A kitchen cabinet we did for a rustic country cottage with some onsite pine stock. The entire assembly can be detached from the wall using six screws. Finished in butcher block and poly surrounding the sink. Sink is top mounted, siliconed, and strapped. Tile is sandstone and mixed pencil tile. The counter frame is spruce with laminated pine and spruce on the top. Doors are pine and spruce framed, finished in polyurethane. Handles are natural pieces of mountain ash. Total cost of materials including taps, $150. The stool was a fun extra because we were designing chairs for another project: spruce, a dark stain mix on the legs, finished in poly and topped with a waterproof satin finish.
Lots of leftovers? That’s what often happens around the wood shed. It’s Halloween and after a good harvest this KD (kiln dried) bench made of 2×6 ends makes a fine place to set out treats, or put on costumes in the hallway.
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No nails or screws involved. The legs are cut at 10° and “picture framed” with some left over 2x4s. The surface is a patchwork of boards cut square on the chop saw. The dimensions are 42″ wide, 16.5″ deep, and 18″ tall. To even the surface, a 3.5″ planer was used to give it an old fashion look and feel. Sanding was at 60 grit and the sharp edges were sanded round. The ends of the bench top were planed thinner so the top doesn’t look like lumber.
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The top is pegged to the frame with eight hardwood dowels. Some artificial aging was added with a fine tip torch. This also highlights some flaws and grain. Because this is construction grade wood, cracks and knots must be ground out or someone sitting on it might get a sliver. Then the bench is coated in a mix of thinner and poly sealer to give it a soft, safe finish. The mix has no gloss and protects the wood with a rubbery durable coat that preserves the touch of real wood.
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Budget: $0. and the end result is a strong, rustic piece that can serve multiple purposes. The legs and frame were originally made for another project, but didn’t get used. They were test legs, but very strong and can easily hold several people standing on it. The corners of the legs are under the center beam, with a direct transfer of weight through the center and down through all four legs equally.
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#10-31-19 will host a bowl of candy on a leaf-covered, spooky porch tonight, for the convenience of neighborhood ghouls.
…and for our web visitors, here’s a peek of the fall colors around Prairie Bench…
The ragged edge cedar counter was a project to use up some leftover barn wood found in an old shed. The slats are trimmed to approx. 5″ wide. Then the boards were glued and clamped together side by side, while staggering the length of each. Then the end of the glued material was trimmed at 45° and glued to form a square edge. The matching wood grain aligns to give the appearance of wood folded to make a counter.
Clamping was a trick and several spring clamps were used to maintain an even line at the join. Vertical slat cedar with angle supports complete the farm look. No nails or screws are used. The piece is unfinshed, with only a light sand to remove slivers.
The ragged edge cedar counter is unnumbered and designed as an experiment to highlight the rustic appeal of an old fence or barn wall, knot holes included.
This is a simple cedar slat box with a pine frame, cut in two, hinged, and mounted with two steel L-brackets. The L-brackets are mounted to a wall stud above and below the case. A small hole is drilled through the top and bottom of the case and two steel removeable pins secure the case to the brackets. Pull the pins and the case can be taken down and displayed on a flat surface.The style is to be old farmhouse. All the surfaces are sanded smooth and there is no finish. The case will age and darken over time naturally. A simple gate latch holds the door.Pegs were plotted on a pencil graph using a square. Two more cedar slats create a couple shelves. A detachable ring case rests inside. The dimensions are 63×24 cm (25″x 11″) and 17cm (6.75″) deep when closed. Plumbing o-rings fit perfectly on 1/2″ dowel as a stop. The cedar slats are only 1/4″ thick so the 1.5″ pegs are cut at a 5° slope and glued in place. This keeps necklaces against the backboard.The ring case uses 3/8″ dowels cut square and glued in place. A recycled picture stand is glued to the back and folds flat to tuck in a slat on the larger case.The cedar is dry but still quite light in tone. Over the years the unfinished wood will age and start looking like a barn door. This piece is unnumbered and created as a fun test.
This is our version of the classical empire stool with some western flare. We also refer to it as an attendant stool when teamed up with the repose chaise.
This piece is made of reclaimed spruce and finished in our Country Rustic finish using water-based stain and finished in polyurethane for durable shine.
The center seat height is lower than a regular dining chair, only 15″, and makes a great stool in the entry or anywhere you might like to stop for a minute or set down an armful. We have one in the bedroom constantly covered in clothes. This version includes a little cubby built into the frame.
Country Style Empire Stool #21-6-14-BL
Approx: 28″wide x 16″ tall x 18″ deep
Finished in polyurethane
Ready to serve: A patron submitted this beautiful shot of our empire stool design in its new abode. Thank you!
