apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You can make a piece nearly identical to that with a Lack bookcase unit from Ikea. Just assemble it, slap some casters on the side, and put a cushion on the top. A friend of mine made one and it looks great and is pretty sturdy.

It can't be used as a bench, but there is a possible candidate at West Elm...
ww1.westelm.com/cat/pip.cfm?template=8grid&pkey=cfrnsto&gids=p008&cid=frnsto&area=shp

Thanks for your input. My apartment is a studio with a queen size murphy bed that has an anigre front and cherry sides. On the wall perpendicular to the murphy bed is the Hoyt leather sofa from Room & Board in whiskey. There is a Linear 3 cherry desk from Room & Board as well.

The wall behind the sofa is a celadonish green (it's not as gray as celadon) (RL Jungle Trail GH 85) and the bit of wall behind the murphy bed is a dark leafy green (RL Palm Leaf GH88). Floor are 9x9 wood squares.

So far, that's what I have for the furntiure I am keeping.

PS - if someone shows me how to send photos, I can do so.

I would suggest exactly the same thing as Sydney, except this: If I were you, I'd try to imagine whether or not the construction or materials were such that it needed reinforcing. Like, would ANY of it ever crack? If the fattest person I ever saw were to sit down on it? With a great big thump? ...If you can't say "no" with utter confidence, then I'd start reinforcing with strategically placed strong plywood sheeting and inconspicuous metal brackets from the neighborhood hardware store. You can buy plywood with matching veneer or laminate on it if you want to get really fancy, and even get rolls of veneer/laminate on tape to hide the edges.

You won't get it into a furniture show, but as long as you aren't having the Eames family for dinner nobody will know. ...Or. If you can get a well-made, solid wood bookcase to begin with (rather than MDF), you can probably save all that time fooling around at the hardware store.

As for cushion - I'd just cover a piece of foam with fabric, (if you want it to be really nice, just get a good grade from an upholstery fabric place and maybe wrap it in batting) get some two-sided velcro tape, and voila.

Good luck! Let us know how it comes out...

by the way - don't cheap out on casters. By the biggest, honkingest, toughest, most bada&& casters you can buy. that's literally where it often all falls apart...

-handygirl

I used to use prince aha stools for my coffee table and as extra seeting. No wheels but light enough to move around. We still use them now but in the bathroom for my toddlers to stand on when they attempt to brush their teeth. DWR has them. GL, Raquel

A while back Ready Made magazine had a DIY project to make one of these benches. he cost was not prohibitive and it also had instructions for installing sliding colored plexiglass doors on it so as to hide the contents and work with your room, plus you can stain the wood or paint it to any color you like.

If the plywood sensibility won't work for your interior, there are several upholstered storage cubes that could be bunched for a coffee table function, and split for individual seating. Chiasso may have an option. I think the Chiasso option even has a top that flips over to become a hard-top surface when using as a table.

If still looking for wood, I think Pottery Barn has some storage trunks of wood/and or abaca that could function the same way.

If still interested in a bench option (that could also work as a coffee table) try the upholstered storage benches from Mitchell Gold. They typically show them at the end of a bed, but I have one that slides underneath a desk/console, and holds out-of-season linens.

You can also try the Oppli TV unit from Ikea (the big one). It's on casters and solidly built, although I don't know how long the casters would last if it's used as a sitting bench.