Over the years, a large pile of reusable grocery bags has managed to evolve near the front door just inside the living room. These are quite conveniently positioned but are a serious eyesore. We don't have any spare closet space for the bags so I thought a bit of creative woodworking could be used to at least hide them from view while maintaining the grab-n'-go positioning.
I originally had in mind a Parson's Bench, probably inspired by one in the front entrance of a friend's house. However we didn't really need the back or the railing that those usually sport, so what's left when you take those off is a chest. Or more specifically a blanket chest if you want any Internet searches to be, um, properly focussed. Now we won't in fact be storing any blankets in this one, but I don't imagine there are any actual
regulations on what you can put in there, so we should be good.
There's of course no limit to the design variations for a chest like this but I eventually settled on a raised-panel version with contrasting woods; a Sapele (sah-PEE-lee) frame and box with Koto panels. The
construction involved 20-odd pieces with relatively simple joinery holding things together.
| Material: | Sapele, Koto, Birch Plywood |
| Finish: | 3 coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly, Satin |
| Size: | 40" x 18" x 20" High |
| Done: | July 17, 2026 |
