DIY Network

The Best Seat in the House The Best Seat in the House From "Weekend Decorating" episode WDC-210

Figure A

Now it's time to provide seating for all the guests who'll be drawn to the media room once it's finished! There are many possibilities: benches, beanbags, even a collection of random chairs. But these homeowners were lucky enough to hear about an auditorium that was having a fire sale, so they were able to get a dozen stadium seats (figure A) for next to nothing. After taking a look at the seats, Golden knew she could spruce them up and create attractive and comfortable seating.

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Because the attic space was all one level, Golden decided that she would build platforms to raise the seats in ascending order as you enter the room. The project is not nearly as difficult as it might seem; just be sure to use durable wood for the platforms, as they will be supporting a significant amount of weight.

Steps:

Tip: Work on all six risers at the same time: while one is drying, you can be building the next one.

1. Check the dimensions of the precut plywood and adjust if necessary (our plywood sheets are 3'x4').

2. Transfer the measurements to 2x4s and cut with a chop saw. These lengths of 2x3' will serve as side braces for the platforms. (Actually, to make risers of different heights, Golden used 2x6s for the tallest platforms, 2x4s for the middle ones and 2x4s turned on their sides for the shortest ones.)

3. Position the 2x4 lengths in a box and predrill the ends (figure B).

4. Screw the ends together to create a frame (figure C).

5. Position the plywood sheet on top of the frame and use screws to hold it in place (figure D).

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

6. Apply a coat of primer and let dry (about 30 minutes).

7. After the primer has dried, apply a coat of heavy-duty adhesive to the top of the box.

8. Position the box on the back of a piece of carpet (figure E), which has been cut 6" larger than the box on all sides. We used an indoor/outdoor carpet, available at home-improvement stores.

9. Wrap the sides up and attach with a staple gun. Treat the corners as if you're wrapping a gift; staple in place (figure F).

10. The risers are 2" apart in height (2", 4" and 5") and are positioned in the room at an angle with the shortest platforms nearest to the screen (figure G).

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

11. Attach the seats, which have been reupholstered with a durable fabric (figure H) for a total cost of $600, to the risers with heavy-duty screws.

12. Attach the reupholstered arm pieces to the chair arms with heavy double-sided tape (figure I).

Tip: For furniture that gets a lot of use, choose either a commercial-grade fabric, a strong densely woven cotton or a cotton blend. The edges of the seats and the armrests will show much less wear with this type of fabric.

Figure H

Figure I