Front Storage Cubby

After fourteen years of tinkering and modding our Alto, the well of new ideas can run a little dry. When we recently changed the fabric on the bench cushions, the roll of leftover fabric brought an old idea to the forefront again.

the existing cushion...lost space

The dining area can be turned into a single bed, and as part of the bed setup, there is a long narrow cushion that sits at the front, connecting the two main cushions. Under this cushion is a little secret storage area. As we have never set up this single bed, I have long pondered turning that narrow cushion into its own little storage cabinet. 

A couple other owners have had the same thoughts and modded a solution, which always got me to thinking again. Unable to settle upon how it would look when finished, and being a pure “nice to have”, the idea always got relegated to the back burner.

I decided to utilize some of the leftover fabric, and use it to wrap a storage cabinet that I would make out of Baltic birch plywood. The finished product would then have the appearance of the original cushion profile, but would have its own little secret compartment.

Using 1/2” plywood, the box went together quickly. I then cut fabric to cover the lid and sides of the box. Spray adhesive was used to apply the fabric, with the occasional staple holding down key folds. Any exposed wood inside was first stained a grey colour, then water based urethane was used to seal the wood and the cut edges of the fabric.

the plywood box

with lid

wrapped in the cushion fabric

holding a few items

fits in quite nicely

With a storage area of 35”x10”x4”, it is not a large volume, but it will be handy for odds and sods. The lid and the box are held in place using aluminum angle pieces, similar to how SC does it.

I’m very pleased with how at first glance it blends right in with the other dinette area cushions, and only reveals its real purpose upon closer inspection. And bonus, it quenched the urge to mod...but perhaps only for a moment.