After all was complete it was time to start thinking about the "furnishings". You do not realize how big normal household furniture is until you try to use it in a small (especially narrow) space. My first lesson in that was when I moved a couch from the house into the box. There were two immediate problems. First was that the couch (or even a normal chair) took up too much width. I was left with a "path" to go around it. The same was true when I looked at "futons". The biggest problem is the angle of the back. That is a LOT of lost space when it is use and also gets in the way when not in use. The second issue is that I wanted it to be as convenient as possible to keep clean. A standard couch or chair is not exactly the easiest thing to clean around.
With all this in mind, my goals for furniture were:
- Easily movable to clean around
- Durable
- Comfortable
- A possibility for "dual use"
- Above all else, INEXPENSIVE
I am cheap, I will be the first to admit. I also however wish to be comfortable. The cheapness comes from the fact that I am not certain how an idea will turn out. I don't want to go and buy a thousand dollars worth of furniture, only to find out is does not fit or there is some other issue. Remember, I am in "uncharted territory here!
The only solution I could come up with that met ALL of my requirements were CAR SEATS. They are light, durable, comfortable, adjustable and as I found out later the right ones can be "dual use". With this in mind, off to the scrap yard I went. For this I went to the local "Pull-a-Part". I was surprised to find that ANY seat they have is $30.00. So I wandered around and looked at what was available. What I discovered was rear minivan seats were perfect for what I was looking for. Not only were they comfortable but many could also fold flat.
This was my first chair. I really don't remember what it came out of other than a minivan. For a base, I got a little wild and used a Harbor Freight scissor type transmission jack. After adapting the jack to the seat (some welding required), I had a seat which met the following criteria:
- Easily be moved to clean around
- Adjustable in height (courtesy of the jack)
- An adjustable backrest
- Usable as a table (when I get around to cutting the wood for the back)
- As an added bonus, a headrest
Next I needed a table. If you have not been able to tell by now, my "style" for this project is "Comfortable Industrial". I was not sure what I would do for the table however I kept playing with ideas in the back of my mind. I was at the local tractor junk yard to find just the right valve cover for a hanging lamp I wanted to do. While explaining what I was looking for the valve cover for, one of the workers there took an interest in the concept.
It was he who suggested using a tractor axle housing for the table base. At that, all the lightbulbs went off in my head. My mother (who is just as big a "packrat" of strange things as I! :-) ) had a couple wooden spool ends.
Thus I waked out with a valve cover AND axle housing. I simply bolted the spool end (after a good sanding) to the axle housing and varnished it. Next came the casters so I could easily move the table around. When all that was finished, I did not like the big hole in the center of the table. I also wanted a bit "softer" light. From this came the lamp fastened to the table. It is made of some pipe fittings, 2 electrical boxes (in which I installed a dimmer/switch and an electric outlet with USB charging outlets), a tinted "ball jar", and last but not least, the "fancy Wok lid" (polished inside of coarse :-) ).
If you decide to also do a "lamp in a jar" light, do not use anything other than an LED bulb! An LED bulb does not create the heat of an incandescent or halogen bulb and so you can get more creative with them. I was surprised how "homey" this light made it in here. In the evening with this and the desk lamp, it gives the effect of more space.
Next came the desk. You can see in the previous pictures that I had a "normal" desk. However this was both heavy and too big for what I wanted. Again, "normal" furniture does not work well in small spaces. I also wanted my desk to be semi-portable and easy to move to clean around.
Basically this is simply 2 cheap bookshelves that are hinged together. Both the keyboard tray, and the corner piece fold down. The "desk" is then closed up and ready for transport. This then sits under my bed.
I had mentioned a "futon" earlier. However I decided to make this instead. It is simply a twin bed up on 4x4's. The "ladder" is from a John Deere combine. Yet another scrap yard find :-)
You'll also notice yet another "car seat". My computer chair was only 2 years old and falling apart, this one I think will outlast me!
This one I simply went "quick and easy" on it. My only requirement was arm rests. However, as you may notice I got an unexpected bonus. This seat has a pull out cup holder that fits my coffee cups perfectly :-D The base is a simple Harbor Freight furniture dolly. For balance purposes the chair had to be put more to the front of the dolly. On the back I screwed down a plastic bin to keep "stuff" in. On the front I set it back just far enough so that I could use the front of the dolly as a foot rest. Unfortunately, this model does not truly fold "flat". However there is the nice plastic molding on the back for a little bit of flat space if needed, plus the bonus of two more cup holders.
The next "building project will be to get my stove and fridge set up. That is however down the road.
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