Cabinets old and new can be used for much more than just storing dishes, towels or cleaning equipment. Window seats, breakfast nooks and storage benches are only a couple of the kinds of seats which you are able to create from cabinets; the best part is that the basic structure is already constructed, saving you time. Wall-mounted cabinets offer you a larger assortment of height options than foundation cabinets, allowing you to create seating which suits the requirements of those using it.
Window Seat
A wall cupboard with 2 doors serves as a window seat when fitted with a leading board for a cushion and trim to create the seat appear more like seating and much less like a closet. A 24-inch-high cabinet designed for use above a refrigerator sits in a height well-suited for a window seat; utilize two or much more next to one another, depending on the accessible space for your seat. Construct a platform 4 inches high from plywood and board exactly the same width as the cabinets, then sit down the cabinets atop it, then securing them to the platform. Screw the cabinets into wall studs to keep them from sliding. Pick 3/4-inch-thick wood to produce the seat atop the cabinets and carry it in place with wall cleats. Toe-kick molding hides the platform and supplies the seat a finished look. Cushions atop the seats round out the look.
Breakfast Nook
Create a breakfast nook or a dining area at a corner having a pair of two-door wall-mounted cabinets as the foundation for each seat. Construct a 4-inch platform for each cabinet to sit upon, then nail or screw the cabinets to the platform. A single-door cabinet, doors removed, can be used for the corner of the L-shaped seating region to maintain both benches the identical span, instead of one cabinet set overlapping the other. Build bench tops for the seats from 3/4-inch wood or fiberboard, attaching them to the base with nails or screws. Secure the cabinets to wall studs at the nook and also attach patio or porch-swing-style cushions to the wall with strips of sticky-backed hook-and-loop tape to create a cozy back for those seats. The same sort of cushions can be used for the seats as well.
Storage Bench
A freestanding storage bench for use indoors or out starts with a set of wall cabinets. A two-door cabinet offers cozy seating for 2, even though a single-door unit provides a storage bench for an area tight on space. Build a sturdy base platform a few inches high in boards and plywood, then nail or screw the closet into the platform. Add bead board to the back-side of the cabinet if that side will be exposed; the sides can be covered in bead board as well. A 3/4-inch-thick board serves as the topper for the cabinet, together with a cushion to fit. If using it outside, paint the structure with exterior paint and polyurethane, and add a seat cushion designed for outdoor usage.
Banquette Basics
Construct a massive banquette or even an whole wall of seating in much the same manner as building a nook or window seats. Line up a series of wall-mounted cabinets, all the same height and thickness, to make a banquette as long as you’d like. Construct a 4-inch base platform for the structure and secure each cabinet section to the foundation, adding toe-kick trim to conceal the foundation. The seat or top is made from 3/4-inch wood. Remove all cabinet doors and paint the interiors of the cabinets for bookshelf-style storage or maintain the doors intact for hidden storage. In a child’s room, the seating serves as spot to stash toys or as a substitute for a dresser.
