This time of year, our family is either outside, or sitting at the table. We love our food, and it’s one of the only things that get us to slow down and relax for a minute, and literally just a minute. This is why I was super motivated to tackle this wall mounted bench project.
I really love how the wall mounted bench is so minimal and helps us condense our dining area. We have an eat-in kitchen and the dining nook also doubles as an exit to our patio. The chair situation was getting out of control with a family of six. I’m not OCD, but I love that with the wall mounted bench, the kids can’t take it anywhere; leave it “out of place,” or in the way.
I had been looking at the traditional built in bench ideas that opened up and had storage inside. However, I was dealing with two outlets and just wanted something simpler. Being 18 inches off the ground, the wall mounted bench is high enough to stick storage baskets under.
For the full tutorial keep scrolling.
Materials
3/4 inch Plywood
2 x 4 Lumber
1 x 4 Lumber
2 1/2 inch Wood Screws
Drill
Kreg Jig (optional)
Hole Filler
Molding
Finish Nails
Make the Pieces
Being the salvage monster that I am, this is the pile of random disregarded plywood that inspired me. It looks like a burn pile, I know, but I couldn’t help myself. It was free!
To make this plywood wall mounted bench suitable, I had to laminate two pieces together.
To cut out the bench top pieces, I used a straight edge and measuring tape to mark out my lines. My bench is 14.5 inches wide (this includes the molding width). With a hand saw, I cut out two pieces of plywood at 58.5 inches and 13 inches long and 14 inches wide for the bench top. This is a custom measurement for out table that is round and has a diameter of 53 inches.
If you are using a nice new piece of plywood, simply cut an L shape and use your own custom length measurements to fit your space. Cutting two pieces is unnecessary with a new 4 x 8 piece of plywood if you can fit your entire bench dimensions on the sheet.
Using my Kreg Jig, I joined my two seat pieces. Cutting one whole L piece will eliminate your need for a Kreg Jig for this project.
The Brackets
The brackets are made from 2 x 4 lumber. I put together an L shape using one piece at 12 inches and one at 11 inches. Be sure to screw the shorter piece on the front of the longer piece.
Next, and un-pictured, I used my chop saw to cut out a 13 3/4 inch piece with two 45 degree angles on the each end. Screw this piece into your bracket driving the screws into the angled piece from the back of your bracket where they will not be visible.
Mounting the Bench
I found that my studs were not in the right spots to properly support my bench. To remedy this, I screwed some 2 x 4 strips into the studs. With paint matching my wall color, I was able to make these boards blend in pretty well.
I was able to put my brackets exactly where I needed them after I mounted the strips. Unless you want to see your guests fall onto the floor, it is important to secure your bench into wood. Do not use those cheater drywall thingies.
My bench is 18 inches off of the floor so I screwed my brackets at 17 inches high since my plywood sandwich is about one inch thick.
The brackets need to be mounted every 18 – 24 inches to support your bench seat and prevent the plywood from bowing. Drive screws through the back of the brackets into your studs or support boards.
After I hung my brackets on the wall, I screwed the bench seat onto them. Use a clamp to hold the seat boards in place or have your helper stand on the bench (our preferred method), and drive screws into the bottom of the seat from underneath the top of the brackets where they will be less visible.
Now that you wall mounted bench is in place, add your desired molding to the edges and along the wall to cover the crack. I used a nail gun to attach my molding but finish nails and a hammer work just fine too.
Use your hole filler of choice to fill any screw holes or cracks. I used wood putty to fill the multitude of holes in my reclaimed wood, and caulk to fill in cracks along the molding. Make sure you do any sanding you want to do before applying caulk.
Finish the Wall Mounted Bench
After trying several different finishing options, I settled on white paint. In hindsight I wish I would have gone with the two toned look and stained the brackets.
Whatever you decide on just make sure your bench is nice and smooth. The rustic look is cool, but not nice for sliding bottoms across.
This wall mounted bench doesn’t just have to be a for the dining room. It would work great in a tight entryway as well.
Enjoy!
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