. So that was a bit of a challence. Turned out great though. Thanks for the plans!
I needed a shoe rack that would work for our limited space and the Laundry Tower that was on the brag post caught my eye. It was modified from the Open Frame Laundry Basket Organizer. This shoe rack is working great for our family now! Thanks for this community!
Sat, 05/06/2023 - 21:09
Thanks for sharing your project, it looks really great!
I found a picture of this style of chairs, and I really wanted to make them for my table. I created my own plans and adjusted them until they were perfect. I’ve since made several sets of chairs for other people including this set of 6.
Wed, 12/18/2019 - 07:57
I'd love to make these for my parents, do you have the plans?
Love this project!
Rlynhack
