Designing a dressing bench for the foot of the bed with a step for my dogs

[Roger Feeley]

One of the nicest things about woodworking is stepping outside the box and making EXACTLY what I want. If I can think it, I can make it.

I have this idea for something I've never seen or heard of before. I would like to build a bench for the foot of our bed with a lower part to act as a step for our two small dogs. We encourage our dogs to hop up on the bed sometimes and they can just make the jump. At some point, they will get older and I think it's better to acclimate them to a two step jump now rather than later.

So we have a King size bed. I'm thinking of a 30" wide bench with little short upholstered 'seats' about half height on each side. If I make them 12" wide, the total width of the bench would be 4.5'.

Comments?

[eugene thomas]

I hope when get your idea done my wife not see the pic because SHE wants something like that to help one of our dogs get on bed.

[Brian Tymchak]

You could incorporate a blanket-chest concept for storage as well.

I had a similar idea for our aging cats (now departed) so that they could still get up to the windows and see outside. Unfortunately I could not get it built at the time. To have a large enough top to have a cushion to lay on, I was thinking about building a cabinet roughly in size to a typical 2 drawer filing cabinet, with essentially upside down drawers for steps that would lock open/shut. I never detailed out the design, but the drawer part would be easy enough. Getting them to lock open or shut, didn't figure that out. Also, I didn't give this much thought since our cats were not all that heavy, but with dogs, the open drawer concept might present a tipping problem. So, not a fleshed-out solution, just an idea.

[johnny means]

I'm seeing something like an Olympic awards podium. Each tread could be a flip up top for storage. They could be made as separate units, in case your needs ever changed. Now that i think about it, i guess what I'm seeing is a tansu.

[Roger Feeley]

One more thought. Functionally, I only need a step on one side but for some reason, I envision something with steps on both sides to be symmetrical. Should I drop the symmetry thing?

My idea is a sort of Mission style bench with no storage. It would just have stringers that appear to go all the way through the legs to form the apron for the step.

[Yonak Hawkins]

One more thought. Functionally, I only need a step on one side but for some reason, I envision something with steps on both sides to be symmetrical. Should I drop the symmetry thing?

My idea is a sort of Mission style bench with no storage. It would just have stringers that appear to go all the way through the legs to form the apron for the step.

How about reversing it and having seats on each end of the bench and "steps" up the middle ? .."His and Hers" seats, so to speak. You could sit on one of the seats and put your foot on a lower step to tie your shoes.

[Dave Richards]

When I was reading your original post, I had the same thought Yonak had. Maybe three pieces with the doggie steps as a separate unit in the middle. This would make it easier to handle in the shop and to move if you ever need to do so later.

[Erik Loza]

What a great idea. Personally, I would make it a chest. Somehow, I think it might look weird to have an open-legged bench sitting at the foot of the bed but possibly that is just me. We don't have the room in our master but I would love to have a chest at the foot of the bed for extra throws and blankets, now that winter is here.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do. I hope you post some pics when it's all done.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Richard Shaefer]

dogs tend to distrust narrow steps. this goes doubel for the old ones who aren't very sure of themselves anymore.
I suggest you mock-up something out of cheap plywood to see if they'll actually use it first.

If they do use it, and you don't care to do drawers, build the vacant part as cubby holes and size the holes for one of the myriad sized/pattered baskets from a place like Micheal's or Home Goods. A smart man would let his wife pick them out, but to each their own ;)

[Prashun Patel]

Sketch it out. It's an easier communication tool, and will by far lead to better refinement on the form and function of this neat idea than the words alone.

[Yonak Hawkins]

dogs tend to distrust narrow steps.

That's a good point about what steps dogs will climb. One of our dogs, as he got older, began to not trust stairs, such as deck steps, that didn't have risers, where he could see through them. I would think, the wider the steps the better. A king size bed with two 16" wide seats could still have 45" wide steps.

[Roger Feeley]

The bride piped up this morning and suggested a blanket chest. So you guys pretty much predicted what I will most likely end up doing. I like the double seat with the step in the middle. I don't thing the step width is a huge issue. My dogs are 7 and 15 lbs. The little one is 3 years old and can just barely make the jump up on the bed. I noticed that she started having trouble when we added a folded blanket at the foot. Just an extra inch made a difference.