Deck Refresh Progress, #1room30days: DIY Bench Seating

Okay Friends!  So I left off giving you all some info on how I built the privacy panels for the fence at the corner of the deck, if you missed it, click here.  Today I’d like to show you some more progress, including my DIY Bench Seat.

But, I realized that I never shared on the blog, my “mood board” (above).  I decided to step out of my neutral comfort zone, and give my deck a tropical feel.  The bright, vibrant colors just make me smile!!!  I found the fabrics at Joann Fabrics and I just envisioned tons and tons of pillows on an outdoor corner bench, and today I’m going to show you how I built this DIY Storage Bench! 

Disclaimer:   I am in no way a carpenter – – – I’ve never been taught!  I just have a genuine love for putting things together and figuring out how to make things work.  But . . . I like to think I get my “skill” from my grandfather 🙂

Anyway, my point is, I don’t really know what I’m doing, lol, so I can’t offer you a great tutorial, but I’m hoping my pictures will inform you enough to get a decent idea 🙂

As a refresher here is the corner of the deck before I added the privacy panels to the fence.

I began by building a frame right in place.  In hindsight, I wish I would have built it completely, and then installed it, but I think my brain works better if I work as I go.  I found this tutorial, after the fact on The Home Depot Blog, which pretty much sums up my process if you are looking for more resources.

My dilemma with this space is that when we built this platform deck, we never installed rails, so whenever people would sit near the edge, they were in danger of their chairs going over . . . not very comfortable or inviting for guests.  So my first solution was to build this corner bench so as to provide extra (safe) seating and storage.  I used wood material that I already had on hand to build the frame, mostly 2×2’s and 2×3’s.  Had I prepared better, I would have used 2×4’s.  

In building this bench, I had to get pretty creative, considering there was no base to build on along the edge, I extended the frame to cover the blank spaces.

I used 1×10 boards that I had on hand for the top.  I painted them the Behr Private Black paint, that I used on the fence.

The height and depth of the bench are 18″, the right side extends 6 ft, the other is 8 ft. including the corner.

I used the same pressure treated fence pickets that I used on the privacy panels and nailed them to the frame.  Leaving a little space for the wood to expand between each. 

I attempted to hinge one side of the bench top, but it didn’t work so well with the hinges I had on hand.  But the top actually sits firmly in place and lifts up fine for storage.

I went ahead  and decided to stain the sides of the bench.  I used a mixture of Minwax polyshades in Bombay Mahogany and Natural to stain them.

My favorite way to stain wood, is to use gloves and a cheap-o sponge.  I dip it into the stain and just swipe it over the wood, pressing down where I want the color to penetrate most.

I love, love, LOVE the tone of the wood.  I was a little sloppy staining because the deck was going to be painted over anyway.

Baby K peeking in on his brother playing with the neighbors 🙂

I later, set up my sewing machine and sewed a bunch of pillows using the envelope method, which I kinda swear by.  I will be sharing a tutorial on how I make the same size envelope pillow covers in bulk soon, so be sure to check back!  

If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you might not be aware that I went ahead and extended the deck by 4 feet. (excuse the mess, I tend to work this way, don’t judge :p )

 

This addidtion wasn’t exactly in the budget, so I had to cut back on other things like a plush cushion for the bench (side eye).  

But, it was important for me to visualize how the space will be used, and I can’t really see myself lounging like that in this space, so multiple, small seat cushions at $1.50 a piece will suffice until I can come up with another option.

 Lastly, I strung some awesome Edison string lights along the fence.  They give the most amazing ambiance at night.  We love them!

So what do you all think?  I’m really loving my progress.  We are getting closer to the finish line and I couldn’t be more excited!