cabinrules
Two blocks, one board, half a sunrise.

Lake-morning fire-pit bench

Two cinder blocks, one cedar 2x10, three minutes. This is not a project, it is a memory of one. But the bench has been around the lake for ten summers, the dog likes it, and every time someone visits I have to explain that yes, that is the whole bench. So write it down. Stack two blocks. Drop a cedar 2x10 across them. Sit. Watch the lake do whatever it does in the morning.

Time · 45 min Cost · $25 - $40

Materials

  • Two cinder blocks, eight by eight by sixteen
  • Cedar 2x10, six feet long
  • Optional: a fleece blanket

Tools

  • A flat patch of ground
  • A level if you're particular

Build it

Choose the spot

Eight feet from the fire pit. Far enough that the heat is comfortable in October, close enough that the dog can lie between you and the fire. Facing the lake. If your spot doesn't have all three, find a different spot.

Set the blocks

Lay the blocks long side down, sixty inches apart from outer edge to outer edge. Press them into the ground with your foot. If you have a level, lay it across the tops and shim with flat stones until the bench will sit roughly flat. If the ground is on a slight slope, that's fine - prefer the lake-side end a half-inch lower so coffee doesn't drift toward your lap.

Lay the cedar

Center the 2x10 across the blocks. The bench is done. Cedar will turn silver in three summers and the bench will look like it has been there twenty years. Bring the blanket out in October.

Bench in place, dog inspecting.

Tested on my own porch.

Things that go with this build

A short rail of cabin-adjacent finds. Not the tool list - this is what to look at after you've finished and you're sitting on the porch.

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  • Wayfair Dyer Avenue Indoor/Outdoor Bench Cushion 3.0 H x 60.0 W x 19.0 D in blue, Polyester in Floral Navy | 60" W x 19" D

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  • Latitude Run® Treyshun - Person Outdoor Seating Group w/ Fire Pit Table Glass Table Top/Rattan/Wicker/Rattan/Polyester in Blue | 10

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  • Winston Porter - Person Mostly No Assembly Required Patio Furniture Set w/ Swivel Rocker, Outdoor Wicker Sectional Seating Group w/ Cushions

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