The Inspiration
Whenever we take a trip to WDW, we like to leave extra time to explore and enjoy things other than the parks. If you are finding yourself with some extra time, checking out some of the park adjacent amenities is a great way to start. EPCOT has a lot to offer both in the park and the surrounding area, but one thing it doesn’t offer is a lot of shade. On those hot and crowded days we find ourselves wandering over to the Yacht & Beach Club for a little break. Beaches & Cream is a great place to recharge and grab a cold treat to help cool you off.
Of course EPCOT has plenty of treats and hidden places to recharge, but for a family the Kitchen Sink is the way to go and can only be found at Beaches & Cream. This is just one of many great places to check out while you’re taking a break from the parks. Boardwalk has a lot to offer including some whimsical entertainment featuring dueling pianos found at Jellyrolls or you could dance the night away at Atlantic Dance Hall. If you’re staying at the Yacht & Beach Club resorts, head over to my favorite pools, Stormalong Bay. This pool is strictly limited to vacationers staying here and features a shallow sand pool which is great for the little ones since the maximum depth is about 2 feet. This pool features an open swim zone complete with waterfall, a 230 foot slide and is also the only WDW resort with a lazy river.
The Inspiration
Whenever we take a trip to WDW, we like to leave extra time to explore and enjoy things other than the parks. If you are finding yourself with some extra time, checking out some of the park adjacent amenities is a great way to start. EPCOT has a lot to offer both in the park and the surrounding area, but one thing it doesn’t offer is a lot of shade. On those hot and crowded days we find ourselves wandering over to the Yacht & Beach Club for a little break. Beaches & Cream is a great place to recharge and grab a cold treat to help cool you off.
Of course EPCOT has plenty of treats and hidden places to recharge, but for a family the Kitchen Sink is the way to go and can only be found at Beaches & Cream. This is just one of many great places to check out while you’re taking a break from the parks. Boardwalk has a lot to offer including some whimsical entertainment featuring dueling pianos found at Jellyrolls or you could dance the night away at Atlantic Dance Hall. If you’re staying at the Yacht & Beach Club resorts, head over to my favorite pools, Stormalong Bay. This pool is strictly limited to vacationers staying here and features a shallow sand pool which is great for the little ones since the maximum depth is about 2 feet. This pool features an open swim zone complete with waterfall, a 230 foot slide and is also the only WDW resort with a lazy river.
Who wouldn’t want to be reminded of these great EPCOT adjacent resorts am I right? But how? Well for this family, we decided to add a little dining banquette to our house and the inspiration came straight from the Beach Club. I had already built an epoxy/wood dining table that was reimagined after Bay Lake and we just needed a place to put it. I didn’t want to place it in the center knowing that the kids would be running around inside the house which has an open floor plan and it would only be a matter of time before they smack their head right into the corner of the table…OUCH!
The other option was to push it against the wall and only put chairs around one side. Well that wouldn’t look very appealing or offer very much space for our family. Then I thought to myself…I said “Self, you need one of those benches like they had at the Beach Club, but better.” I remember the white bench seat built right into the wall that left ample space on the opposite side of the table to walk around and was out of the way of foot traffic.
Who wouldn’t want to be reminded of these great EPCOT adjacent resorts am I right? But how? Well for this family, we decided to add a little dining banquette to our house and the inspiration came straight from the Beach Club. I had already built an epoxy/wood dining table that was reimagined after Bay Lake and we just needed a place to put it. I didn’t want to place it in the center knowing that the kids would be running around inside the house which has an open floor plan and it would only be a matter of time before they smack their head right into the corner of the table…OUCH!
The other option was to push it against the wall and only put chairs around one side. Well that wouldn’t look very appealing or offer very much space for our family. Then I thought to myself…I said “Self, you need one of those benches like they had at the Beach Club, but better.” I remember the white bench seat built right into the wall that left ample space on the opposite side of the table to walk around and was out of the way of foot traffic.
I brought up the idea to Juliet and she immediately loved it. We already had a canvas print of the Boardwalk in the dinette so this would give us the feeling like we were at the Beach Club resort looking across Crescent Lake over to the Boardwalk. Camille is at that age where she wants to eat her meals in every area of the house except the main dining room. Having the banquette would give us the added benefit of being able to confine the kids between us easier while they eat as well.
I brought up the idea to Juliet and she immediately loved it. We already had a canvas print of the Boardwalk in the dinette so this would give us the feeling like we were at the Beach Club resort looking across Crescent Lake over to the Boardwalk. Camille is at that age where she wants to eat her meals in every area of the house except the main dining room. Having the banquette would give us the added benefit of being able to confine the kids between us easier while they eat as well.
The Recreation
I modified the design to add more functionality by adding storage space inside the bench to hold all of Juliets cooking accessories (which there’s a lot…I don’t even know what half of them do, but she insists they serve a purpose). I changed their cushioned backrest design to bead-board tongue and groove to match some of the paneling seen all along the Boardwalk and the Yacht and Beach Club. I did keep the recessed panels on the lower unit to match the bench. The bench was finished off with a matching cabinet with pull out trash bins and a live edge river counter top to match the Bay Lake table.
The foundation of this project lies with the carcasses and recessed bases. This will be holding up most of the weight and where the rest of the components will be attached so its important to make it sturdy and square. Using cabinet grade plywood makes the storage area more aesthetically pleasing. I love the look of maple so I tried to use that when possible but ended up using ash to save money for the painted trim.
The Recreation
I modified the design to add more functionality by adding storage space inside the bench to hold all of Juliets cooking accessories (which there’s a lot…I don’t even know what half of them do, but she insists they serve a purpose). I changed their cushioned backrest design to bead-board tongue and groove to match some of the paneling seen all along the Boardwalk and the Yacht and Beach Club. I did keep the recessed panels on the lower unit to match the bench. The bench was finished off with a matching cabinet with pull out trash bins and a live edge river counter top to match the Bay Lake table.
The foundation of this project lies with the carcasses and recessed bases. This will be holding up most of the weight and where the rest of the components will be attached so its important to make it sturdy and square. Using cabinet grade plywood makes the storage area more aesthetically pleasing. I love the look of maple so I tried to use that when possible but ended up using ash to save money for the painted trim.
We had a tight schedule with this project. Gavins due date was steadily approaching and we knew we were about to have family staying at our house soon. This led me to building the carcasses at the station during my downtime. I built them in 3 uniform sections to make them easier to transport. This made cutting my pieces a lot faster too since a lot of the dimensions were replicated.
I used pocket holes and wood glue for assembling the boxes. Pocket holes should be placed at least 1” from ends and evenly spaced 6-8” apart. Try to face pocket holes on the non visible sides when possible for aesthetic reasons. You can also use plugs/dowels or wood fill in the holes then sand them smooth to blend them in a bit. I installed a partition centered in all three carcasses to help support the lids and this gave us a total of 6 separate storage areas. The carcass floor was added once the walls and partitions were assembled and square.
We had a tight schedule with this project. Gavins due date was steadily approaching and we knew we were about to have family staying at our house soon. This led me to building the carcasses at the station during my downtime. I built them in 3 uniform sections to make them easier to transport. This made cutting my pieces a lot faster too since a lot of the dimensions were replicated.
I used pocket holes and wood glue for assembling the boxes. Pocket holes should be placed at least 1” from ends and evenly spaced 6-8” apart. Try to face pocket holes on the non visible sides when possible for aesthetic reasons. You can also use plugs/dowels or wood fill in the holes then sand them smooth to blend them in a bit. I installed a partition centered in all three carcasses to help support the lids and this gave us a total of 6 separate storage areas. The carcass floor was added once the walls and partitions were assembled and square.
The bases were built in the same manner with recessed toe kicks to match with the kitchen cabinets. I installed vertical and horizontal braces along the bases under each of the carcass uprights and one centered in between to support the carcass floor. I also extended one of the bases 3″ beyond the carcass to account for the overhang from the opposing carcass. There were two bases constructed, one for the short side and one that held up the two sections on the longer side.
Once the bases and carcasses were finished, I fastened them together. Again, using pocket screws and wood glue. This time, I drilled the pocket screws on the interior edges of the bases, securing them to the carcasses. Using wood clamps makes it easier to keep the bases lined up with the back and sides of the carcasses while securing the screws and allowing the glue to firmly dry. Make sure to clean up any running glue while its wet so you don’t have to chisel it off later on. Moving on to the lid frames was the last step before installing these inside.
The bases were built in the same manner with recessed toe kicks to match with the kitchen cabinets. I installed vertical and horizontal braces along the bases under each of the carcass uprights and one centered in between to support the carcass floor. I also extended one of the bases 3″ beyond the carcass to account for the overhang from the opposing carcass. There were two bases constructed, one for the short side and one that held up the two sections on the longer side.
Once the bases and carcasses were finished, I fastened them together. Again, using pocket screws and wood glue. This time, I drilled the pocket screws on the interior edges of the bases, securing them to the carcasses. Using wood clamps makes it easier to keep the bases lined up with the back and sides of the carcasses while securing the screws and allowing the glue to firmly dry. Make sure to clean up any running glue while its wet so you don’t have to chisel it off later on. Moving on to the lid frames was the last step before installing these inside.
The lid frames were built using 1″x2.5″ poplar. The lid frames not only give the carcasses a more professional finish, they also serve to protect the plywood ends as well as provide more surface area for the lids to rest. The lid frames were also built flush around the perimeter of the carcasses.
While waiting for the glue to set, it was time to move on to the install prep work. I removed the previous trim and chair railing and disconnected any outlets that would fall behind the bench (please use or consult with an electrician if your project will require moving or disconnecting electrical wires). Now is a good time to mark your wall studs so you don’t have to look for them later on.
Installing the units came next. Make sure to install them level, plumb and square. I used wood shims with a dab of wood glue to get everything level before securing the boxes to the wall studs. While keeping everything level, secure the carcasses to the studs and a couple short screws to secure the separate carcass sections together. Next I secured the 1×6 lid cleat flat on the lid frame and pushed against the wall. For the backrest, I started with installing the top and bottom nailers at 83 degree angle from each other which will give you the 7 degree slope.
Attaching The Lids
The lids were glued to the carcass with pocket holes face down and secured with countersunk screws that were later filled and stained
The lid frames were built using 1″x2.5″ poplar. The lid frames not only give the carcasses a more professional finish, they also serve to protect the plywood ends as well as provide more surface area for the lids to rest. The lid frames were also built flush around the perimeter of the carcasses.
While waiting for the glue to set, it was time to move on to the install prep work. I removed the previous trim and chair railing and disconnected any outlets that would fall behind the bench (please use or consult with an electrician if your project will require moving or disconnecting electrical wires). Now is a good time to mark your wall studs so you don’t have to look for them later on.
Installing the units came next. Make sure to install them level, plumb and square. I used wood shims with a dab of wood glue to get everything level before securing the boxes to the wall studs. While keeping everything level, secure the carcasses to the studs and a couple short screws to secure the separate carcass sections together. Next I secured the 1×6 lid cleat flat on the lid frame and pushed against the wall. For the backrest, I started with installing the top and bottom nailers at 83 degree angle from each other which will give you the 7 degree slope.
Attaching The Lids
The lids were glued to the carcass with pocket holes face down and secured with countersunk screws that were later filled and stained
To get the dimensions for the plywood backrest, measure the distance from the top and bottom nailer. I added a 7 degree angle along the top and bottom so that the shape resembled a parallelogram (if you don’t flip the plywood you will end up with a trapezoid shape instead…which is not what you want). After installing the first backrest, move on to the next side and repeat the steps with the nailers and plywood.
Before cutting this one to length you will need to cut the angle where it meets the first backrest. The easiest way to do this is by butting up the plywood against bottom of the first backrest and measure the gap along the top between the two plywood pieces. Transfer this measurement to the bottom of the plywood and draw a diagonal line from this measurement to where the top ends and this should give you a 7 degree angle.
To get the dimensions for the plywood backrest, measure the distance from the top and bottom nailer. I added a 7 degree angle along the top and bottom so that the shape resembled a parallelogram (if you don’t flip the plywood you will end up with a trapezoid shape instead…which is not what you want). After installing the first backrest, move on to the next side and repeat the steps with the nailers and plywood.
Before cutting this one to length you will need to cut the angle where it meets the first backrest. The easiest way to do this is by butting up the plywood against bottom of the first backrest and measure the gap along the top between the two plywood pieces. Transfer this measurement to the bottom of the plywood and draw a diagonal line from this measurement to where the top ends and this should give you a 7 degree angle.
The lower panels were built to size, flush with the top of the lid frame and the toe kick. The panels were assembled with pocket holes and glue then a 1/2” rabbet groove was made along the inside perimeter. The 1/2″ plywood was cut to fit inside the rabbeted panels and glued together.
For the backrest panels, I started by ripping the bottom of the 6” and the top of the 3” ash at 7 degrees to match the slope. The top and bottom panel that meet the corner were mitered at 7 degrees as well. The corner upright stiles were cut with with a 7 degree angle along one side to continue the slope. One stile was cut 3/4” wider to accommodate the overlap of the adjacent stile. The panels were secured with wood glue and countersunk screws that were later hidden with wood putty. I cut all the bead board to length and dry fit them to get the ends even, cutting off the excess of the ends so they would match. The bead board was glued down and nailed with finishing nails.
Uniform panels
The panels were all built so that the finished look will have a uniform appearance. The bottom backrest panel was built 6″ to accommodate the 3″ cushion. The corner stiles were cut so that the narrowest showing section was 3″ as well.
The lower panels were built to size, flush with the top of the lid frame and the toe kick. The panels were assembled with pocket holes and glue then a 1/2” rabbet groove was made along the inside perimeter. The 1/2″ plywood was cut to fit inside the rabbeted panels and glued together.
For the backrest panels, I started by ripping the bottom of the 6” and the top of the 3” ash at 7 degrees to match the slope. The top and bottom panel that meet the corner were mitered at 7 degrees as well. The corner upright stiles were cut with with a 7 degree angle along one side to continue the slope. One stile was cut 3/4” wider to accommodate the overlap of the adjacent stile. The panels were secured with wood glue and countersunk screws that were later hidden with wood putty. I cut all the bead board to length and dry fit them to get the ends even, cutting off the excess of the ends so they would match. The bead board was glued down and nailed with finishing nails.
Uniform panels
The panels were all built so that the finished look will have a uniform appearance. The bottom backrest panel was built 6″ to accommodate the 3″ cushion. The corner stiles were cut so that the narrowest showing section was 3″ as well.
I cut and installed the 5/4” backrest cap and front edge and counter screwed them in place. Both the cap and front edges overhung by about 5/8” to leave room for 1/2” quarter round. The lids were crafted with 3/4” plywood that was piano hinged to the lid cleat with 2 small holes drilled near the front edges to install the rope handles.
The inside of the bench was stained and polyurethaned for added protection. Finally, the bench was painted off white with 3 coats of cabinet grade paint. I finished it off with some linen wrapped cushions using 3″ high density foam. Now alls we need is the Kitchen Sink Sundae to make us feel like we are really back in Disney. Hope you all enjoyed this recreation and thank you for stopping by!
I cut and installed the 5/4” backrest cap and front edge and counter screwed them in place. Both the cap and front edges overhung by about 5/8” to leave room for 1/2” quarter round. The lids were crafted with 3/4” plywood that was piano hinged to the lid cleat with 2 small holes drilled near the front edges to install the rope handles.
The inside of the bench was stained and polyurethaned for added protection. Finally, the bench was painted off white with 3 coats of cabinet grade paint. I finished it off with some linen wrapped cushions using 3″ high density foam. Now alls we need is the Kitchen Sink Sundae to make us feel like we are really back in Disney. Hope you all enjoyed this recreation and thank you for stopping by!
Material List:
I would have preferred Maple for all the trim pieces but at the time Ash was a lot cheaper. Few things to consider when selecting your wood species: Durability, workability, stain/paintability, price and availability.
3/4” Cabinet Grade Maple Plywood- carcass walls, bases and lids
1/2” Cabinet Grade Maple Plywood- carcass floor, lower wood panel inserts
3/4” Pine Plywood- backrest backing
2”x4” Pine or Douglas Fir Lumber- angled nailers
1”X6” Oak Board- lid cleat
3/4”X6” Ash- lower backrest panels, backrest corner upright panels
3/4”X3” Ash- upper backrest panels, outer backrest uprights, lower paneling
1”X2.5” Poplar- carcass top frame
5/4”X2.5” Maple- backrest cap, front edging
IMPORTANT DIMENSIONS:
Typical bench and chair height is anywhere in the 17″-19″. range. I used 3″. high density foam for the cushion and allowed for about 2″. of compression which put us at a total bench height, minus the cushions, right about 16.25″.
I used 3-in. height for the bases to match the height of the existing kitchen cabinet toe kicks. I also accounted for 1-in. for the lid frames, 3/4″ for the lids and 1/2″ for the storage floor. This means that the the total height of my carcass walls was just at 11″. which worked out perfectly to rip 3 sections out of a 4’X8’ plywood plus one 3″. rip with only a sliver of waste.
For the seat depth I aimed for 18″. from the bottom of the backrest to the edge of the seat. If adding cushions to the backrest you will need to account for those as well. I copied the angled backrest as seen at the Beach Club which was about your typical 7 degree angle.
