I love to bottle all the goodness from our garden each summer. Only one small problem, there is never enough room to store all of it. We needed more storage! I decided that we could use extra seating by our pool table too so it was the perfect place to add a bench that could also serve as storage.
Look how much we can store inside!
Just to give you some perspective here are my kids inside the bench!
We had our good friend Sean design and build it. I should have taken better pictures a long the way but his wife and I were to busy chatting for those kind of distractions! Here are the bones of it though if you want to mimic his design.
We lined the front of the bench with vertical planks.
Before I painted I spent a lot of time filling the nail holes with wood filler, caulk, and then sanding it smooth. The top of the planks had a gap at the top. I added caulk along the top so when the the bench opened it still looked good.
Caulk every single seam for a flawless paint job.
I primed the entire thing using KILZ. 
After it was primed I painted the bench white, matching the color of our baseboards in a high gloss. The front planks I panted Ashley Gray by Benjamin Moore.
These are the hinges we bought. We bought them without the springs and it opens so smoothly and stays open when its open. We love the way it turned out.
Its become a favorite reading place for Caleb!
Bring on canning season!
Jen
Hello—I see this post is a few years old, but if you see this, could you please send the link or a picture of your hinges. I can’t find the right ones for a similar project, and the link you posted above is no longer working. Thank you!!
Pam Dana
Hey Jen! We’re no longer in that house, so I can’t double check. But, I believe they are similar to these: https://www.hardwaresource.com/bench-seat-hinge-extra-heavy-duty.html . Hope that helps! Good luck with your project!
Bob Maese
Any plans?
Carmen
Are there any plans or a materials list for this?
Glenn Flores
Where can I get the plan for this bench/storage?
Linda
Do you have plans and cut list?
Michele
Hi there! This is such a great idea!! We are meeting with a contractor to discuss building it for us. What type of wood did you use for the lid…and do you have the full plans for building? This is seriously genius!
Ansley Smith
Could you post a picture of the hinges?
Raj Mehta
Can I get full detail plan how to do it?
Thanks
Robin Phillips
I love this!
Britney @ Princess & Cowboys
I love the bead board and this whole idea! I think it’s awesome to have a little special place to enjoy reading. And the fact that you can store stuff beneath…it’s amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!