Design from a picture...

I’m just heading out for the bus so I’ll write more later. I did want to say that since you know the basics, seat height, depth, table height. It should really be fairly straightforward. Those things are all rather standardized so finding that info shouldn’t take much digging. If I were doing this, I would draw it out in SketchUp starting quite rough with the basic dimensions. I’d work out the details after that.

If you want some help doing that, I’d be happy to lend a hand.

Dave

-- Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

Dave,

The problem, is that I don’t have any of the measurements. I mean I can come up with a standard table height, and seat height. But I don’t have any way to come up with the seat depth or any other measurements to keep the proportions right.

Matt

-- - If you can't have fun doin' it, it aint worth doin' - Matt

You can do this in Sketchup. If you are able to get to the Fine Woodworking web site, they have a regular article on Sketchup tricks and tips, and I am pretty sure that they had something on dimensioning.

-- There are three kinds of people... those who can count, and those who can't

Are you going to make (special order) the cushions or are you going to buy some that are a standard size. Either way I would look on the internet either for other boths and see how deep they are and I would also look into buying the cushions if you aregoing to use them and see what sizes they come in to make sure they will fit.

Most furniture for sale on the internet has the dimensions with it.

Good luck

-- Glenn, New Mexico

Matt, as Bigbuck suggested, you can search for commercially available benches and see what sort of dimensions you find. The other thing is to measure dining chairs. The height and depth ought to be about right for a bench, too. Figure on reducing the height of the seat by half the cushion thickness depending on how solid the cushions are. Also add to the seat depth the thickness of the back cushions.

Slacker suggested looking at Fine Woodworking for some ideas about dimensioning using SketchUp. I expect he is referring to the Design. Click. Build. blog. I think both Tim and I have done some stuff related to working out dimensions from a photo and some basic information.

If you can find a better image of a booth that is along the lines of what you want, I’ll be glad to get you started. Give me the dimensions of the space, too.

Dave

-- Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

Thanks guys those are all great suggestions, and I’ll be sure to follow through on all of them. I am familiar with sketchup, but I will definitely look at the site mentioned for some tips.

Dave I appreciate your offer to help with the planning/design (twice) I may take you up on it. I’m hoping I can do 99% of this myself. This is a piece that I will see on a very regular basis so I want it to be as perfect as my unskilled hands can make it. My Brother and sister-in-law are also quite detail oriented so it needs to be doubly good. Thus I may have to take you up on your offer.

Thanks all,

Matt

-- - If you can't have fun doin' it, it aint worth doin' - Matt

Converted to a blog: From a Picture

-- - If you can't have fun doin' it, it aint worth doin' - Matt

This is really not a complicated project but I understand that
you are not yet very experienced doing custom built-ins.

If you expect the corner of the room to be square for
your convenience, think again.

If the seats are to lift up for storage you’ll want to use a firmer
grade of foam than if you planned to use webbing underneath.
If you are going to use and upholsterer I would pick his or her
brain about design ideas. They sometimes have insight gained
from experience with these things.

if the house has settled it’s very likely you’ll be contending with
a somewhat bowed floor. I’d put the whole thing up on
European cabinet lifts with clip on toe-kicks… or I would build a base
of 3/4” stock, shim it to level, and nail on a facing of 1/4” ply,
easy to scribe with a hand plane because it’s so thin.

At the top of the unit you may encounter gap-osis between the
benches and the walls. if you use 3/” ply for the top I would
recommend cutting a 1/2” deep rabbet in the back, giving you
a thinner piece to scribe to the wall and an installation job that
will go smoother.

Getting the angle of the two walls at the height of the top of the
unit may be tricky. I have this big 4 ft folding square that I’ve
use sometimes to gauge the general out-of-squareness of
a corner.

When I have done built-ins of this nature I built them half on-site,
fitting parts as I went but making as many components in the shop
as possible. Sometimes it’s easier to just frame it out in 2×3s and
nail panels to the frame.

-- http://amherstcabinets.com - also a marketing consultant with expertise in direct response marketing for woodworking and online businesses - http://COPYMATCH.COM

Loren,

Thanks for all of your thought and input. I will take all of them into account before I start the build.

Fortunately for my work workshop is onsite.

-- - If you can't have fun doin' it, it aint worth doin' - Matt