DIY Outdoor Storage Bench

I'm very lucky to have a balcony and since I live in sunny California, I definitely wanted to make my balcony feel like an extension of my indoor space where I could eat and lounge to take in the sun. The challenge was to fit all of that into a 3.5 ft wide x 10 ft long space. I just couldn't find any furniture that would work so I designed and built my own DIY outdoor storage bench to fit perfectly on one end of my balcony. It provides seating for the dining area and it's big enough for me to lounge on!
I built the entire structure using 2"x3", 1"x6" and 1"x2" boards. Having all the wood cut at the hardware store saved a lot of time! I built the individual frames first (2 side panels and a front, back and middle panel) and then screwed all the frames together to make the base of the bench.
I stained the base and the 1"x6"s ( I used a solid white outdoor stain) and attached the 1"x6" boards to the sides of the base.
For the top, I screwed two 1"x6" at the back and one at the front and I made a panel out of 1"x6" and furring strips that I attached with hinges to give me access to the storage area beneath.
I use the storage space for my gardening supplies and wood scraps but you could use plastic bins or large zip lock bags to store cushions or other things that need to stay dry.
I added a 2" cushion that I made with outdoor foam and outdoor fabric. The bench has worked out perfectly and I get so much use out of it, it was well worth the effort to make it! It was only one of many projects that I did to transform my balcony from drab and boring to cozy and inviting.
I gave the balcony walls a makeover and built privacy panels, which you can see in this video
And you can see how I made the bench, transformed an IKEA table, hung a lantern and made an herb garden in this video
Engineer Your Space
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Nell Nell on Jul 21, 2016
    What is that you are using as privacy on the outside wall?
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  • Kimberly Lovitt Kimberly Lovitt on Oct 22, 2016
    Yes the privacy panels, do tell.
  • Pat Ruge Pat Ruge on May 27, 2017

    Perhaps I failed to mention what a fantastic job you did with this balcony when I first saw it, but I did so today by first an extensive search to find you and then recommending two others who were looking for ideas to check it out. You obviously left a big impression in my mind, since I don't even have a balcony to deal with. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe all the wonderful ideas you incorporated into such a small space.

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