Woodworker | Musician | Artist | Maker
Furniture
All of the examples here came about because I had grown tired of buying furniture that was expensive or didn't quite suite our needs. They were designed and built to solve a need for storage or a specific function in a small space. This gave me a great opportunity to explore new techniques and expand my understanding. One downfall was not having a dedicated wood shop, so most of these projects were built on the floor or on a makeshift workbench. This led to the construction of the workbench which you can check out here.
Click an image for a closer look and a description.
Pine 5.5' x 7' x 8' To help use floor space, we decided to we wanted a loft bed. Trouble is, queen-size loft bed frames are hard to come by and quite expensive. So I designed a frame using Google ScketchUp and once I had a satisfactory design, fabricated all of the components from new lumber.
Pine 5.5' x 7' x 8' The design had to hold the weight of a particularly heavy mattress, and two adults while remaining stable and light enough for two people to move if need be. I later modified the ladder to have steps instead of rungs as it was more comfortable to walk on. The frame and ladder were finished with polycrylic.
Pine 4' x 2' x 8.25' Without enough closets to store things such as luggage and instrument cases, it made sense to build a free-standing cabinet for just those types of things. The cabinet is made up of two frames that are connected and sheathed in 1/4" plywood on the sides. This made it light enough to move but also easy to disassemble to move to a new location. The main doors are bi-fold to make room for a couch and still have access to that section (the lower section is long-term storage).
Pine 4' x 2' x 8.25' The main section has enough room to hold 8 hard instrument cases, folding music and guitar stands, as well as some other small equipment. The top section has enough room to hold a full set of luggage while the bottom section could hold two small air conditioners.
Pine 4' x 2' x 8.25' The bottom section has a built-in drawer to allow for easy access to heavy objects, such as an air conditioner.
Pine 4' x 2' x 8.25' Here is the air conditioner the drawer was designed to hold. The draw slides are able to hold the weight and more while remaining operative.
Pine 5.25' x 1.5' x 4.25' Since our piano has a player mechanism, we need to access the back of it in order to plug it in. This, combined with the need of shelving on that wall made it necessary to come up with a way to support the weight of books without restricting access to the piano. I designed a frame that would fit around the piano and provide space for shelves to sit on top.
Pine 5.25' x 1.5' x 4.25' I added some modified Ikea shelving on top and then made two additional shelves mounted on the side for plants (which eventually have been taken over by the cat, naturally).
Pine Roughly 3.5' x 2.5' x 1.5' Due to the layout of the wall plugs and the placement of the piano, we were left with a unique and partially unusable space. This is where the idea of a window seat came from as it would give some additional storage (which is key in a small apartment) and also an extra place to sit for guests or just to watch the rain. I used salvaged Ikea parts to build a frame sturdy enough to hold a couple of (very cramped) adults.
Pine Roughly 3.5' x 2.5' x 1.5'
Pine Roughly 3.5' x 2.5' x 1.5' The finished window seat is able to hold spare blankets and other fabric material. I left it without finish.
Pine Roughly 3.5' x 2.5' x 1.5' The cushion was custom made by my wife out of old material and pillows we didn't use anymore. It's now a very comfy place our cat likes to sleep.