A unique Corner Seat made by the author for the club-room at Copenhagen Settlement, Denmark, in the fall of 1907. A recent letter states that the seat has been in constant use and is as strong as when built. It consists of two packing-boxes on legs, the rear edge of which supports a paneled back upheld at each end by a pedestal. A double-section library, filled with the club books, flanks both ends of the seat, the pedestals giving a substantial end finish to the back.

The paneled back is a protection to the wall, and upon its face were hung three flat-back cushions, about 5 inches thick, filled with the shavings. Each shelf in the pedestals holds a jar of water from which trail growing ivy vines. The practical and artistic effect of such a combination may readily be imagined.

The seat covers are loose and removable, giving easy access to the compartments beneath them, which afford large stowaway facilities.

Being portable, this seat may easily be moved to another corner if necessary.

Requirements

Seats. 1 Packing-box (9 1/2 in. deep, 21 in. wide, 40 in. long). 1 Packing-box (9 1/2 in. deep, 21 in. wide, 49 in. long).

Vine Pedestal. 2 Special Boxes (7 1/2 in. square, 47 in. long, and, being an odd size, will probably have to be made from the material of other boxes).

Oblong Bookcases. 6 Small Butter Boxes (8 in. deep, 10 in. wide, 15 in. long).

Square Bookcases. 2 Silk Boxes (7 1/2 in. deep, 7 1/2 in. wide, 35 in. long).

Seat Covers. 1 Piece 3/4 in. thick, 21 1/2 in. wide, 40 in. long. 1 Piece 3/4 in. thick, 21 1/2 in. wide, 49 in. long.

Square Bookcase Shelves. 6 Pieces 1/2 in. thick, the width and depth of the inside of the box.

Vine Pedestal Shelves. 2 Pieces 1/2 in. thick, the width and depth of the inside of the box.

False Top. 4 Pieces 1/2 in. thick, 2 in. larger each way than the end of the pedestal boxes.

Corner Legs. 2 Strips 5/8 in. thick, 1 1/2 in. wide, 18 1/4 in. long. 2 Strips 5/8 in. thick, 2 in. wide, 18 1/4 in. long.

Facing Strip Legs. 10 Strips 5/8 in. thick, 2 in. wide, 18 1/4 in. long.

Vine Pedestal Corner Trim. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 7/8 in. wide, the length equal to the inside length of the box. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 11/4 in. wide, the length equal to the inside length of the box.

Vine Pedestal Facing Strips. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 1 1/4 in. wide, the length equal to the outside length of the box.

Square Bookcase Corner Trim. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 7/8 in. wide, the length equal to the outside length of the box. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 1 1/4 in. wide, the length equal to the outside length of the box.

Square Bookcase Facing Strips. 4 Strips 3/8 in. thick, 7/8 in. wide, the length equal to the outside length of the box.

Seat Cleats. 5 Strips 5/8 in. thick, 2 1/2 in. wide, 18 1/2 in. long.

Paneled Back. 22 Strips 1/4 in. thick, 5 in. wide, about 29 1/4 in. long. 24 Strips 1/4 in. thick, 1 in. wide, about 26 1/4 in. long.

Top of the Back. 1 Strip 1/2 in. thick, 2 in. wide, 42 in. long. 1 Strip 1/2 in. thick, 2 in. wide, 72 in. long.

Construction

Make two corner and ten facing strip legs for the seat - one corner leg and six facing strip legs 17 1/4 inches long, and the others 181/4 inches long. The short legs are for the rear of the seat, and when nailed in place their upper ends are to be 1 inch below the top edge of the seat boxes. The sheathing of the paneled back will project 1 inch below the top of the seat boxes and will nail to them in the rear, while the lower end of the 1-inch-wide joint strips will be even with the top of the cover to allow the cover to fit under them and against the sheathing forming the back.

Remove the covers from all of the boxes except the vine pedestal boxes. Turn the shorter seat box on its side and nail the short corner leg, 1, on the corner which is to fit in the corner of the room. On the same end of the box, but at the other corner, put a short facing strip leg, 1, allowing it to project one half its width over the side. When the seat boxes are placed together, the center of this leg will cover the joint. Nail the long leg, 2, and the short leg, 3, at the other end, having their outer edges even with the end of the box. Put No. 4 (short) leg half-way between No. 3 and the corner leg, having all their upper ends 1 inch below the top of the box, except No. 2, which will be even with the top. Turn the box on its side, that side with the three legs being on the floor. Nail the long leg, 5, and the short leg, 6, on the longer seat box, and place its opposite end upon the upper side of the shorter seat box, having its side against the overlapping leg on the end of the shorter seat box. Match their edges and nail them together, putting corner leg, 2, the reverse way in the angle formed by the junction of the boxes. Turn the boxes over upon the legs and nail on short legs 7 and 9 and long legs 8 and 10, having them evenly spaced front and rear between the legs at the end.

Make the seat covers for each box 11/2 inches wider than the outside width of the box and of the same length as the outside length of the box. They may be made with either two or three widths of board, with cleats placed on the under side about 4 inches from the end, and one in the center of the long seat, having each end of the cleats 1 1/2 inches from the side edges of the cover. It will be necessary to cut 1/2 inch off the front edge of the shorter cover the width of the longer cover, as shown in Fig. 2. Allow the front edges of the seats to be even with the front face of the legs. The vine pedestal may be without ends, made of four pieces of equal width and length, formed as described for the Cast Pedestal, Illustration 3. Fit and nail the shelf inside of each vine pedestal box 8 inches (or at a suitable depth to suit the flower-pot it will contain) from one end, which will be the top end. Nail the corner trim A on two corners and the facing strips B on the sides near the opposite corners, as shown in Fig. 2, having the facing strips overlapping or projecting one half their width over the corners of the box. Fit and nail the shelves in the square bookcase boxes, spacing them to suit the books they will contain; or, if preferable, made like the illustration, the heights of the compartments, named from the bottom up, would be about 10 inches, 8 inches, 7 inches, and 7 inches. Put on the corner trim and facing strips the same as described above for the vine pedestal.

Remove one side from each of two of the oblong bookcase boxes. Turn the square bookcase open side down on the floor and place one of the remaining boxes on its end upon it between the projecting facing strips, having one side of the box even with one end of the square bookcase, and nail or screw them together. Place one of the boxes with the side removed on its end also upon the square case, having its open side edges against the side of the first box. Place the other open side box on the square case in a similar manner against the last box and nail them together, having all their open compartments facing the same way. Lay the vine pedestal on the floor with the projecting facing strips facing up, and place the two bookcases upon it, with the square bookcase also facing up, having the lower side of the bookcase even with the end of the vine pedestal, and nail them together. Stand the three joined pieces right end up and nail a top on the square bookcase and also the vine pedestal, allowing it to project 1 inch over on all sides. The tops for the vine pedestals must have a suitable opening cut in them to admit the flower-pot which the shelf supports. The openings may be easily cut after the tops are nailed on.

Construct the other oblong bookcase from the remaining boxes and join the other square bookcase and pedestal to it in the same manner. The open side of the oblong bookcase will face to the left in one, while in the other it will face to the right, as you face the open side of the square bookcase. Place one section against each end of the corner seat and nail or screw them firmly together.

Select a strip having a straight edge and not less than 6 feet long. Lay it on the floor and tack it with nails driven two thirds down. Lay one of the 5-inch-wide sheathing strips which form the back also on the floor, at right angles to and near the end of the first strip, and tack it also. Place another sheathing strip against this, and over the joint formed by their abutting sides nail a 1-inch-wide joint strip, and continue to lay the sheathing, placing and nailing a joint strip over each joint, until 14 sheathing strips are thus joined together, having the end of each joint and sheathing strip against the first strip tacked to the floor. Use nails not more than 1/8 inch longer than the thickness of both strips, otherwise the back will be nailed to the floor and cannot easily be released. This forms the long side of the back. Remove it, and with the remaining strips make the other side in a similar manner. Place them in position, at the back of the seat boxes, with the lower edge of the sheathing resting on the top of the legs and the lower end of the joint strips on top of the cover, one end being against the corner trim of the vine pedestal and the other end even with the outside corner face of the box, and screw it through the sheathing into the seat boxes. Put on the other portion of the back in a similar way, joining their ends to the corner trim of the vine pedestals with joint strips nailed to each, and their ends in the corner nailed through the side of one into the edge of the other and joined with the joint strips also. Fit and nail the 2-inch-wide top strip placed on its flat side on the top of each side, allowing it to project 1 inch over the face of the joint strips. The seat, now being complete, may be moved bodily into the corner awaiting it.