How to Build a DIY Corner Storage Bench

DIY Corner Storage Bench

Dining room storage is really important to keep the room clean and clutter-free. It gives you room to store excess kitchen equipment. For most of us, a dining area is part of an open plan that could be part of the kitchen. If you have a corner in your kitchen or dining room it might be a perfect fit for a corner bench. I’ve created plans just for that. This DIY corner storage bench design is an incredibly efficient use of space, especially in smaller rooms. It has a lot of storage space to keep you organized and clutter-free.

I’ve built this corner bench for my mother-in-law and the design is made for that specific space. But if you have a larger or smaller area, you could always modify the overall dimensions of these plans and build it to your needs.

I’ve also designed a DIY dining table that fits perfectly with this corner bench. The legs are designed so that a person could easily slide in and out without hitting the legs. I made the table corners at 45 degrees so that it gives more room for a person to sit in the corner.

You also might be interested in a DIY breakfast table and a DIY kitchen table with curved legs that I’ve built for my house.

DIY Corner Storage Bench

Corner Storage Bench PDF

$7.00

This PDF download includes Cut Diagrams, a List of Supplies, and 3D illustrations with detailed steps to build the project. Measurements are in imperial and not metric. Does NOT include SketchUp/CAD files.

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Corner Storage Bench 

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Material List

Note: Lumber dimensions are listed as nominal size.  See lumber sizes for actual dimensions vs nominal.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page as well as links in “tools for this project” and “material list” sections are affiliate links. 


Dimensions

DIY Corner Storage Bench dimensions

Step 1 – Cut and Assemble Back Frame

Since there are two benches, we will start with a longer bench. To build the shorter bench the steps are exactly the same but with shorter dimensions. First, start with building the backside frame of the bench. Take 2×4 and using a miter saw cut two 61″ long pieces and two 18 1/2″. All vertical legs are going to be built from 2x4s. Drill pocket holes as shown on the picture and then attach 61″ long 2×4 supports to legs using 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws. Make sure that the bottom 2×4 support sits 1″ from the ground.

assemble the back of the frame
back frame of the DIY Corner Storage Bench
front frame of the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 2 – Cut and Assemble Front Frame

For this step, work on the front frame of the bench. Similar to step 1, take 2×4 and cut two pieces to 18 1/2″ in length. Then take 1×4 and cut two pieces to 61″ in length. Drill two pocket holes on each side of the 61″ boards. Now take these horizontal supports and attach them to 18 1/2″ vertical legs using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws. Similar to the backside make sure that the bottom support is 1″ above ground. Also, take 1×4 and cut one piece to 10 1/2″ in length and rip it in half so that its 1 3/4″ wide. Drill pocket holes as shown on the picture and attach it on each side between the upper and lower horizontal frame support.

assemble the front of the frame for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
wood pieces for the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 3 – Attach Front and Back Frames Together

Now take the front side and backside of the bench and attach them together using 1×4 that is 8 1/2″ long. Again the bottom piece is 1″ above ground.

frame for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
frame for the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 4 – Fasten Bottom and Back Plywood

Flip the bench upside down. Measure and cut bottom plywood that’s 61″ long and 13 1/4″ wide, also cut the backside plywood that’s 61″ long and 10 1/2″ wide using. Then attach these plywood boards to the frame using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws. Since the basic frame is done it’s a good idea to paint the frame now to make it easier later, especially if you’re making this bench from two different colors.

attach bottom and back plywood for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
drilling pocket holes for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
frame for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
paining the frame of the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 5 – Chamfer Boards and Paint

Next, take 1×4 and cut 23 pieces that are 14 1/2″ in length. Then using a table saw chamfer both sides of the board at 45°. After all of the pieces are cut and chamfered, its time to paint it. It’s a good idea to paint the boards separately before attaching them to the frame to make the job much cleaner.

chamfer decor boards for DIY Corner Storage Bench
using table saw to cut chamfered boards

Step 6 – Nail Chamfered Boards to Frame

After the paint dries up, take the chamfered boards and place them inside one by one and attach it with 1 1/4″ Brad Nails with a nail gun. The boards on the side of the bench will need to be trimmed slightly to fit.

attach chamfered boards to DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 7 – Notch for Hinges and Attach Dividers

Now place dividers inside the bench storage. This will also prevent the top from bending down after time. Cut two plywood board to 16 3/4″ x 10 1/2″ and insert inside attaching with 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws. Then the upper 2×4 support in the back will have hinges attached. If you attach them directly to the 2×4 board the hinges will be raised up and the top cover will not sit flat on the bench. So using a skill saw notch upper 2×4 support about 1/4″ deep so that hinge will go inside and prevent the top board to sit higher.

install dividers for the DIY Corner Storage Bench
installing the dividers DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 8 – Cut and Assemble the Top

There are two different ways to make the top cover. I chose to use 1×4 boards but I could have also just cut once plywood piece and place it on top. But per these plans cut five 1×4 boards to 65″ in length. One of the boards in the center will be ripped to 2″ wide. Attach these boards together using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws and wood glue.

assemble the top for the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 9 – Attach Hinges to Top Seat

Place the hinge in the notch and screw it into 2×4 support. Attach the hinge to the top cover.

DIY Corner Storage Bench
installing hinges for the DIY Corner Storage Bench

Step 10 – Build Second Bench, Repeat Steps 1 – 9

You’re done with the long DIY storage bench. To build this as a corner storage bench you’ll need to build the other smaller bench.  Follow the same steps 1 thru 9 but now with dimensions that apply for smaller bench. I figured that having two benches will be better because not everyone needs a corner bench to these dimensions. But since they are separate benches it could always be sold separately in the future.

DIY Corner Storage Bench

17 thoughts on “How to Build a DIY Corner Storage Bench”

    • Hi Alysa, For both of the benches, the material cost would be around $200. You could probably do it cheaper if you use plywood instead of chamfered 1×4 boards.

      Reply
  1. Hi, I was wondering if I could use 1” X 4” pieces for corner frame uprights instead of the 2 X 4’s ? AND could I use a piece/ sheet of wains coating instead of the champhered boards? It will be for storage not for sitting. Thanks, Renée

    Reply
    • Hi Renee, The bench I built was intended for seating and storage, but if you’re just using it for storage, I don’t see a problem using 1x4s instead of 2x4s. The sheet of wains coating would actually work very well and probably be cheaper than chamfered boards.

      Reply
  2. Hello Viktor, I was wondering could a use a sheet of paneling for the center filler on the bench that looks similar to the design you did or would something similar to chamfered boards be needed for structural integrity for the bench to hold weight?

    Reply

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