Hall Tree Foyer Bench
For this project, I start by ripping down a sheet of 3/4” plywood to be the total depth of the lower portion of the bench. I then cross cut the plywood to be the total width of the bottom portion, which is around 48”. I cut some dimensional 2x4s to length to make a base frame for the bench.
I build the 2×4 base by attaching all 2x4s to each other using 3” wood screws. I then attached the cut piece of plywood to the 2×4 base using 1-1/4” wood screws. I then cut pieces of plywood to form the sides and dividers of the under-seat portion of the bench. I secure those pieces to the built base using screws, drilled through the bottom of the project and up into the pieces of plywood/dividers.
For the next step, I cut a piece of plywood to be the total height and width of the backboard piece of the project. There is no need for me to rip down the plywood as the project will be 48” wide; so I only needed to cross cut some material off the full 4×8 sheet to make the usable piece 72” tall. I then stand up the piece of plywood and secure the built base portion (including dividers and sides) using 1-1/4” wood screws. I drill the screws through the back of the backboard and into the edges of the divider pieces of plywood.
Next, I cut some pieces of 1×6 Yellow Pine to a length of 52”. This will allow a 2” overhang on each side of the bench, since my project is 48” wide. I go ahead and stain these 1×6 pieces as the customer wants the project to be painted white with the seat pieces stained. Since the remainder of the project will be sitting on top of these 1×6 bench seat pieces, it’s easier to go ahead and stain the boards at this stage.
After the stain is dry, I secure the bench seat pieces of 1x6s to the existing project by brad nailing them to the bottom side pieces and bottom dividers. I then rip and cross cut pieces of plywood to make the upper side pieces and upper shelf and secure them to each other using the wood screws. After it’s made into one assembly, I place it on top of the bench and secure it to the existing project. I do this again by drilling screws through the rear of the backboard into the edge of the plywood pieces. I cut and install the upper shelf/cubby divider pieces of plywood in similar fashion. I now use 1x6s and rip them into 1x3s, which is 3/4” x 2-1/2”. These will become trim around the base of the upper side pieces and rear of the bench seat. I layout a piece of 1×3 on the edge of the bench and mark the location at which I need to cut a 45-degree miter. I attach the cut piece of trim to the side piece by drilling through the plywood from the inside and into the 1×3. I repeat this similar process to install trim at the insides and outsides of the bench seat and rear of the bench seat area.
I measure, layout, mark, and cross cut a piece of plywood for the top of the project and install it using wood screws through the top of the plywood. Next I rip down some 1x6s again to make 1x2s. I measure the height of the plywood edges (accounting for a top face frame and subtracting 1-1/2”), cut the 1x2s to make a face frame stile, and install it onto the edges of the plywood fronts. I repeat this process to make face frame for all plywood edges that are on the front of the project. I use my DIY Router Table and a moulding router bit to make a profile in the 1x2s to use as “crown moulding” for the top of the project. This is a nice touch that gives the project a little more style. I again layout the measurements, miter the corners, and install the crown moulding at the top.
I used a piece of Yellow Pine baseboard for the bottom trim. I laid out my measurements, cut, and brad-nailed the baseboard trim to the bottom of the project.
The last step of this project is to cut some more 1x3s and install them to the back vertical portion of the bench. The pieces are installed at each side and 2 in the center. I then install a 1×4 horizontally about 2/3 of the way up. This will become a solid backer for some coat hooks that will be installed later.
This project is now complete as far as the build goes. You can now putty the holes, sand, and finish however you would like. For me, and for what my customer wanted, I caulked all corners and painted the entire project white, except for the bench seat pieces, which were obviously stained to a dark walnut color.