Benched

Our library (my favorite room in the house) had a flaw: there was no place for the board books. We talked about getting a cubby unit from IKEA and turning it into a window seat, but that would be a little too big for the space. So I brainstormed and stared at the two boxes of board books sitting on the floor and searched Pinterest for ideas. It occurred to me that I really just wanted a bench that I could slide nice storage bins under.

And so I built one.

That's right, I built a bench.

I used a couple tutorials as inspiration, this one for the bench and this one for the padded cushion on top. Warning: the first link claims that the project will cost $10. It did not. It was closer to $60 plus an afternoon and evening of my time, and I used fabric I already had (a curtain that doesn't fit any of our windows) to cover it. However, that's not a terrible price for a bench that matches the picture I had in my head. The kids were uber excited about the project and Peter and Phoebe helped screw on the leg plates, which made them feel very handy. I plan to stain the legs at a later date. They are easily removed, so it won't be a big deal. 

After I built it, I tried it out, only to discover it wobbled.

Cue defeated moping.

Bryan looked at it and suggested I reinforce the main board that bent a bit whenever someone sat on it, thus causing it to move. Once we had added some support to the bottom, it was much sturdier.

The kids all like it and Bryan was appropriately impressed. I'm pleased with how it turned out.