Stool design for sitting to put shoes on

Finished a mission style bedroom set and want to add a small stool/bench that I can sit on to put shoes on. Bed is too high for me to do this comfortably. I have a little space on the wall that door opens onto. Between this door when it is open and the door to the bathroom I have 38". If I make something 30" wide I was thinking 15" deep, but this sticks out into the room quite a bit. I don't need a lot of width so I was thinking of cutting it down to 24", just enough to fit my A__ on. Was hoping to then make it 12" deep. @ 19" tall. 4 posts, stringer between the legs and a top with a loose cushion on it. Not like I would be sitting on this, just plunk down put shoes on and go on my way. Is this just to small, proportions off?

Thanks.

Brian

Pretty sure many have put on their shoes while on a potty seat , that’s the way to go !

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Originally Posted by Brian Runau

Finished a mission style bedroom set and want to add a small stool/bench that I can sit on to put shoes on. Bed is too high for me to do this comfortably. ...

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Brian, I've got to show you our favorite small stools. A friend has made 100s of these from a variety of hardwoods: pau marfim, purple heart, walnut, bubinga, and more. The seat has a gentle curve which we find quite comfortable. Could be made from any wood and any size but these are about 13" deep, 16" wide, 18" tall. The height at the center is at least 4" lower than our bed, perfect for shoes, etc.

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We got two of these from him, a matching table (with a flat top), cutting boards, etc. We keep this downstairs - one of these is my seat of choice at shoe/boot time.

JKJ

Thanks John, let's me know I am on track. Brian

That stool that John posted a picture of is beautiful. One change I'd suggest is to splay the legs a bit. You'd like the end of the legs to be about the width and length of the seat. It makes the stool a bit more stable.

Mike

Beautiful ! But to me it looks more like a camel saddle. And I’m not just inhaling smoke !

John K Jordan's pic is quite lovely. I made a staked sawbench right about knee height that works really well for me, especially when lacing up tall boots. I made mine just tall enough to dry knee high boots in the room with the wood stove.

I wondered about that at first until I sat on one. The legs and stretchers are pau marfim (guatambu), a very dense wood which makes the bottom heavy. The legs have some splay due to the design, but most of all the concave seat makes it impractical to sit anywhere but in the center! We got the stools partially for the look, especially with the coordinated table, but I was pleasantly surprised with both the comfort and stability.

I had never heard of pau marfim until I got a quantity from that gentleman - decades ago he bought a truckload and still has more than he can use. Besides a lot of pieces for sale he did his house flooring with pau marfim with bubinga trim - striking. (As well as the flooring he did all the cabinetry and furniture - told me he made at least a dozen of those rockers.)

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JKJ

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Originally Posted by Mike Henderson

That stool that John posted a picture of is beautiful. One change I'd suggest is to splay the legs a bit. You'd like the end of the legs to be about the width and length of the seat. It makes the stool a bit more stable.

Mike

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I've made stool tops from construction 2x12s that are actually 11.25" wide and find that to be sufficient.

I think you want a lower height for putting shoes on than you would for a general-purpose stool. The one in my bedroom is 12" high and works well. I usually put my shoes on while sitting on the stairs, which is quite comfortable. Sitting on the second stair and resting my foot on the first one is better than using the stool. The rise of the stairs is a little over 8" so that's equivalent to a stool 16+ inches high with a footrest. Without the "footrest", 16" would be too high, IMO.

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Originally Posted by Scott Winners

John K Jordan's pic is quite lovely. I made a staked sawbench right about knee height that works really well for me, especially when lacing up tall boots. I made mine just tall enough to dry knee high boots in the room with the wood stove.

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Vermont castings wood stove? Very nice!

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Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry

Vermont castings wood stove? Very nice!

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Looks perfect for boot drying!

We got up close and personal with a Vermont Castings wood stove when we bought this farm. The timber frame house has a stove and with the ceiling fans moving air that little stove can keep the whole house warm. JKJ

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Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry

Vermont castings wood stove? Very nice!

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Mine is a Blaze King Ashford 30. I really really wanted a BK Princess, but my wife was adamantly opposed on aesthetic grounds. VC has made some good stoves, and still does.

Simple stool design to go with mission bedroom set. Looks more like a little table,but it will hold my fat a__! @ 16" high seat is 12 x 16 and base is 12 x 10. Cherry with a wipe on gel stain. Thanks for the help. Brian

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