Building a wall unit around a bedroom window creates extra seating and storage space by combining a wooden frame bench in front of the window with a set of plywood-clad cupboards. The two sets of shelves, formed from a two-by-four lumber frame clad in plywood and seated above the cupboards, box in the window to create a small sun well, making a feature of the existing light source.
Instructions
Building the Frame
1. Measure the width of the window using a tape measure. Add 48 inches to the measurement to find the total width of the wall unit. Measure the distance from the bottom of the window to the floor. Note all three measurements on a piece of paper. Cut four pieces of two-by-four to the width of the wall unit, using a circular saw. Cut eight pieces of two-by-four, 8 inches long.
2. Examine the base of the wall where the wall unit will be fixed. If there is a skirting board below the window, measure 24 inches to the left and right of the window and mark these points with a pencil. Cut through the skirting board at these points, using a jigsaw or handsaw. Remove the cut skirting board from where the wall unit will be built.
3. Place one of the unit-length two-by-four pieces against the wall so that the 4-inch face is vertical. Drill through the two-by-four and into the wall every 6 inches along the length of the two-by-four, using a hammer drill. Remove the two-by-four. Fill the holes in the wall with wall plugs. Repeat this process with a second unit-length piece of two-by-four at the top of the wall, with the wood held against the ceiling.
4. Screw one of the 8-inch pieces to either end of both the unit length two-by-four pieces you just drilled, using two countersunk 4-inch long screws per joint. You should now have two "U" shaped frames. Measure 24 inches in from either end of the "U" shapes and mark these points with a pencil. Screw another 8-inch piece to the marked points with two more countersunk 4-inch long screws per piece.
5. Screw one of the remaining unit length pieces of two-by-four to the ends of the 8 inch long pieces using two countersunk 4 inch long screws per joint, to form two rectangular frames with two bracing pieces in each frame. Align the holes in one side of the first frame with the holes drilled in the bottom of the wall. Screw the frame to the wall using 4 inch long screws.
6. Align the holes in one side of the second frame with the holes in the top of the wall. Screw the second frame to the top of the wall using 4 inch long screws. Measure the height of the wall at the left side, then at the right side. Cut two pieces of two-by-four lumber to the height of the wall on the left side, then another four pieces to the height on the right side.
7. Stand the first piece of left-height lumber against the wall, between the leftmost edge of the top and bottom frames. Drill through the piece into the wall every 6 inches along the length of the lumber. Fill the holes in the wall with wall plugs. Screw the lumber to the wall with four-inch long screws. Screw a second piece of lumber to the wall flush with the left side of the window, in the same manner.
8. Screw a third piece of left-height lumber to the front-left corner of both frames using two L-brackets per frame. Screw the final piece of left-height lumber between both frames at the 24-inch point, where the first bracing piece is screwed, using three L-brackets per frame. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with the right side of the wall unit.
9. Cut two pieces of two-by-four lumber to the width of the window. Cut two pieces of two-by-four lumber to the height of the window from the ground minus 8 inches. Cut three pieces of two-by-four lumber 8 inches long. Hold one of the window-width pieces against the wall just below the window ledge with the 4 inch wide faces vertical.
10. Drill a hole through the piece into the wall every 6 inches along the length of the two-by-four. Fill the holes in the wall with wall plugs. Screw the piece to the wall using 4 inch long screws. Measure the window height up the two center pillars at the front of the frame. Screw the second window-width piece between the pillars at this point, using two countersunk 4 inch long screws per joint.
11. Stand one of the window-height pieces against the wall between the bottom frame and the window-width piece, in the middle of the width of the window. Screw the piece to the wall using three 4 inch long screws. Screw an 8-inch piece at either end of the window-width pieces using L-brackets.
12. Screw the third 8 inch long piece in the middle of the window-width pieces using two L-brackets per joint. Screw the second window-height piece in the front of the frame opposite the first window-height piece, using two countersunk 4 inch long screws for the top of the piece and the window-width piece, and two L-brackets for the bottom of the piece and the frame.
Assembling the Cabinets
13. Cut two sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood to a length equal to the width of the window and 12 inches wide, using the circular saw. Screw the plywood sheet to the frame directly in front of the window, using a hammer drill with screwdriver drill bit to countersink four 1 inch long screws equidistant along each edge of the sheet.
14. Cut four sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood 24 inches long and 12 inches wide. Draw a rectangle 4 inches long and 2 inches wide in each corner of the five sheets you have not yet fixed to the frame, with the rectangles aligned so the 4-inch sides of the rectangle run parallel to the 12 inch long sides of the sheets. Cut the rectangles out using a jigsaw or hand saw.
15. Sit one 24- by -12 inch sheet on top of the two-by-four pieces forming the base of the frame, at either end of the frame. Sit the window width sheet between these two sheets. Screw the three sheets to the base of the frame using four 1 inch long screws equidistant along each edge of the sheets.
16. Cut two sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood as long as the height of the wall the wall unit is fixed to, and 12 inches wide. Cut two sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood as long as the height of the window from the ground minus 8 inches and 12 inches wide.
17.Stand the shorter sheets vertically in the frame over the joints between the plywood sheets covering the base of the frame. Screw the vertical sheets to the base covering sheets using two L-brackets per vertical sheet. Screw the remaining two sheets to either side of the frame using countersunk 1 inch long screws every 6 inches along the length of the sheets.
18. Cut four sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood 10 inches long and as wide as the height of the window from the ground minus six inches. Screw two cupboard hinges to one of the height-length edges of each sheet. Turn the sheets over. Screw a cupboard door handle to the opposite edge of the sheet to the hinges.
19. Screw the hinges to the two-by-four pillars on the inside of the frame so that they cover the cupboard spaces to the left and right of the window. Cut two sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood to a length equal to half the width of the window and a width equal to the height of the window from the ground minus 6 inches.
20. Screw two cupboard hinges to one of the window height edges of each sheet. Turn the sheet over. Screw a cupboard door handle to the opposite edge of the sheets to the hinges. Stand the sheets vertical in front of the cupboard space under the window. Screw the hinges to the two-by-four pillars on the inside of the cupboard space.
Building the Shelves
21. Measure the distance from the top of the cabinets to the underside of the two-by-fours at the top of the wall unit, using a tape measure. Cut two sheets of 3/4 inch thick plywood to this length and 12 inches wide. Screw the sheets to the frame of the wall unit running against to the sides of the window, using countersunk 1 inch long screws, to form the inside edges of the cabinet.
22. Divide the distance you measured by 11 to calculate the number of shelves on either side of the cabinet. Cut enough sheets of 3/4-inch thick plywood 24 inches long by 12 inches wide to make one shelf from each sheet. Draw a rectangle 4 inches long and 2 on each corner of each sheet, with the 4 sides of the rectangle running parallel with the 12 inch long sides of the sheets.
23. Cut each rectangle out of the sheets using a jigsaw or hand saw. Measure 11 inches up the left side of the wall unit from the top of the cabinet. Draw a horizontal line at this point. Measure up another 11 inches and draw another line. Continue until you have draw lines at each 11 inch interval up the length of the wall unit.
24. Screw one L-bracket in the middle of both 12 inch long edges of each plywood sheet. Hold the first sheet in the left cabinet so the top of the sheet is flush with the first 11-inch mark and the L-brackets are facing down, against the plywood sides of the cabinet. Screw the shelf in place. Screw the other shelves in place in the same manner.
25. Cut a sheet of 3/4-inch thick plywood 24 inches long and 12 inches wide. Draw 2-by-4-inch rectangles on the corners of the sheet in the same manner as with the shelves. Cut the rectangles out with a jigsaw or hand saw.
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Hold the sheet against the underside of the two-by-four at the top of the left side of the cabinet. Screw the sheet to the two-by-four pieces using three countersunk 1-inch screws on each side, to cap off the cabinet. Repeat steps two through six for the right side of the wall unit.
Making a Seat Cusion
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Measure the distance from the front of the cupboards under the window to the back of the window sill, using a tape measure. Cut a piece of 1-inch thick furniture foam as long as this distance and as wide as the window.
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Cut a sheet of upholstery fabric as long as double this distance plus 2 1/2-inches, and as wide as double the width of the window plus 2 1/2-inches. Lay the fabric out flat with the outside-facing surface facing up. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise.
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Sew the sides of the folded fabric together using a sewing machine, to leave the side opposite the fold unsewn. Sew a long zipper into this open side. Turn the fabric right side out. Push the foam into the fabric cusion cover, to complete the cushion. Place the cushion on top of the middle cabinets.
Tags: inch long, long screws, inch long screws, inches wide, thick plywood, 4-inch thick, 4-inch thick plywood