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Plans
- 5 – 2×4 at 8’
- 6 – 1×4 at 8’
- 4 – 2×4 at 27 1/4″ – Legs
- 2 – 2×4 at 33 3/4” – Side Frames
- 2 – 2×4 at 36 3/4” – Top
- 1 – 2×4 at 73” – Top
- 2 – 2×4 at 66” – Seat Support
- 1 – 2×4 at 66” (ripped to 2-3/4” wide) – Seat Support
- 1 – 2×4 at 9” – Center Leg
- 9 – 1×4 at 24” – Seat Slats
- 8 – 1×4 at 14-3/4” – Side Slats
- 9 – 1×4 at 16-3/4” – Back Slats
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the sides. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the 33 3/4” piece as well as the top only of the legs. Assemble using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the top. Cut 45 deg. angles in each end of the long piece as well as one end of the short pieces (there will be a left and right). Drill pocket holes in the mitered ends and assemble with glue and 2” pocket hole screws. Place on the side assemblies and attach using glue and 2” pocket hole screws through the top of the legs into the top piece.
Cut the pieces for the seat supports. The center support will be a 2×4 ripped to 2-3/4” wide and will be located ¾” down from the top of the side stretcher piece to allow for the seat slats. Attach the leg piece at the center using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws. Attach all pieces at the spacing indicated (with the front piece flush with the front of the side frame) to the side frames using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the seat slats. Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes in each end. Attach to the seat supports using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Secure the center of the slats to the center of the support with 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the pieces for the side slats. Drill pocket holes in each end. Attach to the side frames at the spacing indicated with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the back slats. The angles may be a little tricky but they should be cut at approximately 25 deg. (see drawing). Once the angles are cut, drill pocket holes in the end of each slat. Attach to the back support and top with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. // Post May Contain Affiliate Links
Build / DIY
From the sound of things on the comments from our giveaway post, I’m not alone when it comes to the struggle I have with screws and drills. To be perfectly honest, I figured a great deal of the problem was user error on my part, and over the years have learned a few tricks to make my jobs easier. Reading through your comments this week tells me otherwise, and that perhaps there is a general need out there for a better solution. It would be lovely not to have to try so hard, and it would be even more lovely if we could avoid countless costly mistakes and and especially the dreaded screw head tear out, which of course is a whole level beyond simply stripping your screw.
Today I’m going to share a few of my personal tips and tricks for avoiding this as well as some fabulous features for this beauty, which has been designed to handle many of the issues we are chatting about, with no effort on your part whatsoever.
Speed is fairly major factor that is essential in helping you tame the screw. If you have trouble mastering the ‘light touch’ that is necessary to control your drill’s speed, you will definitely need to have a drill that has at least two speeds and you will want to choose the lower of the two. Learning to control your drilling speed beyond that, is something that takes practice and an intimate working knowledge of your drill. The more you get to know it’s quirks and habits, and yes every drill has a unique set of these in my opinion, the more you can whip it into submission and force it to behave.
This bad boy has an auto sense technology that actually allows you to work at the highest RPM’s without worry of overdriving your screw. Since it’s automatic clutch stops the drill the second it’s flush with the material it should keep you from stripping your screw after the fact, splitting your wood, or damaging your work (at least during the fastening process).
This also likely helps with my problem which is those pesky screws that stop too short or get stuck in a tricky spot like a hidden knot. I have this happen more often than I do any sort of damage to my work from a screw slipping in so easily I drive it right through my surface.
When you are working with a standard drill, something that will help you tremendously if you are consistently stripping your screws is to turn down your torque. You can do this by adjusting your clutch which is that adjustable numeric dial that sits on your drills collar and runs from 0 or 2 to around 20 or 24. By turning this down, you will be able to decrease the amount of torque your drill will apply before it disengages and your drill’s strength won’t overpower the job at hand. I liken this to my first experience on a wave runner at the ripe age of 13 or like when you jump behind the wheel of a vehicle on a ride of some sort (go cars, jet skis, etc) and pull on that throttle and take off flying down your straightaway at a speed you weren’t expecting? Your legs are practically flapping in the wind behind you but you are moving so fast that you almost can’t do anything but let go in order to make it stop. Ya, that is a bit like what happens with your drill. Turn down your torque, turn down your speed. Slow your roll my friends…
So this drill has an anti-strip feature which essentially means you shouldn’t have to worry about this. It would be glorious not to worry about this because it is actually quite tiresome to work like this and makes for a difficult time trying to balancing a low enough torque and speed to keep my screw head intact with high enough torque and speed to drive my screw with enough ease that I’m not a tired wreck after 30 minutes. It is a bit like a dance, a very complicated dance of the worst kind. ha
Another thing I do to tame the screw is avoid purchasing any screws (aside from pocket hole screws) that are silver in color. I only buy the brass or gold colored screws or the black coarse thread screws (these are technically drywall screws, but they work famously in soft woods). Now let me preface this by saying the gold screws are not more expensive. In fact sometimes they are less expensive, but for whatever reason they hold up much better than their silver galvanized counterparts.
I experience far, far, far less screw head tear out and stripping from this alone. Aside from perhaps getting a Smart Drill, this is my number one suggestion to you.
We are currently hosting a giveaway for a BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill/Driver with AutoSense Technology, if you would like to win your very own one of these beauties…
For other helpful tips and tricks, visit our Getting Started section, Tips + Tricks section and our Tool Time section. We will be building these up quite a bit in the near future and I hope you find this helpful my friends!
Thanks to BLACK+DECKER for sponsoring today’s discussion! Kinda loving that it gave us some fabulous blog fodder and an awesome topic to chat about.
DIY / Home
I am so excited to share this project with you guys today. This was definitely the showstopper from Blake’s Boho still Boyish and Beachy Bedroom Makeover and It is one of those that looks really complicated or like you need to have a special skill in painting to get this right, but you do not, I assure you. I know this because I redid this dang wall 189 times just to be sure that someone who has never done any painting, artistic or otherwise, could still absolutely do this project! My first 188 attempts didn’t work. Or at least they didn’t end up resulting in something that was easily reproduced and so… they didn’t work.
To complete your project like this, you will need an few things:
- – 2 – 2″ paint brushes – short bristle is easier to work with, flat angle (not angled), light weight is a good idea.
- – dark color paint – I used a dark indigo color, you can use any color you like.
- – white or light color paint – if your walls are builder grade white you can use your wall color, otherwise just use a white or something close to it.
- – easy hold paint container – similar to the one you see pictured below. This will help tremendously, though it isn’t a requirement obviously.
- – water
Each stage pictured in the following steps will be a mixture of your colored paint, white paint and water in varying amounts but the process will be the same all the way through, only your placement will change along with your formula. Easy peasy.
Our first step requires a 1:2:1/2 ratio of color to white to water with half the amount of your color to the amount of white and half of that still in water. You need a decent amount of product for this step so you can start with something like 1/4 cup of your colored paint, 1/2 cup of white and an 1/8 cup of water.
You will work about 2/3’s of the way up your wall and the total area you cover will be about 2 feet in height for the majority of the paint application and a few scattered swirls will fall in the foot above and the 2 feet below this strip of swirls.
We are going to be using a circular swirling motion for every single step of this project. For this step you will swirl your brush into a circle that is approximately 4 inches in size like you see above. They don’t need to be perfect, in fact this will be better in the end if they aren’t and have some white showing through or if you can see your brush strokes. If you find your paint to be a bit to thick to easily make the circles, just add a few more drops until it’s easy to swirl it on, but doesn’t run or drip when you apply it.
** This is very important. Drips will be a problem during any of the steps that have colored paint so make sure your formula is never too runny that you have drips.
You will continue making your circles all the way around your room in a section that is 2 feet high and scattered as you see in the first image above. Once you finish doing this you will follow it up by filling in the white space for the middle portion of your section with a slightly concentrated number of circles that overlap like you see in the second image above. It’s easier to do this in two steps so that you don’t have a solid 2 foot section and instead end up with the middle being more concentrated than the top and bottom of this section. I learned this the hard way.
For this next step you are going to use a formula of 1:6:1 with 1 part colored paint, 6 parts white paint and 1 part water. This will be a much lighter concoction that you will sprinkle over the top of your section in a scattered very spaced out manner. Then you will pull this color down below your section and place your swirls in a very scattered pattern that runs about 2 feet below your section. Once you do that you will also scatter this color above your section sporadically, about a foot above your section.
While this step might seem counterintuitive, I promise it will be important for helping you get that watercolor look later without using watercolors or knowing how to paint, so just go with me on this. You will need a mixture of 1:1 white paint to water. This should be about the color of milk but not quite as runny, though not much more thick. You don’t want to be painting for this step, you will want to be washing, which means when you apply this it will be see-through a bit but will wash out the color your applied so you will need to judge your consistency by testing in a discreet area.
You are going to keep on swirling and essentially swirl right on over the top of everything you just painted. This includes all of the scattered circles above and below. You want to wash out the color quite a bit so you are left with a milk mess of something that used to a paint project. It will look cray for just a bit. Don’t worry.
If your paint is too thick and it actually just blocks out the color you applied in the previous steps, completely, just add a few more drops of water at a time until it’s not so thick. You can use a bit of water over the top of your test spot to ‘undo’ your test spot so that it isn’t different from the other areas of your project.
Now we will go right over the top of our original scatter section only in a more sporadic way using a formula of 1:1:1 ratio of colored paint, white paint and water. You want this to be easy to apply and a bit see-through-ish as you swirl, but not runny or drippy. Your circles will be spread out and you can do just a few that sit above the top of your section and a few that sit below it as well. Sparse is the name of the game here, you can always build, but less is definitely more.
For the final bit of color before the final step, you will want a ratio of 1:1/2-1 of colored paint to water. You will not use any white paint for this step, only the color itself watered down. This will make it runny to the point where your color is see through even in your paint pan. When you apply your swirls for this step you will need to put your color on your brush and then wring your brush out so that when you actually put it on the wall it’s watery, but doesn’t run. You can wring your brush out by pressing it against the sides of your container until most of the wetness runs out. If it is still coming out of your brush when you push it agains the side of your container, then it’s probably going to cause drips… very dark drips. This isn’t a project you can touch up very easily so I warn you against getting sloppy here.
You are going to apply this layer in small and larger circles that overlap the previous layer and are more frequent than the previous layer, but are still sporadic.
Woot woot! Your arm is probably very tired after all this swirling and whirling around your space. Mine was, especially since I did this project over and over again. Also, I learned you can actually wear the bristles on your brush down into a nub if you work it like this for an extended period of time… who knew?
So for your final step we are going to create a wash again, similar to our wash earlier in this project, only this time it will be more runny and much more watery. Use a formula of 1:2 white paint to water and adjust until it looks like watered down milk. It won’t matter quite that much if you have drips of this since it’s white, but to avoid drips, wring your brush as in the previous step, and then apply covering the entire area you have painted. It will look like the image above after you apply your wash. You can see that the colors aren’t saturated and look as though they have been painted over with a bit of milky water.
You can also now see all the layers come together into what looks like an entirely watercolor application, and why you did the first several steps as the colors blend a bit and water down into this beauty! Yahoo! It gives you the look of blending with only the need to apply layer after layer of circles one on top of the next.
Design / Home
I clearly have dreamy resort spaces on my mind, there can be no doubt at this point. You can see that proof in our last Room Envy installment. This isn’t really a surprise given how much is happening right now in my life, its natural to want to escape or seek vacation like spaces. I want to bring this feeling into my own spaces so very badly right now it’s ridiculous. With a few clever choices it wouldn’t be too difficult to do this, but I could seriously benefit from a pool at the moment…
In that same article, I asked you guys if you would be interested in more up-close and personal articles on me, and life behind the scenes here at the House of TDC, I have to admit I was a tad surprised to find that at least two of you were. Ok maybe three or four. I decided to throw this question out there for a few reasons and one of those happens to be that I find this blog wanting to naturally evolve a bit and grow as I have grown over the years, but I haven’t been sure if doing this would alienate a large portion of my readership. Also I find myself in this strange place where I field emails from you gorgeous people, asking about my life, my kids, how things are going with my postpartum depression and the struggle my husband and I experience trying to balance life as dueling entrepreneurs who both own, operate, and run our own companies and all while balancing life with young kids and absolutely no outside help with childcare. And yes, I completely agree with each and every one of you, its a wonder I get anything done at all. Which is also at least partly to blame for why I work in slow motion around these parts and why I seem to be developing early onset Alzheimer’s. All of this is a lot for a person to think about on a daily basis. In fact it’s a ridiculous amount to think about and worry about, and since I’m a worrier I am surprised I’m not in the loony bin by now.
I guess I figure if a small number of you are taking the time out of your day to send me emails and ask about these things, then perhaps it stands that an even larger number of you are actually interested and so maybe its time to finally take the plunge and let you all in on the crazy that is our life here. Especially lately. Heaven help us all, at this point I am merely hoping to survive the month of June… and then I want to burn it down and erase it from my memory as the month that almost croaked me! Eek.
One // I’m so completely excited that Domino Magazine named this blog as one of the Best DIY Blogs! I am up there with some amazing talent, including two of my favorite gals Mandy and Cassity (seriously heart these girls so much), lots of other folks who you will definitely recognize, and others I am not familiar with yet, but can’t wait to explore. Of course there are so many amazing DIY Blogs out there, and I know as these things go not all of them are recognized each time, but I like to think it goes around in a bit of a cyclical way.
Two // I hired a gal to work alongside me here and she started this last week! It’s such a relief to have an extra set of hands, especially this month. I have worked with people in the past here and there, but this is the first time I have brought someone on who is local and comes to work real office hours in real life and I think both the hubster and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief at what this will mean. I will share more on this later, for now I’m super happy and I’m hoping to lighten my load, increase my output, make the changes and put the ideas into play that have been circling for quite a while now. He is glad to hang up his DIY hat and no longer help with my projects. Not that he ever actually helped much, but man does he dislike all things home improvement and anything that involves doing things in and around the house or yard. We are a complete role reversal there.
Three // My little seester is getting married in a month and I am hosting a bridal shower here at my house for her next weekend. It’s one of the major things on my list of June activities along with her Bachelorette Party the following weekend and I can honestly say that the wedding itself will feel like a bit of a vacation for me since it isn’t something I’m in charge of or hosting. It’s pretty exciting though and I love a good reason to throw a party, but it always seems like when it rains it pours, no? I could use a bit of spacing out with my TDC projects and wedding tasks and there is absolutely no chance of that. Eek.
Four // We are having a hard time with my older boy at the moment. He is 6 going on 16 and while he has always been an independent spirit and a bit high energy, it seems like we have definitely entered a new phase of behavioral stuff that I’m not entirely sure how to deal with. I know some things pass with time, but other things I feel are very important for nipping in the bud, so to speak, and in truth I am completely lost when it comes to finding a way of communicating these life lessons with him at the moment. I am a true believer that every child and person is completely different and unique and why shouldn’t this apply to how they take things in and absorb them. I have been in tune with him for so many years that it shocks me to see this departure from that for us and my personal loss for finding this new way of communicating with him at this new age and level of understanding. I’m pretty sure he turned 6 and lost his damn mind, and with it all sense of reason and rationality so it’s frustrating to be sure. Of course as a parent it’s essentially my one and only job to help him grow and care for him so it’s up to me to find this once again and I have tried so very many things that I’m not even sure what my next move is… gah
Five // I’m thinking about getting back into the design game. Honestly, I’m not sure if there is much time for this outside of projects and collabs for the blog and my personal portfolio. But, its something I enjoy so much, it’s right up there with making things, so naturally I wonder if I should bring it on back a bit. They say do more of what makes you happy, right? Perhaps I should simply expand this portion of my work for the site and it would accomplish the same thing? In fact I’m sure it would, maybe more so than working with clients which is decidedly hard and doesn’t allow me to express myself artistically in the same way. Yes, good idea… so if any of you have a good collaborative project for me, hit me up, I’m obviously in need of doing some design and styling projects for my mental state… but not till July or August please.
Plans
While we are hard at work reenginering most of our outdoor seating and lounge plans to work with less expensive cushions, I thought I would bring you a gorgeous modern buffet build! This large piece would be fabulous in an entryway or whever you need extra strorage including it’s potential use in a bedroom and as a place to set your tv! A buffet is ust so versitile really, don’t you think?
If you prefer more of a mid-century style you might also like our Free DIY Furniture Plans to Build a Dumont Buffet and of course if you are looking for a buffet that is versatile for outdoor use our Free DIY Furniture Plans to Build a Chesapeake Buffet is a fabulous option!
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- 2 – 1×2 at 8’
- 9 – 1×3 at 8’
- 3 – 2×2 at 8’
- 3 sheets of ¾” plywood
- 2 – 2×2 at 56-1/2” – Base Frame
- 4 – 2×2 at 13” – Base Frame
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 17-1/4” x 58-1/2” – Bottom
- 2 – ¾” plywood at 17-1/4” x 31-3/4” – Sides
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 31-3/4” x 57” – Back
- 1 – 1×2 at 57” – Lower Stretcher
- 2 – 1×2 at 24” – Lower Dividers
- 6 – 2×2 at 15-3/4” – Shelf Supports & Drawer Slide Supports
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 15-3/4” x 57” – Shelf
- 2 – 1×2 at 6-1/4” – Upper Dividers
- 1 – 1×2 at 58-1/2” – Upper Stretcher
- 1 – ¾” plywood at 18-1/2” x 58-1/2” – Top
- 3 – ¾” plywood at 14-1/2” x 15-1/2” – Drawer Box Bottoms
- 6 – ¾” plywood at 3-1/2” x 14-1/2” – Drawer Box Sides
- 6 – ¾” plywood at 3-1/2” x 17” – Drawer Box Front & Back
- 36 – 1×3 at 19-1/4” – Drawer Front Slats & Door Slats
- 6 – 1×3 at 23-3/4” – Doors
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Edge banding will be applied to the exposed edges of the plywood before assembly.
Cut the pieces for the base frame. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the shorter frame pieces. Assemble as shown using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.
Cut the piece for the bottom. Position on the base so that 1” overlaps the sides and back (1/4” will overlap the front edge). Secure using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the pieces for the sides. Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes in each of the shorter edges. Secure to the bottom using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the piece for the back and drill pocket holes in all four edges. Secure to the sides and bottom using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the piece for the lower stretcher and drill pocket holes in each end. Secure to the sides as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the lower dividers and shelf supports. Drill pocket holes in each end of the dividers. Attach to the bottom and lower stretcher as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Position the shelf supports as shown. Secure the outer supports to the sides using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the outer face of the sides into the support. Secure the inner supports using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the dividers and back into the ends of the supports.
Cut the piece for the shelf. Position as shown, then secure to the supports using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the pieces for the upper dividers and supports. Drill pocket holes in one end only of the dividers and secure to the lower stretcher using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Position the drawer slide supports as shown. Secure the supports using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the dividers and back into the ends of the supports.
Cut the piece for the upper stretcher. Secure to the cabinet sides and upper dividers using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the piece for the top. The top will overlap the front by ½”. Secure to the sides, back, and upper stretcher using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket holes in each end of the side pieces as well as all four edges of the bottom. Assemble as shown using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Install the drawer slides according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Install the drawer, then make any necessary adjustments.
Cut the pieces for the drawer front slats. Install the front slats on the outer drawers first. The outside edge of the pieces will be flush with the outer face of the sides and there will be a 1/8” gap between the upper slat and the upper stretcher. Position the slats as indicated then secure to the drawer boxes using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the slats into the drawer boxes. There will be a 3/8” gap between the outer drawer front slats and the center drawer front slats with a 1/8” gap between the upper slat and the upper stretcher. Position the slats as indicated then secure to the drawer boxes using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails through the slats into the drawer boxes.
Cut the pieces for the doors. Position the slats as indicated in the drawing. Secure the vertical pieces using glue and 1-1/4” brad nails.
Install the European hinges according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Install the outer doors first, with the outside edges flush with the outside face of the sides. The bottom edge of the doors will be flush with the bottom. Make any necessary adjustments.
Install the center door with a 3/8” gap between the outer doors and the center door using the regular cabinet hinges mounted to the face of the divider. Make any necessary adjustments.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidental and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Affiliate links are used for tools and materials. The Design Confidential will earn a small commission for any items purchased using these links. Thank you for your support – every little bit counts!
Showcase
A slight twist on the Kase Chair I built it for a charity donation. I kept to the simple construction and leg design. I used hard white maple everywhere and carved a chevron pattern in white laminate on the back. It can be found in the Sketch-up warehouse if you need the model.
To Read More About This Build, Visit This Blog Post
Design / Home / Studio
I have been working tirelessly behind the scenes here at the House of TDC to actually complete many of the spaces in my home. Working full time as a DIY + Design Blogger quite frankly leaves your home in full time project mode virtually all of the time if your pipeline is even marginally full. For those of you who happen to do what I do for a living you know this first hand, but for those of you who don’t, this is chaotic on the best of days and completely wild and untamed when things are busy. Feeling like I have at least completed something in this house not only makes me feel a little less guilty for the sheer amount of crazy that my babes are exposed to and the oddball lifestyle that comes from being a Maker, but it helps me keep some of that crazy at bay on a daily basis.
When last we left off, I used Bing Rewards to research the perfect pieces of inspiration, furniture and art for Blake’s Boho still Boyish Makeover, and managed to rack up some major points while working doing so. This project was no exception. It takes me a while to find my inspiration and along with all the right pieces to go into a space, and I turn to the internet and Bing Rewards to find them, every single time. In the process I have managed to work my way up close to Gold Status, which is pretty exciting! I am list maker and a goal seeker so the fact that I am surfing the internet anyhow, to find inspiration or furniture pieces and accessories on a budget, makes Bing Rewards an obvious thing for me to use. I earn points toward things like gift cards to Amazon or Starbucks which I patronize often while I’m working on projects. Amazon is my go-to for project supplies and Starbucks… well have I mentioned this job is also tiring? Mama is tired… and needs some strong coffee. It’s a no brainer my friends. You can also earn points toward One Drive storage, which is something I have recently started using and I can honestly say that during the big computer crash of May, this was life saving. As in, all my photos of my babies and all my documents safe and sound and easily accessible from my old computer while the new one was being repaired. I hardly skipped a beat, but that will be a convo for another day!
In my search for inspiration, I decided I wanted to do a wall treatment that would be bold and make a statement without adding too much color to the space so I decided to use a bit of paint to create a faux wallpaper in a graphic black and white that would tie the space together and set the tone for the entire makeover. I’m pretty sure this project did exactly that. You can find the full tutorial and all the step-by-step details for creating your own Faux Wallpaper over on Domino!
DIY Projects // DIY Bold Black + White Faux Wallpaper for Domino!
I mentioned in my latest Room Envy article that I obsess about function and this is true even for a makeover of this nature. As I overhaul a space like this and I’m thinking about making it gorgeous, I’m completely focused on adding the function my little family needs to survive without getting burried alive in clutter, toys and garbage. We seriously produce so much garbage, I really have no idea why, especially since I’m a borderline hoarder with my ‘I might use it for a project one day’ mentality. Or laundry. Though I’m still working on the laundry part of this whole scheme. I wish it could just put itself away. With a house full of boys, everything must be washable and not precious. Toy storage options and things to climb on that won’t cause your children to die need to be an actual part of the thought process, so it’s not the easiest thing to make a space pretty and keep the maintenance fairly low at the same time. It can be an all day job just to keep up with a young family so making this as easy as possible for everyone involved is an absolute must, and of course by everyone, I mean me. There isn’t much in this space that isn’t easily moved, used for another purpose, or easily cleaned when my Demon Seeds smear something sticky on it. Just to be on the safe side, where at all possible I have attempted to make those mystery sticky spots blend in with their surroundings while they wait to be found, because sometimes it takes me a while.
While I am in no way a girly girl, I am the only single solitary female in this entire house, and this is really the only space where it is not going to be an issue to use peach or pastels. So of course I needed to have at least one pale moment where I can have all of my girly things and not deal with the backlash of that. My color palette for this room is perhaps a bit surprising with a nice mix of drab and fab – always my go to choice for a color palette, it’s just well balanced this way. I have a nice mix of army green, pale gray blue, and peach with pops of navy and mustard all tied together with some graphic and bold black and white. It’s hard to show the palette in all it’s glory on screen, but in person it’s quite amazing.
I will be posting all of the Sources + Details early next week along with a few other projects that went into this space. Stay tuned for those… and I can’t wait to share my latest oddball obsession with you guys, there are 2 in this space and yep loving them!
I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Bing. As a member of this program I have been compensated for this post in the form of product or payment.
Showcase
My dad brought me a bunch of redwood that had been leftover from a deck he had built. It sat around for a while before I woke up one morning with a grand idea to build a table with it. I have never built anything out of wood before but have always wanted to! I was very excited to get started right away. We have a spot in our backyard that really needs a round table (not rectangular or square) so it was important to me that the table be round.
I did a google search for how to build a round picnic type table. After looking at several different options, I found The Design Confidential and this 48″ Provence table plan. It looked like exactly what I was looking for, but I still wasn’t sure I had what it would take to complete it!
Estimated Cost
This project likely cost me a little more than stated in the plans because of the fact that I didn’t have all the tools necessary to begin, such as the sander and a jigsaw blade.
Modifications
I didn’t want my table to be quite as tall as was listed in the plans, so I shortened the length of the middle post by several inches under what is stated. Also, I was starting with 24″ long 2″x6″ pieces of redwood so I had to secure those to a 48″ base in order to use them as the table top. I bought a piece 1/4″ plywood (I think that thickness) and cut it into a 48″ circle, Then using liquid nails, I glued the boards to the top the way I wanted them to be arranged. I then flipped it over and nailed the bottom so all the boards were secure. Since the boards were all still 24″, I had a lot of over hang so I propped this up, facedown, on some bricks and cut around the circle with my jigsaw to match the piece of plywood.
I did not have a Kreg Jig as is indicated so I had to drill angled holes.
In retrospect, I should have used thicker plywood as this was a bit bendy until I was able to secure it to the base.
Finishing Technique
Sanding. I haven’t yet stained or sealed it in the pictures posted, though I plan on doing so.
DIY / Plans
Summer is officially here in Northern California and with it our temperatures are soaring well over the 100 degree mark. Summers here are brutal, the end. But, if there is some shade to be had where you stake your claim, an outdoor daybed is a great way to get some r + r, without investing millions into cushions or having to buy hardware in bulk to build some of the other more traditional outdoor living space furniture pieces.
Each one of the plans listed here uses a standard sized twin mattress, which means that those horrid waterproof numbers from WalMart are suddenly looking a lot more interesting… especially when you take a peak at the price in comparison to foam or outdoor cushions in multiples. In fact a waterproof mattress pad that zips around your mattress along with an inexpensive mattress might get the job done quite well and let you finish these projects on much more of a budget than a sectional sofa or even a chaise lounge… hint, hint.
Pictured here in no particular order 1 // 2×2 Double Back Daybed – One of our most popular outdoor daybed builds to date. 2 // Large Belvedere Indoor Outdoor Sofa – Not traditionally a daybed, but with a seat that large it will easily accomodate a twin sized mattress, making it a great option for inexpensive outfitting and subsequent lounging. 3 // Chesapeake Daybed – The daybed sibling in one of our most popular collections of all time, and a great piece for your patio living area or even your living room, what a beauty. 4 // 2×2 Half Back Daybed – The sister piece to the first unit listed and one that can be combined with a second unit to create a fabulous lounge space with a massive amount of seating or room for multiple sleepers to recline and relax.
Plans
I actually wanted to add a ‘woot woot’ to the title, but I figured I would restrain myself and show a bit of composure here, you know… like a lady and all. Right. So we are beginning to roll out our mods to some of the popular pieces that many of you have requested we adjust. These mods will accommodate some much less expensive, standard sized and much more readily available cushion options. You guys, I couldn’t agree more that this is much needed but honestly until recently not many of the retailers have graced us with a variety of cushion options that are inexpensive, mix and match and not custom to a specific piece of their own furniture lines. So of course, once the build is all said and done, it’s the dang cushions that either stump you or set you back a pretty penny. Well, thank you to the Targets Home Depots, and IKEAs of the world for hearing our DIY prayers, am I right?
Each furniture collection and piece will likely have an option or two that work most easily with it according to it’s size and shape. I’m hoping for the path of least resistance here my friends and the lowest cost possible. The Free DIY Furniture Plans to Build a Reef Sofa and Free DIY Furniture Plans to Build a Reef Chair have quickly become two of our most popular builds (take a peak through our Showcase Gallery and our hashtag #builtTDCtuff and you will see) so I’m starting with these…
We have also finished the Free DIY Furniture Plans for Building an Outdoor Reed Sofa with Modifications for Cushions from Target ! Now we have a set!
The cushion options here that will work best are the Outdoor Deep Seating Cushions set and one or two Outdoor Back Cushions for the back.
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- 4 – 2×4 at 8’
- 4 – 1×4 at 8’
- 4 – 2×4 at 27 1/4” – Legs
- 2 – 2×4 at 33 3/4” – Side Frames
- 2 – 2×4 at 36 3/4” – Top
- 1 – 2×4 at 29” – Top
- 2 – 2×4 at 22” – Seat Support
- 1 – 2×4 at 22” (ripped to 2-3/4” wide) – Seat Support
- 3 – 1×4 at 24” – Seat Slats
- 8 – 1×4 at 14-3/4” – Side Slats
- 3 – 1×4 at 16-3/4” – Back Slats
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the sides. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in each end of the 33 3/4” piece as well as the top only of the legs. Assemble using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the top. Cut 45 deg. angles in each end of the short piece as well as one end of the long pieces (there will be a left and right). Drill pocket holes in the mitered ends and assemble with glue and 2” pocket hole screws. Place on the side assemblies and attach using glue and 2” pocket hole screws through the top of the legs into the top piece.
Cut the pieces for the seat supports. The center support will be a 2×4 ripped to 2-3/4” wide and will be located ¾” down from the top of the side stretcher piece to allow for the seat slats. Attach all pieces at the spacing indicated (with the front piece flush with the front of the side frame) to the side frames using glue and 2-1/2” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the seat slats. Set the Kreg jig for ¾” material and drill pocket holes in each end. Attach to the seat supports using glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws. Secure the center of the slats to the center of the support with 1-1/4” brad nails.
Cut the pieces for the side slats. Drill pocket holes in each end. Attach to the side frames at the spacing indicated with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Cut the pieces for the back slats. The angles may be a little tricky but they should be cut at approximately 25 deg. (see drawing). Once the angles are cut, drill pocket holes in the end of each slat. Attach to the back support and top with glue and 1-1/4” pocket hole screws.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
// Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this website as outlined under Terms of Use. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by The Design Confidential.com and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, personal injury or death, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of information or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it. The Design Confidential.com is inspired by but does not replicate exact designs, any similarities between these plans and items sold at specialty retailers is coincidental and not endorsed by or related to any said retailers. // Affiliate links are used for tools and materials. The Design Confidential will earn a small commission for any items purchased using these links. Thank you for your support – every little bit counts!
Design / Home / Uncat
I have decided that my favorite spaces take me someplace mentally. Is it this way for you? Maybe not quite a full frontal 'take me away' moment, but at a bare minimum they give me a feeling, a suggestion of something I like, or of something I would love to like if my life were different… if I were different. That doesn't necessarily mean I want to be different, don't think I'm getting crazy on you or waxing philosophical. It's merely that I feel like in life we head down a path and even when that path is our favorite thing ever, there is always another path we didn't choose or that just isn't our path at the moment. For me, my path du jour is that of young children in the house, and dogs, and dirt, it's all things boyish and chaotic filed with busy days and tired nights. There is constant struggle and occasional success, miserable failure and complete overcompensation, missed moments and cherished memories.
I think we are a typical household in this way. Except that we are also a very unique household that is made up of two entrepreneurs, which I have mentioned in previous Room Envy articles: The Trust Fund Hippie and The Singapore Sling. This is one of our greatest struggles and it's ongoing, uphill and difficult… the end…. but also the greatest most rewarding thing ever for both of us individually and as a family. But today is not about that struggle, it's about triumph. It's about my goal to make everyday a bit more about life's little triumphs and those moments that should be enjoyed now while they happen, so that I don't live with regret. I don't want to look back 10 years from now with sadness about all the time I didn't spend enjoying my babies, and all of the things I didn't accomplish because I was too busy. Will those efforts toward my personal success be worth it? It's doubtful, but those extra moments of snuggling the Bird and focusing on Blake, will be stored away in our mental memory book of experiences and can never be taken away.
I hope to chat more about my own personal freelance and blogging experiences with you in a dual-entrepreneur household and I hope to expand this site's content just a tad to include more of my personal life and lifestyle topics. Many of you have asked in the past and I have been hesitant, in part because I'm unsure who is interested in anything that relates to what I am doing. And I still feel this way completely, but in truth I worry that I have an audience that is rooted in one particular thing and may not like these expanded topics whatsoever. That I may see a sudden uptick in people unsubscribing and it will feel like rejection. After all we are talking about putting it all out there. Being open and honest about my life, my kids and what goes on behind the scenes regardless of how pretty that is or isn't, and what if you hate it? What if you don't like what you see… what if you don't actually like me? Of course that is probably taking it to an extreme, but let's be real I'm sure you can see how a negative reaction to this kind of change might be interpreted even if it is entirely innocent and you simply decide to leave because you only want to build things and you don't care to chat about boobs, kids, or a peek behind the scenes of the life of a blogger. It would feel personal. So I haven't done it, and I'm a chicken. While I may or may not actually talk about boobs, my point is that these things are a large part of my life and by large part I am not referring to boobs but generally to my kids and blogging and how things operate here at the House of TDC. You may have noticed a bit more silence on my part lately and this is definitely due to the fact that I have been doing a bit of soul searching. I feel like this blog has grown, I have grown, and it's time to let things take their natural course and evolve. Change is good, but in my case with my particular audience it's also tricky and I run the risk of alienating many of you. That would crush me to know that I let you down by letting you in. Sounds weird to say it out loud, you know in an entirely not so out loud but online way. But my gawd, it could be amazing. You might adore it, and it could be glorious and everything I have ever dreamed of. Or it might be a total flop…
So I hope to ease into things with this Room Envy series and see how it goes… I would love some feedback if you have the time. In the meantime let us envy this space and how tranquil it is since my own life is nothing of the sort and we can chat about some other things that aren't so deep and that I bet you didn't know about me. Or maybe you did and you secretly have that ESP thing happening. Or not, and I just took it to a weird place.
One // I adore period films and shows (a la Downton Abbey for an easy reference). I always have. I have been a Master Piece Theatre addict since well before there was even a glimmer of Downton Abbey and while I think DA is good, it's actually only marginal in comparison to some of the others they have produced over the years. Some of their reproductions of the classics (Austen, Dickens) are also knock your socks off good (some could use an update).
Two // I brush my teeth every couple of hours. I do not like the way dirty teeth feel. I know that this is not normal because other people don't brush this often or complain of this, but it bugs me and so I brush. If I eat, I brush. If I drink something other than water, I brush when I have a chance. I like my teeth to feel clean. If I am going to be gone for an extended period of time (like at a conference or all day thing) I will bring my toothbrush and toothpaste with me in my purse. So… there's that.
Three // I am obsessed with functionality. I use functionality as my greatest design challenge when I'm working on a space and I actually think about the functionality of things on an almost constant basis. I will not design a pretty space that is not utterly and completely functional, to the best of my ability and knowledge. Ever. It's a good thing I like a challenge.
Four // I have crazy bad allergies. I am allergic to something insane like 98% of all environmental things. It sucks big time. I'm currently sporting one heck of a sinus infection and it's taking me down several notches at the moment… ugh. Also, it has me revisiting a few things in my home which I will be sharing with you next week; one in particular was a bit of a shock so it should make for good blog fodder.
Five // My Blakey Love just graduated Kindergarten. Those of you who follow me on Instagram already know this, but it's a bit of an interesting thing for me since I feel equally happy and sad all at the same time. I have a tendency to dwell on things and my baby growing up too quickly is no exception, hence the entire beginning of this post, duh.
Sometimes I'm so clever I out smart myself, ha. But I like that I managed to come full circle with that last one and so I shall leave you on that note and hope you might leave me some feedback on getting a bit more personal here and expanding our topics just a tad. Of course that assumes you actually made it past the pretty pictures or the first sentence. Probably not. Crickets I tell you…
Showcase
Building with Rayan's plan was so simple.
Since buying 1/4″ Walnut or Teak were out of my budget, I got creative and used Ikea Decking Tiles to create the Herringbone drawer fronts. I made modifications to make the dresser taller and longer. The paint and wood combination was inspired by Rayan's Sketch Up drawing. You can visit my blog for a very thorough tutorial on how I built this dresser. http://www.thepursuitofhandyness.com/diy-herringbone-chest-reveal/
To Read More About This Build, Visit This Blog Post
Estimated Cost
$150 if you use the cheaper Euro Slides.
Length of Time
2 days to build but a week to finish.
Modifications
I modified my dresser/chest to 40″w x 34″h x 18″d. This required modifications of every board. I also built my drawer boxes of 1/2″ plywood and secured with pocket holes in the front so that they will be hidden by the drawer fronts.
Lumber Used
Birch Hardwood Plywood
Solid Acacia
Pine 1×3
Finishing Technique
Paint and Polyurethane on the carcass and Tung oil on the drawer fronts.
