Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful time with your family/friends this past holiday! I ate way more than I needed, but it was delicious! We managed to survive our first Thanksgiving without my grandma, which was beyond strange because she still cooked the entire meal up until a couple years ago! She was AMAZING in the kitchen! I did NOT get that talent from her that’s for sure! Lol! Anyway, I apologize that the post for this didn’t go up BEFORE Thanksgiving but we all managed to get sick! ???? That’s also why my kitchen reveal hasn’t been posted! Keep an eye out for that soon though…I can’t wait to photograph it!
I threw this bench together the other day after posting the small modern bench, I just couldn’t help myself, I had to build the larger version! And it worked perfect at my dining table since I still haven’t built the bench that matches my Restoration Hardware knockoff table! Lol! I will still build the matching bench more than likely but for now, this works perfect and only took me a couple hours from start to finish! It’s worth every minute spent building it too! If only ALL my projects could go that quickly! Lol!
It’s not curved…that’s just my little ol crop sensor camera for ya! ????
Alright, let’s get building! Get the free plans by clicking below and the tutorial will follow as usual!
Building the Large Modern Bench
Materials:
1 – 1x12x6′
3 – 1x3x8′
1 – 1x3x10′
wood glue
drill
miter saw
screws
Cut List:
1 – 1×12 @ 60″
8 – 1×3 @ 28 1/8″
6 – 1×3 @ 18″ mitered at 13 degrees off square, ends parallel (Leg piece)
3 – 1×3 @ 5 7/8″ (shortest side) mitered at 13 degrees off square, ends not parallel (leg piece)
3 – 1×3 @ 12 1/4″ (shortest side) mitered at 13 degrees off square, ends not parallel (leg piece)
This build is EXACTLY like the Small Modern Bench, only larger! Lol! I used 1x3s instead of 1x2s on this build since it was larger, I wanted the boards to be larger but they would have been too bulky for the small bench. Trust me, I tried it! ???? You build an extra leg and adjust a couple measurements and viola, you have the large modern bench!
But I’ll show you the steps again just to be sure you get it right!
Step 1
Build the legs! Cut all your pieces making sure they are all the exact same length so your bench doesn’t rock! Drill pocket holes at a depth of 3/4″. Drill them in the places shown in the pictures below, making sure to note which way they are drilled. They will be attached in later steps with 1 1/4″ screws and wood glue to the 1×12 (top of the bench).
Repeat step one three times to make your three legs!
Step 2
Attach the first leg. On this bench I inset the legs by 3/4″. I just used a scrap piece of 1×3 as a guide to keep the two sides exactly the same! Use plenty of glue when attaching!
Step 3
Add the two top stretchers from here. They will be pocket holed into the legs and into the underside of the bench! Again, the pocket holes are still drilled at a depth of 3/4″ and 1 1/4″ screws with ample glue to attach! I lined the stretchers up with the edge of the leg, so there is a slight overhang along the top edge of the bench. You can see this slight overhang on the second picture below…and at the bottom of the photo.
Notice how the pocket holes in the above pics are into the legs and down into the bench top!
Step 4
Attach the middle leg, and work your way across the bench! And if your cuts were right on, you should have a hangover of exactly 3/4″ on the opposite side after attaching the last leg!
Don’t mind the mess! We were cleaning out closets and there was still some left over kitchen goodies laying around from the reno!????
Step 5
Add the bottom stretchers! They are only pocket holed into the legs! I lined them up flush with the edge of the leg. Again, make sure and use a frivolous amount of glue!
It’s so cute! And ALREADY DONE! Yeah, a bench that will easily hold three adults…done that quick! Sand it, stain it, paint it…do whatever you want!
I used the same stain method on this bench as I did my table! First round, Antique white by Rustoleum. Second, I layered Weathered Oak by Minwax. Third, I added classic gray by Minwax, and last I swiped some Jacobean on there to give it the most subtle warming! And you will want to seal it with some poly of course so it’s easy to wipe down! I used Triple thick matte poly by Rustoleum!
I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! Plus, did I mention how cute they are as a photo prop? Check out how I used my small one recently as a photo prop to get a cute cousin pic for my mom for Christmas!
So adorable, right?! What are you waiting for, go get your supplies and start building!! ???? Get the plans for the small modern bench!
Happy Building!
