This project was built and designed by Mike Montgomery from Modern Builds. It’s a clean, stylish sofa built using simple techniques and construction lumber, designed to fit custom cushions and bring a modern touch to any living space.
The project highlights both form and function, using biscuit joinery, lap joints, and dowels to create a strong, sleek piece of furniture. Whether you’re new to woodworking or looking to expand your furniture-building skills, this build offers a solid mix of learning and practical value.
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Planning Around the Cushions
One of Mike’s first recommendations is to source your cushions before starting the build. This ensures the frame is built to match, preventing fit issues later on.
Local upholstery shops can often create cushions to your exact dimensions, which is helpful when customizing the overall height and depth of the sofa. Once the cushion sizes are known, the rest of the frame can be measured and adjusted to match.
Starting the Frame
Construction starts with cutting 2×6 lumber to rough length. Mike intentionally cuts pieces slightly oversized at first to allow room for adjustments during layout.
After breaking down the lumber, the boards are run through a table saw to clean up the edges and prepare for joinery. Straight edges are key for creating flush joints and avoiding gaps during assembly.
Biscuit Joinery for Strength and Alignment
For the frame joints, Mike uses biscuit joinery to help align and strengthen the connections. Marking center lines on each piece before cutting ensures everything lines up precisely.
A helpful tip he shares is to keep your hand firmly on the top plate of the biscuit joiner for more stable and accurate cuts. Once the slots are cut, glue is applied, and the frame is clamped to dry.
Filling Gaps and Sanding Smooth
Even with careful prep, construction lumber can have minor defects or warping. Once the glue sets, Mike fills visible cracks with epoxy for a cleaner finish and added stability.
Next, a belt sander is used to smooth the entire frame, bringing the surfaces flush and removing any rough spots. After that, a T-square is used to mark cut lines for trimming the final shape of the platform.
Cutting the Back Support
To build the upright back supports, square blocks are cut from leftover lumber. These vertical elements are designed to match the height and thickness of the horizontal members for a consistent look.
Mike uses half-lap joints to connect the pieces. This joinery method removes half the thickness from each board, allowing them to interlock securely without adding bulk. It’s both simple and strong, giving the back a clean, modern appearance.
Gluing and Doweling
With the lap joints cut, Mike flips the sofa frame upside down to make attaching the back supports easier. Glue is used to secure the connections, and clamps hold everything in place while it dries.
To reinforce the joints further, he adds dowels. Even without a doweling jig, you can drill straight holes and insert dowels for added strength. This step improves the long-term durability of the backrest.
Attaching the Legs
For the base, Mike adds standard furniture legs but makes a few tweaks for stability. Longer screws are used to anchor them securely, especially since the sofa frame is fairly heavy.
If the legs feel unstable, trimming them slightly can reduce wobble and lower the center of gravity. Some premade legs come with leveling feet, which can introduce slight rocking—adjusting or replacing them helps ensure a solid feel.
Applying a Finish
Mike finishes the sofa with Danish oil, which enhances the wood grain while allowing the surface to stay natural to the touch. It provides a subtle sheen and offers basic protection against wear.
The oil finish also brings out the character in the construction-grade pine, turning inexpensive lumber into a piece that looks far more refined than its material cost suggests.
Versatility and Final Thoughts
One of the unique features of this sofa design is its convertibility. By removing the back cushions, it doubles as a daybed or a guest bed—perfect for small spaces or multipurpose rooms.
This project strikes a nice balance between simplicity and craftsmanship. The clean lines and strong joints give the finished piece a high-end look, while the build process teaches valuable techniques like biscuit joining, lap joints, and doweling.
For anyone looking to level up their furniture-making skills with an accessible yet stylish build, this project is a great fit. Mike’s approach keeps the process approachable while delivering a result that looks right at home in a modern interior.
Please support Mike by visiting his website: https://www.modernbuilds.com/.