How to Build a Breakfast Nook and Seating With Storage

Use a tape measure to measure the space available to build your breakfast nook. Measure the height of the legs and depth of the seat on a chair you find comfortable. This will be the height and depth of your breakfast nook's seat. Write down all these measurements on a piece of paper.

Cut 6 pieces of two-by-four to the length of the available space with a circular saw. Cut 8 pieces of two-by-four to the depth of the chair, minus 8 inches. Cut 6 pieces of two-by-four to the height of the chair legs, minus 6 inches. Cut one piece of 3/4-inch-thick MDF to a rectangle of length equal to the length of the available space and width equal to the depth of the chair.

Glue two of the chair depth two-by-four pieces at right angles to two of the long pieces of two-by-four, to form a rectangle as the base of the nook's frame. Screw the pieces together using two long screws per joint. Countersink the screws to keep them from sticking out of the wood frame. Build two more rectangles in the same manner.

Glue and screw four two-by-four chair-height pieces to the corners of one of the rectangles, so the two-by-four pieces stand upright. Glue and screw another rectangle to the other end of these standing pieces in the same manner, to form a long box frame. Glue and screw a piece of two-by-four to the middle of each long face of the box, for extra strength. Use two long screws, countersunk, each time.

Glue the furniture foam to the MDF sheet you cut, and cut off any excess foam around the edges of the sheet. Place the upholstery fabric over the foam, and pull it tight around the MDF sheet. Turn the sheet over, and staple the fabric to the underside to hold it in place. Trim off any excess fabric once it is secured in place. This is the seat of your nook.

Measure and cut four more sheets of 3/4-inch-thick MDF to cover two of the long sides of the frame plus the two ends. Glue and screw the sheets to the frame. Place the closed hinges on the top of the frame at the back, and mark where they will sit. Cut recesses for the hinges into the wood with a chisel. Place the hinges in the recesses.

Place the seat on top of the frame. Mark the position of the hinges on the seat. Cut recesses for the hinges with the chisel. Screw the hinges to the frame. Screw the hinges to the seat. Place the completed nook seat where the nook is to stand.