Building the Perfect Kitchen Banquette Bench - A Step by Step Guide

[@jimw6659]

I really enjoy the channel. You do amazingly well with negative comments and those who ‘know’ best. Thanks for sharing!

[@stingray4567]

Thats a really nice job. It always amazes how the filling and painting hides sins and pulls my projects together! "Sander and paint make me the woodworker I aint"

[@CharlieDIYte]

So true. Thanks 🙏

[@raminybhatti5740]

Charlie's block plane deserves its own channel 😅😁

[@hbrealhousewife2270]

Love this seating. Beautiful colour. Another job well done Charlie. Hope we can see the results when the cushions are properly upholstered by Mrs DIY. 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hi, great to hear from you - thanks so much for your support of the channel 🙏 Yes I'll post on my community page and possibly a short.

[@martinrothwell8275]

That bit where you "weren't" crawling on the board you were cutting reminds me of the bit in Wallace and Gromit's - a grand day out, where Wallace does just that, and promptly saws through his trestle! ;-) I cannot agree more about the random orbit sander, I bought a cheap one from B&Q a few years back.. where has it been my whole life? Another great video Charlie, loads more DIY takeaways for me! Can't wait for the next one! :-)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Aw thanks so much Martin. Yes I need to do a Reg Prescott spoof sometime 🤣

[@cliffwright1970]

Great job. I love it mainly for the ‘make it up as you go along, making and overcoming mistakes as you go. Very much my style too 👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Cliff - glad you liked it and thanks for the comment 👊

[@petel3366]

Storage opportunity there Charlie. Love the work though. Looks really good.

[@pauline_diy]

Beautiful work, I loved the closet/wardrobe build and you inspired me to try LED lighting. Another great video.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi Charlie, Great built project, looks good and a nice paint finish and looks amazing in your kitchen a perfect match. As always a great video, catch you soon take care

[@martinsimpson92]

Great video Charlie and an excellent result!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Martin 👊

[@MartinDoyleUK]

Crazy. Been subscribed for almost six years to this channel and big fan of almost everything on here, but I've literally just today Googled for a few ideas on building banquette seating and find this was posted yesterday ... fantastic timing! Thank you! :)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Aw, thanks Martin. Really appreciate that. Hope it gives you some ideas for your build. We didn't need storage but you could make the seat section loose and just lift it out if you do need storage.

[@MartinDoyleUK]

@@CharlieDIYte Yeah, I think there's a LOT to take from this. I'm not sure I'll necessarily be following the "stacked MDF shapes" approach (I'm fundamentally a 2x4 carpenter!), but there's a huge amount of other stuff in here that I'm sure I will use. I used a lot from your big wardrobe build when I built wardrobe and built-in bunk beds for my kids a few years ago :)

[@JohnJones-wo1bc]

That is a rather lovely piece of furniture. Looks very professional.

[@norris5353]

A project im soon to undertake, very similar but a straight run and was looking for ideas! You've gave me a few 👍🏻. Fantastic, Thankyou

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Good luck 👊

[@pumpkinhead456]

Looks brilliant, well done!

[@richardclarke9966]

This is freaky. Just had the instruction last night from the boss that she wants this exact format in the dining room - she found the exact same style on Pinterest as well 😂. Great build Mr W 👌

[@CharlieDIYte]

Woo hoo. Go for it Richard. You could also put storage in it by making the seat removable but we don't need extra storage so I didn't bother.

[@richardclarke9966]

@@CharlieDIYte I'll do what I'm told, Charlie 🤣

[@pj9618]

Great job. I've recently built something very similar using 18mm plywood for the frame & 18mm MDF for the visible outer skin, apart from the seating surface which is jointed elm, oiled. Mine is a single structure with compound mitres for the back, seat and heel-kicker in the corner. I put drawers between vertical frame pieces in each wing of the bench. The whole lot stands on a levelled plinth that is scribed to the not-flat floor surface - the idea for which came from your big wardrobe build. Thanks Charlie, you are an inspiration.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Beautiful work and it's humbling my wardrobe build inspired you. 🙏👊

[@markdyballuk]

fabulous work Charlie it looks wonderful

[@ridgmont61]

I have just bought a sled for my cordless circular saw so it can now run along a track - at just £50 it may be a cheap into into the use of a track saw - time will tell if it works ok.

[@T-ki3dp]

I got one of those Ryobi, it's easily been one of the best tools I've ever purchased. It makes so many jobs so much easier as you can fire a small nail in while holding something with the other hand.

[@CharlieDIYte]

It's great isn't it.

[@andyc972]

Thanks Charlie, that looks great, and what an excellent addition to your family life, what is that, 10 seated comfortably and 12 seated cozily ( including chairs ) ? Adapting an existing plan, especially with adding compound angles is always tricky and quite hard to get right first time, if you're not doing this sort of thing as a day job ! I did a cheats version of this 20+ years ago by panelling the wall with Mdf and placing blanket boxes in front and painting them to match, not as nice or as comfortable as yours of course but good enough for the kids to sit to the kitchen table, with storage for their art materials inside and much cheaper and quicker. Wishing you many happy family memories created around that table, they're great for Birthday parties !

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Andy, yes really looking forward to getting it up and running when the cushions arrive. Yes 12 comfortably but 14 at a pinch. Sounds like you did a great job with yours too 👌 The secret of good design is strength without over engineering and practicality and simplicity of production. 👊

[@MrLegend139]

Charlie this looks fantastic, I’m always wary of painting MDF as it’s the worst part 😅 because it’s always a pain to get a good finish in my opinion, even though I’ve built an entire cupboard system for my media wall and a custom wardrobe in place of the stair box in my office thanks to your videos. Definitely doesn’t take 2 minutes like some people think 😅

[@clemmcguinness1087]

That's a fabulous job

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👊

[@ChelseaPensioner-DJW]

Great job, adapting this for window seating with me having a small house, I think a piano hinge will come into action to open up the underseat storage.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yep great idea. You don't even need the hinge. It could just lift in and out. We didn't do that because thankfully we've got loads of storage in the new kitchen. 👊

[@steven_vogt]

Fantastic project and WIP commentary 👏👏 Wish I had a suitable space to justify making one! 🤣

[@darrenmackenzie1892]

Amazing yet again!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much Darren 👊

[@James-dv1df]

Can defo say the new festool connecting bars for rails were so much better than the makita ones. Connecting was a pain before but the new version 2 festool ones create a better join that the saw just glides over

[@brianmarktyler7867]

Cracking job Charlie don't worry about the little mistakes 👏

[@carlhobson1578]

Nice job, like that

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 🙏

[@Sean-vh8pm]

Perfect timing. I’m about to build one myself 😁

[@CharlieDIYte]

Woo hoo. Go for it Sean 👊

[@czarny31081983]

lovely sir

[@Smithb83]

Hi Charlie, great job on a complicated build! I like to fire some test nails into spare material to dial in the depth with the adjustment - saves punching the nails after. Also, i think it's advisable to paint MDF back and front due to atmospheric humidity/moisture/condensation might leave potential to warp, especially with regular MDF? we like the idea of a bonkette build when we eventually replace our kitchen, thanks for the inspuration. Can't wait to see it with cushions

[@CharlieDIYte]

It's a fair point about the warpage. I'm hoping it will have acclimatised to the kitchen which is thankfully a pretty constant temp and rh of 35% but we'll see. I should at the very least have primed front and back or I suppose used MR mdf

[@Smithb83]

@CharlieDIYte yes true, and I make my points with humility, I rarely work to "best practice", it can be never ending can't it. Anyway thank you as always for the videos! 🙏🏻

[@AccountantDoesDIY]

Once you’ve gone Spax there is simply no turning back. I don’t care about the cost differential. Aside from never having to worry about PH1 vs PZ2 etc etc ever again you’ll also enjoy zero slippage with the drill/impact drivers, no camming out of screw heads and as Charlie showed often less need for pilot holes. They’re brilliant.

[@GoldenAdhesive]

spax screws are great i used them to build my timber frame for insulation and plaster boarding, just slightly pricy

[@grotekleum]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing and good to know I'm not the only one to saw the wrong end off and all the other mistakes that are made - despite taking your time, measuring twice and cutting once etc., etc.. Today I trimmed the plinth that goes around around the bottom of the kitchen wall cabinets to take account of the tiles, which were a wavy design - edge and face. I spent some time sanding away the cut end to make the end a flush fit and was well chuffed when they were bang on - only to discover I had them upside-down - grrrrrrrrr indeed. Why does this happen?

[@CharlieDIYte]

So easily done. 👊

[@grotekleum]

@@CharlieDIYte And so hard to be undone.

[@chrishackett4744]

Great video! I hope to make a similar shaped bench for my kitchen. How would you adapt the design to add storage under the seat?

[@Jason-Faraday]

This is great for a budget build. Would be even better with some pull out draws on the bottom for more storage

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍. Thanks Charlie

[@CharlieDIYte]

Cheers Pete 👊

[@martindorrance8133]

Great, Charlie. Can you show us when all cushions are on? 👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

I certainly will. I'll post on my community page and maybe do a Short 👊

[@robstockwell5811]

Rutlands currently does a cheap cordless track saw with 1.4m track and 2 batteries for under £200, I think if you're new you get a welcome voucher too maybe worth a look 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's definitely worth a look. Particularly if only for occasional work.

[@robstockwell5811]

@@CharlieDIYte Peter Millard does a review on it, it looks good thinking of getting one myself for the odd bit of work it will be doing.

[@martinhanson3528]

Looks great. Can I ask where you buy your mdf from as I can’t find it for the price you’ve shown, wickes seem to be about the cheapest at £30 for a sheet of 18mm. Also I was wondering if you thought about making the seat part hinged to give you some storage?

[@kuiperbelt1]

Lovely project. 2 points though - would have been great to include some storage. Also, what happens if you spill a jug of water and it seeps underneath?

[@THusbands]

Is it worth adding vents to allow air flow behind the bench?

[@Mistah_john]

very nice, I think to rectangular pieces may have been easier and also more useful if you ever want to move them or get rid of one side you still have a right angle rather than a triangle sounds like the sloping seat prob more hassle than it is worth. also how do you get into the storage area? pull them out from the wall? why no hinged seats? 🙂

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. Because we don't need any additional storage. We did talk about it. 👊

[@gotagboa]

If you wanted to get cushions from where would you get them from?

[@StevenMurray-mt7om]

Charlie… Load of work but the finish you’ve achieved was well worth it 👍

[@dwalsh3469]

If you are after ergonomic seat design there is no better source than car seats in mid to upper range commuter cars. Also, a copy of Bodyspace by the late Stephan Pheasant is a great resource for comfortable furniture.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Brill. Thanks mate 👊

[@livingladolcevita7318]

Nice job!!What no liftable seat to access storage? 🤣

[@IJ_uk]

£1000 for a main family area when nice food and memories are made is well worth the investment ❤

[@georgec2932]

Excellent job Charlie, looks amazing.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks George 👊

[@Watchroller]

Pinterest is both useful and dangerous. I was given a task to add a banquette seating to our new kitchen island, which I thought would be pretty straight forward… until the boss saw examples of curved seating on Pinterest. It’s done now but making a semi circular seat was quite tricky. To finish it I used Orac 3D panelling which while not cheap looks great.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes I've seen a couple of those. Great work though 👌

[@rossMIE]

Great effort, looks great. Shame cushions are so expensive 🤣

[@Mr.DarrenGriffin]

Well, this looks fun. Time to boot up SketchUp 😅

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes exactly 👊

[@simmogs]

Could you please provide a link to your chosen supplier for the cushions? Thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

Unfortunately our supplier is B2B but I've had a look online and Cushtiecushion.com looks pretty good.

[@shaunbailey1033]

You’re using 16g nails in an 18g nailer? Nice build !

[@guillermocarrillo3959]

Looks like knee to table space is pretty tight ?😮😮😮

[@sarahjennings6852]

would it be possible if you could do a vid on block planes as there are so many out there and i am interested what one would work the best

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's a good idea Sarah. Mine looks like this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267143504446?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=QfGv-oOgSiS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=m-c49TIqTcy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY although I have no idea what the condition of the blade is on this one.

[@sarahjennings6852]

@@CharlieDIYte thank you for letting me know what yours looks like

[@aahuq]

Big fan of yours but scare-de-cat when it comes to DIY. This is a nice project. I have seen some examples where LED strips are used under the bench to create some ambience.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks, that's humbling. Don't be a scare de cat. Just start on small projects and slowly build up as you confidence grows.😉👊

[@romanpl2716]

Excellent project! Please tell me where such cheap MDF is sold?

[@CharlieDIYte]

I got mine from my local timber merchant. Check out yours. Harlows in Kidderminster.

[@ibniba1207]

Love it. Want to do the same except I want the seat area to lift up so I can use the inside for extra storage. Why, why, why, why didn't you do that :)

[@CharlieDIYte]

Because we didn't need the storage. Don't bother with a hinge. Just make the seat section removable.

[@ibniba1207]

@@CharlieDIYte Thanks for your reply and the tip; appreciated.

[@zanyzoo6767]

Velco for the cushions to stop then moving, google how to ....... for the record if you had made a lip you would have felt it when you sit, when the cushions have worn in .

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's a very good point. 👊

[@pumpkinhead456]

What sander do you have please Charlie?

[@CharlieDIYte]

Well it's a skil that they sent me to try out but annoyingly it's not available in Screwfix (their only UK retailer). I've also got one of these www.cbspowertools.com/ryobi-r18ros-0-one-random-orbit-sander-zero-tool-c2x25713969 which has been brilliant as shown in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/nl7aaIRmi5iNmLc 👊

[@Chriskreepa]

What a fantastic job, being all angles I can see it being a head ache to make. Interesting about those screws, will have to try them on my wardrobe build

[@antonywilliams2062]

BONKETTE

[@neilester]

Oh no mate! Where's the storage!? Missed opportunity, omho. Just dead space under the bench now.

[@CharlieDIYte]

No.. We've got plenty of storage. Should have mentioned that.

[@abbofun9022]

Had a similar bench in my house as well, it had storage under the seats and when we moved out 20 years later we ‘rediscovered’ it. Never used it.

[@bwielgus]

I was just thinking the same

[@neilkay9713]

I'm building one of these, and incorporating storage for board games etc. That said my place is small, Charlie's place looks storage central, so makes sense.

[@HidingZebraTube]

Am I going mad? Where has that "TE" appeared from at the end of Charlie DIY??

[@CharlieDIYte]

It's always been there. It's a really rubbish play on my surname which is White 😉

[@gkip1890]

Ryobi nail gun for me keeps dry firing

[@Bokooda]

Good job. No accessible storage? Hinged seats? You must have a MAHOOSIVE house if you can spare that much space... 🙏

[@CharlieDIYte]

We talked about storage but thankfully the new kitchen has plenty so we didn't bother.

[@Garage_GymRat]

Why do people fill or caulk before priming 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@richardclarke9966]

Why not?

[@Garage_GymRat]

@richardclarke9966 You never caulk or fill bare timber as the moisture from the filler will be sucked into the timber therefore causing cracking/shrinking. I'm a Decorator of 25 years so it just baffles me when I see it.

[@rossMIE]

To be honest, its marginal

[@richardclarke9966]

Looked like he primed and then caulked

[@Garage_GymRat]

@richardclarke9966 yes he did i predominantly meant filling but people always make the mistake of caulking also

[@dingus-dingus]

All that inaccessible and wasted storage space! Criminal!

[@cornishiron]

How about a mask?

[@prestigecapture7079]

First