We have all been there, right? Do you want a new piece of furniture but having issues with the budget? Or maybe, you have a selection of vintage furniture that does not suit your vibe anymore, but you just can’t throw it away. Today we will learn how to turn a loveseat into a storage underneath the cushions.
You can now turn your vintage loveseats into storage boxes. Moreover, you can just add storage underneath the cushions of your loveseat or any furniture.
While we can’t guarantee you’ll never misplace your remote again, we can assure you’ll look at your sofa in a whole new, storage-savvy way.
What is a Loveseat?
Loveseats were first developed in the 17th century, this two-person chair was designed to allow women wearing big gowns with hoops to sit comfortably.
Another type, also known as a tête-à-tête, courting bench, kissing bench, gossip’s chair, or conversation bench, is any type of two-seat furniture in which the two seats are arranged in an S shape.
It allows two people to converse while looking at each other and being within arm’s reach while typically retaining a modest barrier between them.
So here is a way on how to turn a loveseat into a storage underneath the cushions.
DIY: Storage Box Bench
Now I will start with the DIY project—the DIY storage box bench.
To keep the box’s cost low, I worked hard on the proportions to use enough sheets of plywood from the loveseat while still being able to create a box large enough to store all of our pillows.
I used our table saw this time, but a skil saw would work just as well. When cutting, always have someone else assist you for safety and precision. Proper 3M Tekk Protection eyewear is required!
There will be a lot of sawdust flying about. My 3M Tekk Protection Holmes Premium Safety Glasses are on. We always keep a few on hand, so we never have an excuse not to safeguard our eyes.
They look great and fit perfectly like sunglasses. Of course, I’m also wearing the glasses’ safety earbuds.
Because I intend to utilize this storage box/bench outside on my deck, I want it to be as weather-resistant as possible. We were going to use liquid nails but changed our minds and went with 3M Marine Adhesive Sealant.
You will place the base panel on an elevated surface, allowing it to dangle over the edge slightly. You’ll understand why in a moment. First, apply an adhesive bead towards the edge of a long side.
Next, place the rear panel along the edge where you just applied the glue. Allow someone to keep it stable for you as you secure it with nails every few inches. For this, use a nail gun and finishing nails.
You’ll be nailing a lot, and it’ll be noisy! Earbuds or these amazing 3M Tekk Protection WorkTunes Hearing Protectors will keep your ears safe. I can connect it to my iPhone or utilize the radio, which has over 50 pre-programmed channels.
Seal the side and base edges with sealant before nailing in the final front panel.
Use the same sealant to caulk all the seams, inside and out. You could use paintable caulk for this, but the 3M Marine Sealant takes care of everything. Again, I am maintaining a dry environment.
Congratulations, you have just built a box. But a box is uninteresting. So let’s jazz it up a little with some basic trimming. First, cut your trim boards straight, gluing and nailing the top and small bottom panels, then measuring and cutting the sides to length.
TIP: To measure the trim efficiently and accurately, keep the trim board in place and then indicate with a pencil where you need to cut. This approach will give you an exact cut while saving you the trouble of having to bring out the measuring tape every 2 minutes!
Finish the lid’s edge with PVC quarter-round molding. It’s lightweight, easy to cut, and highly robust and smooth. Then, attach it to the box using glue and nails.
Cut two 12′′ trim boards and attach them to the bottom of the lid for extra strength and stiffness. Can you see the knots on your end? This is why you need a high-quality piece of plywood. We opted to hide these knots on the bottom of the lid since they were the only ones on the entire sheet. If you want, you may simply fill them with wood filler.
Fill all nail holes on your outdoor storage box with a 3M Wood Filler and lightly smooth with 3M Advanced Abrasives sandpaper where you mended.
Place the box on a ScotchBlue drop cloth and apply two coats of quality primer to every surface of the box, including the underside. Next, apply at least two coats of excellent exterior latex paint to your box.
Screw the four casters into the box’s bottom corners and attach the galvanized hinges to the lid first, then the box.
I painted the bottom of the outdoor storage box lid with a bright splash of color. I didn’t want the turquoise paint to go on the bottom of the lid’s quarter-round molding trim, so I taped it off with ScotchBlueTM Painter’s Tape before painting on the accent color.
Conclusion
So this article sums up how to turn a loveseat into a storage underneath the cushions. With a few tools and equipment and your loveseat of choice, you can now achieve more storage in the house. You did not lose a piece of furniture. You even gained a new one.