Seating and Storage for Any Space
Solid plans, thoughtful prep, and smart assembly are the key elements to handsome and functional built-ins.
This article continues the step-by-step process of building custom built-ins, focusing on the window seat, upper shelves, and cabinet tops that connect the lower and upper units. It covers how to prep, assemble, and install the window seat with drawers and how to build and fit display shelves and cabinet tops with strong, clean joinery. Installation tips include positioning and fastening the base cabinets, seat, and upper cabinets for a seamless built-in look. The article also details finishing touches like crown molding and base trim to complete the installation.
Sit and Store
One of my clients really wanted a window seat for reading. But because the house didn’t have a bay or dormer window—classic spots for built-in seating—she couldn’t imagine a window seat working anywhere else. However, I’ve created the perfect spot for window seats in past projects by making a seating alcove between a pair of tall cabinets. It seemed like a possible solution in this case, so I proposed a pair of display cabinets with closed storage below and open shelving above. Between the cabinets, I’d install a window seat with three drawers.
When my client gave me the go-ahead, I was excited. Not only does the window seat offer valuable extra seating and add practical storage, but a cohesive built-in project like this can completely transform a space into something warm, inviting, and visually striking.
I wrote about the first part of this build in the previous issue (“Custom Built-ins With Job-Site Tools,” FHB #332). It shows how I built the shelf and base cabinets flanking the window seat with methods I use to make built-in cabinets for almost any space.
In this second article, I walk through the steps of building the cabinet tops that connect the upper and lower cabinets, as well as the shelves for the upper cabinets. I also break down the process of building the window seat, which is a basic short cabinet with a solid top and three drawers. Finally, I show how I prepped the space and installed the finished cabinets. These two articles show how to build and install cabinets in any space that needs extra storage or a comfortable spot to sit.
Planning a Window Seat
Almost any room with a window is a potential spot for a window seat. If the window is centered on the wall, I usually flank the seat with cabinets or open shelving for displaying books, art, and collectibles. If the window is off to one side, I build boxes or shelves of different widths on one or both sides of the window seat that complement the space. I usually bring my clients two or three ideas and work with them on the final design so the amount of display and storage suits their needs.
Most window seats are between 40 in. and 64 in. long, which is roughly the width of a single or twin window plus room for the window casing and stool. The seat and its alcove can be longer or shorter if the situation calls for it, but keep in mind that a smaller seat lacks the space for spreading out that makes a window seat inviting and comfortable, and a wider one lacks the coziness that makes someone want to spend time there.
I think built-in window seats look best and are most comfortable when the bench is 16 in. to 24 in. deep and 14 in. to 18 in. above the floor. I also think a window seat feels cozier when it’s more shallow than the cabinets on the ends, and nestled between them. I made this bench about 16 in. deep and 16 in. off the floor. When I’m working through a design, I ask clients to choose three inspiration photos to help me jump-start a design. Three is the magic number, as more photos tend to confuse the issue.
Plan for the Installation
As I mentioned in the first article, I built the tall cabinets in two parts so that they would be easier to assemble and to move to where they’d be installed. When planning any large built-in fixture or cabinet, it’s essential to make sure you can get the components from where they’re being built to their destination. Check door openings, stairway and ceiling heights, and the turning radius in stairs and hallways before you commit to a design. If tight spaces are a concern, consider making the assembly out of smaller cabinets so you can get the parts where they need to go.
Also, make sure you can stand up any cabinets that reach from floor to ceiling by taking diagonal measurements on the side of the cabinet box. The diagonal measurement from a top corner to the opposite bottom corner should be less than the ceiling height anywhere you’ll need to move boxes from a lying to a standing position.
Once I built all the parts for the cabinets and seat on this project, I test-fit everything in my shop. When I was convinced everything would go together correctly, I loaded all the parts into my trailer and headed to the job for the installation, which took only a few hours. Then I called in the painter to fill the fastener holes and to prime and paint the cabinets and seat.
Build and Install the Tops
The base cabinets have 3/4-in.-thick plywood tops that also form the bottoms of the upper bookshelf cabinets. The tops have nosing made from poplar stock that hides the plywood core. I cut the plywood panels with a track saw and install the nosing on the fronts and the sides that face the window seat. The tops are installed flush at the back and sides where the cabinet meets the wall. I’m careful to cut and install the nosing so there’s both a left and a right top.
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Cut the Tops and Fit the Nosing: I cut the plywood tops 1/4 in. wider and 1/4 in. deeper than the base cabinet and then fit the nosing, starting with the front. I add two layers of tape to the plywood to raise the Domino joiner slightly. This places the nosing slightly proud of the plywood so I can sand it flush later.
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Make Display Shelves
For bookcases and display shelves, I make one shelf per vertical foot, but I keep the shelves adjustable so clients can also display tall books or collectibles. Shelves should be about 3/16 in. shorter in length and depth than the inside dimensions of the cabinet so they can be easily installed and repositioned.
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Prep the Plywood: When making tops and shelves, I pass edges that receive nosing over a table-mounted plywood prep bit (collinstools.com). The recess it cuts helps nosing and edgebanding fit tight to the plywood.
Build the Window Seat
I planned three drawers for this seat, which is approximately 16 in. high, 16 in. deep, and 54 in. wide. A narrower seat might call for two drawers to keep them a usable width. The sides, the drawer dividers that bear directly on the floor, and the continuous stretcher at the back strengthen the seat cabinet, which is sturdy enough to support two people. It’s almost certain that one or two people will stand on the seat when hanging window treatments, so the construction has to be up to the job.
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Install the Back: I staple a single piece of 1/4-in.-thick plywood to the back of the seat cabinet with 1/2-in.-crown by 3/8-in.-leg staples. Because the ends of the seat are hidden by the bookshelf cabinets on both ends, the back can be attached without a rabbet or groove.
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Fasten the Frame: I install the frame with 1/2-in. overhangs on both ends and then fasten it using glue and pocket screws driven into the back of the face frame. I then sand the front of the frame so the stile and rail joints are flush. With the frame complete, I make the drawers using the same methods that I used for making the drawers in the base cabinets (see FHB #332).
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Install Slides: I attach the drawer slides to a piece of plywood, keeping them parallel to the cabinet sides and spaced the width of the drawer box.
Install the Lower Cabinets
I start the installation by removing the existing base trim, window casing, and chair rail. Next, I install the window seat, centered under the twin window. Its location will determine the layout of the rest of the cabinets. After fitting and fastening the base cabinets, I scribe and fasten the seat top between them.
Install the Uppers
After the seat and base cabinets are installed, I fit the upper cabinets. I plane and sand the cabinet face frames to fit tightly to the walls. My goal is a small caulk joint where the cabinets meet the walls. Once everything is installed, I bring in the painter to prep and spray the cabinets.
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Install the Shelving Units: I place the upper cabinet on top of the base cabinet and check the fit against the adjacent walls. Then I fasten the cabinets to the wall studs through stretchers installed at the tops and bottoms of the cabinets.
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Fit and Fasten Crown: A two-piece poplar crown molding and base trim help give the cabinets and seat their built-in look and feel. I fasten the crown and base with 21-ga. pins, which have holding power near equal to a brad nail but leave a smaller hole. I glue mitered corners to prevent them from opening.
— Gary Striegler; longtime FHB contributor and the owner of Craftsman Builders in Fayetteville, Ark. Photos by Bryan Striegler.
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