Project description
The bench should be about 18 inches deep and sit at standard seat height, roughly 18-19 inches from the floor to the top of the cushion. Underneath, we'd like two or three hinged-lid compartments rather than drawers, since drawers would need clearance we don't have with the radiator directly below the center pane — the radiator will need a removable or vented panel worked around it. Lids should have soft-close hinges and a lip or finger pull rather than hardware that could scratch the cushion fabric.
The face frame and any visible edges should be finished to match our existing baseboard and window casing, which is painted white MDF trim, so either paint-grade poplar or MDF face panels primed and ready to paint would work. We'd also like a simple bead-board or shiplap panel on the front of the bench to match the wainscoting already in the room.
We already have upholstery fabric picked out and a local upholsterer lined up for the cushion once the bench top is built — we just need the carpenter to deliver a finished box with a flat, properly supported top (plywood substrate, not just the lid) that the upholsterer can work from. Please include your approach to templating the angled walls, the hinge and lid mechanism you'd use, and a rough timeline in your proposal.