Tutorial: DIY Funky Hall Tree From a $10 Distressed Faux Wood Door

  First of all, here's a picture of my partially up-cycled wood, partially store bought lumber, DIY funky hall tree.  It will fit perfectly with the eventual "bohemian eclectic" decor style of the living room.  Some might think it's a little too funky, but for us it's just right. :)

 Awhile back, I was furiously thrifting in search of a hall tree.  I was sick of hanging coats, hats and hoodies on door knobs.  I couldn't find one I wanted without going to a furniture store, and even those weren't really in line with what I wanted.  I decided to build the solution to my problem.  So I scoured the internet for ideas.  I decided I wanted to incorporate a bench for storing Reed's wires musical equipment that usually ends up directly inside the door after one gig but before the next.  This is kind of what I wanted...but waaay more funky and without the $550 price tag.

JC Penney Contemporary Storage

  I figured I could incorporate an old distressed door as the back support and build a bench that resembled a wooden crate, like the one below but without the gaps.  I was going for a shipping crate look with a ton of character.  Also, I wanted it to look industrial chic-ish.  Let me explain, we don't have a foyer really...so it was going in our living room.  The eventual goal for the decor in the living room, as mentioned earlier, is very bohemian eclectic...meaning beauty in the randomness. (More on that later when I do the living room reveal)

  So I told Reed about my plan, but we hadn't even swept up the sawdust from the pallet desk project yet.  He was not happy a little hesitant, but decided to entertain my crazy whims.  We had never built anything before the pallet desk...so if we did it...ANYONE can do it.  Off we went!  I had no idea where to find an old distressed door, but I checked a few antique places.  Let me tell you, they want a pretty penny for old doors around here.  I was not paying upwards of $250 for an old beat up door...

  So, plan B, we stopped at the warehouse where I acquired my pallets for the desk, and asked if they sold doors.  Turns out they did!  They also had a few MDF doors that were busted at the bottom.  The wheels started spinning...I knew I was going to cut the bottom two feet or so off of the door anyway, so I asked to see the damaged doors.  I picked one out of their "damaged and headed for the trash" room, and paid $10 for it.  It was perfect!  Reed didn't think so, but I knew better.

  We left for the home improvement store, and picked out the wood for the bench and the top shelf.  This is the plan I drew...

  Supplies:

• MDF Door
• Cedar plank for top shelf (mine measured 40" long by 6" wide)
• 2 x4's cut to various sizes
• Four 2x4's cut to 20" each
• Three 2x4's cut to 19" each
• One 2x4 cut to 18"
• Two 1x4's cut to 19" each
• Plywood bottom (Mine measured 36" long x 24.5" wide)
• Two one by four's cut to 23" long
• Wooden planks for bench, I bought a few long boards and cut them at home.  Some stores will cut the boards for you.  
• My planks for the front measured 34" long x appx. 3.5" wide (I used some left over pallet planks from the desk project)
• I used 6 planks, enough to cover 21.5" when laid side by side
• My planks for the sides measured 23" long x appx 2.5" wide 
• I used 8 planks for each side too, enough to cover 21.5" when laid side by side
• My planks for the top measured 35.5" long x appx 2.5" wide 
• I used 8 planks for the top

• Two fancy L brackets large enough to support a 6" wide shelf
• Various hooks for coats and hats
• Handle for top of bench
• Hinges for bench (I lucked out because the hinges were still attached to the door I bought)
• Wood screws
• Wood stain 
• Lacquer
• Brown paint
• hand sander and medium grit sand paper
• "Inactive" door knob
• Stencils 
• Black acrylic paint
• Drill
• Hacksaw
• Gloves
• Paint Brush
• Staining Cloths or Rags
• Washers
• Enough to anchor to each screw for each hook you intend on putting into the door
• Four for the L brackets you'll be using to attach the top shelf
• Six for attaching the bench supports to the door
• Nuts
• Enough to go over each washer for anchoring the hooks into place

1.) Faux Distressing the MDF Door:

  I wanted a distressed door, but opted for the $10 option instead.  So, I had Reed cut the door and remove the hinges.  It didn't have a knob, or I would have removed that in this step too.  I had him cut the damaged bottom off of the door, so that the height was 68".  This would give me room to attach the bench, but still allow plenty of space for hanging coats.  I took the door into my sun room/back porch to protect it from the elements, and went at it.  

Note:  Initially, I bought a crackle medium with the plans on crackling the door before the brown paint, but I couldn't get it to work properly and gave up.    

Here's my contractor's white MDF door.  

I wiped it down with water and dried it before painting to remove any dust.  

I put it on top of an old towel so I wouldn't splatter paint everywhere.

First, I painted it brown with some dark brown paint I already had on hand.  

If you're recreating, try to match the brown paint to the stain you bought for your bench.  

Here's the ugly brown door...sorry about picture quality.

  After it dried, I took my non electric, "do it by hand" sander, wrapped it with medium grit sandpaper and went to town.  It took me about two hours, and it was trial and error.  I would sand a section, then wipe it with a dry cloth and decide if it was "distressed" enough.  If not, I'd sand it it again.  

The top left hand corner is sanded in this picture.

  Also, my door had cut outs, those large rectangles in the center.  So, I sanded the top band and the band under the rectangles horizontally.  Then, I sanded the outside bands and the middle band (between the rectangles) vertically.  I sanded the rectangles vertically, but there were these little ridges that were driving me crazy.  I sanded them by wrapping the sandpaper around my finger, pressing down hard and trying to scrape paint off of the door.  Be careful, if you start sanding as fast with your finger as you did with the sander, it will burn.  Once I decided the door was "distressed" enough, I moved on.  Also, I didn't even bother sanding the bottom 21.5" of the door, because I knew my bench would cover this area.  After sanding, I wiped the door down with a damp cloth, then went right behind that with a dry one to remove all of the paint dust.    

Here's a close up of the door after I was covered in sweat from sanding finished sanding it...

  It's blurry, but I'll post a better picture at the end...I think it came out looking pretty darn distressed...and not too far off from the $250 old distressed door I wanted to buy.  (This is when I did my first happy dance for this project)  Faux distressed MDF door....DONE!

2.) Building the bench frame

  Now that the back support was finished, I laid the door down (distressed side up) and began to attach the frame for the bench.  First, I attached the plywood bottom to the door by using wood screws.  The only solid part of the door was located on the outer sides.  I screwed through the bottom of the plywood and up into those sides.  Here's the first of many color coded displays to explain that process.  

  While I had the door laying down,  I needed to build the frame so I could attach the supports through the plywood bottom.  First, I attached  two of the 2x4's cut to 19" to two of the 2x4's cut to 20" to form the shape of an upside down L.  The 20" two by four's will stand vertically, while the 19" two by four's will run horizontal to the plywood bottom, and come out to the front to form the top of the bench.  Color coded display #2 coming up!

  Next, I attached the upside down L's to the door and the plywood bottom to form the back supports for my bench.  

• I drove 2 screws up through the plywood, into the 20" two by four
• I drove 3 screws through the inside of the "L", and into the solid part of the door.
• I anchored the supports with a washer and a nut for each screw  

  The tip of the screw may stick out of the back of the door, even past the washer and nut.  We'll take care of those later.  Color coded display #3 coming up!

  Repeat this process on both sides.  Your project should still be laying on the floor and should look like this...

  Next, I took the two remaining two by four's cut to 20" and attached them to the top of the upside down L and to the plywood bottom.  

• I drove a screw up through the plywood and into the two by four, so the head of the screw will lay flat against the plywood.  
• I drove the screw horizontally through the 20" two by four and into the 19" top of the upside down L. 

Color coded display #5...  

  Lastly, I attached the 18" two by four to the middle of the plywood bottom, at the edge that will become the front.  This is going to support your bench top.  I drove two screws up through the plywood and into the two by four.  Color coded display #6...

  Now stand it up!  It should look like this, the last color coded display for this section!

  Now, you'll need to cut a groove into the 18" center vertical two by four to allow the support for the top bench to fit properly.   To do this, use a handsaw to cut out a little chunk in the shape of an L.  Here's a pic...

3. Attaching the Planks

  Now that the frame for the bench is built, it's time to put the sides on that baby!  Get out your wooden planks!

  My planks for the front measured 36" wide, and I needed enough planks to cover 21.5" when laid side by side.  All we're doing here is attaching those planks to form the front of the bench.  Attach the planks to the outer 2x4's and the center 2x4.  To attach each plank, I used six screws.  I put two in the edge of the plank, to attach it to the outer support, two in the middle to attach it to the center support, and two on the other edge to attach it to the opposite outer support.  I did this all the way up, except on top plank, I attached the two screws much closer together.  

When you've attached all of these planks, it should look like this... 

  My planks for the sides measured 23" L x appx 3" wide.  To attach these planks, I used four screws per plank.  I put two screws in each end of the plank to attach it to both the front and the back 2x4.  Attach all of the planks, and you should have a 3 sided box.  The side and front planks should come up just a tad higher than the supports, to form a small lip into which the top will fit.  If yours aren't quite tall enough to form a lip, do what I did!  I attached two one by four's , cut to 23" to create a lip.  

4. Building the top

  Now that you have a box, you need a top to turn it into a bench.  For this process, you'll need the following:

• Two hinges
• Top Planks (mine measured 36" long by 3.5" wide each)
• Both one by four's cut to 19"
• The last two by four measuring 19"
• Screws
• Drill

  First, attach your hinges to two by fours that form the outer base of the bench.  I attached mine to the 19" two by fours that run horizontal to the floor, because that allowed the hinges enough room to open and close.  Attach the hinges just inside the outer lip formed by the one by four's on the top of the sides of the bench.  When the top of the bench is attached, the top part of the hinge, which is currently unattached, will be screwed into the underside of a plank.  It will look like this...

  Now, I built the entire top first, then attached, and it was a nightmare.  So, I'll advise you to attach one of the planks you'll be using to build your top to both hinges, so that it will fit inside the outer lip created by the side planks from the base of the box.  I attached the hinge to the underside of the plank.  This is so when the bench is closed, you'll only see the cylindrical part of the hinge.  

   Here's where it gets tricky.  You're going to attach all of the planks to the two one by four's and to the center two by four.  You'll need a surface to support the outer edges of the planks, so that you can drill down from the top of the planks, and into the support braces.  You'll lay out your planks, side by side and in a straight line with the edges supported by saw horses or something similar.  Line them up as if they were already attached to form the top.   Don't forget to leave about an inch and a half of the support boards sticking out of the back plank, so you can attach the hinge plank to the final top.  Put at least three screws into each plank, one into each support beam.  The one by fours will form the outer supports, and the two by four will form the center support.  The supports will only cover about a half inch of the plank that will be in the front.  It should look like this...  

   After all of the planks are attached to the supports, attach the handle.  Attach the handle on the front plank, not the plank where the edges of the support beams are sticking out.  Here's a pic...

  Next, take the top over to the box, and wedge the inch and a half of support beams you left on the end underneath the board attached to the hinges.  Screw the hinge board into the supports you left sticking out of the back, just as you did with all of the other planks.  Your top is now attached!  It should look like this...

  

Your bench is built!!! Now take just a few moments for Happy Dance Time......

5. Staining the Bench

  You may choose to leave your bench as is, but I wanted it to match the brown on the door as closely as possible.  Understand that the stained wood will not be an exact match to the door, because the bench is wood, whereas the door is painted MDF.  Anyway, get out your gloves, stain, brush and some stain rags.  

  I had never stained anything before this project, so I was super intimidated, but it's sooooo easy!  While I mainly used the rags, I did use the brush for the cracks between the boards and the area around the screws. I didn't stain the inside of the bench.  I know this is inconsistent, but really, who's going to see the inside of the bench except me and you?  So I was lazy left it as is.  

  Put on your gloves...seriously, or your hands will be brown for a week.  Take one of the rags and dip it into the brown stain, then smear it onto the wood.  It really doesn't matter where you start, I opened the bench and did the lip that created the edges of the box first.  You wipe it on, then take a clean cloth and wipe it off.  That's it!  If you want it to be a little darker, you wipe more on, wait a few seconds, then wipe it off.  Easy, right?  You do this to the entire bench.  Like I mentioned earlier, I used the brush to get in the cracks and around the screws.  Be careful!  When you dip the brush in the stain, wipe off all of the excess, then brush along the cracks and screws.  If you don't wipe off the excess from the brush before touching it to the wood, it's impossible to get it out of the cracks.  Now...let it dry.  This could take awhile, check the directions on the stain for exact times.  Wait it out!  If you bring it inside too early, your whole house will smell like paint fumes!  While you wait, you can attach your hooks and L brackets.

6. Attaching the Top Shelf and Hooks

    To attach the top shelf, you'll need to attach the L brackets.  We purchased L brackets to match the hooks, but you can choose whichever type you'd like.  First, I measured the door, and marked the cedar shelf with a marker to make sure the L brackets would be on the outer edge of the door, and the shelf overhang on either side would be even.  You'll want to attach the L brackets the outer edge because that's the solid part of the door.  

  Get out the drill and attach the shelf to the L brackets.  The head of the screw should be on the L bracket side, and the tip should come out the other side of the cedar shelf.  Do this with both L brackets.  Next, take your shelf and L brackets and hold them against the top edge of the door.  The shelf should be even with, or a little above the top edge of the door.  

  The unattached end of the L bracket will need to be flush with the door.  You'll need someone to help you hold up the other end of the shelf while you attach the first one.  Next, you'll screw the bottom, unattached part of the L bracket to the door on both sides.  You'll want to use a level to make sure it's even.  We also attached a washer and a nut on the back of the door to anchor the L brackets.  Voila, your top shelf is in place!  

   Now, to attach your hooks, decide where you want them, and screw them into place.  We attached a washer and a nut on the back side of the door to anchor each hook.  A word of caution, the only solid part of an MDF door is the outer rim.  I attached all of my hooks to the outer rim, then three across the part that crossed between the large rectangles and the smaller top rectangles... 

7. Dealing with the tips of the screws

  All of the hooks you attached probably left the backside of the door with a bunch of sharp screw tips poking out.  You can leave them, but if you're intending on having the hall tree flush with a wall, I wouldn't advise it.  I had Reed do this part.  You'll need a hacksaw.  You have to actually saw off each tip.  This part sucks, but it's necessary to save your walls.  


  Guess what?  You're done!  HAPPY DANCE TIME!!!!!!! 

  There's one more step if you want to add just a little bit more character to your funky hall tree.  This part is optional.  I wanted the bench to look more like an old shipping crate, so I grabbed my stencils and some black acrylic paint.  Considering we're from the Greater New Orleans area, I figured it was appropriate to paint "Port of New Orleans" on the box.  You can see where I originally had "ORLEANS" toward the bottom right corner, I scrubbed that off, but did not restain the wood just yet.  (I'll do that soon) Now it looks like we made a bench out of a shipping crate fresh out of the Port!  I'm loving it...for really real.

  


  Hopefully, you love your new hall tree!  I also made a bench seat for the top.  I used a painter's drop cloth, because that's what I make everything out of, and it's super cheap.  I picked this one up at Wal Mart for $10, and used an old comforter for the cushion.  I need to do some adjustments, to make it look more like a bench seat and less like a big pillow, but I was anxious to get this post uploaded and out of my "draft" box, which also explains why I haven't re-stained over the original "ORLEANS"   


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