Miniature Orchid Terrarium Bench - Orchid Board

Duff · #1 02-21-2014, 06:37 AM

Hi Everyone! I have been a member for some time now and have loved having a place to research and learn about Orchids and specifically Miniature Orchids. I hope this is the right place to post this project?

I have a small house that is over run with vivariums, terrariums and all sorts of plants. I have wanted a dedicated area for my miniature orchids but was not able to find anything that fit my needs.

Well I finally found the ideal solution and thought I would share. I much admit the idea is not mine but I found a great solution for a large bench for my needs!

Simpson Strong Ties! They are so easy to work with and the over all project took about 2 weekends and cost around $120. Staining the wood to match the furniture in my guest room took the most time but once it was all stained, the actual construction took me about 6 hours.

In the end the bench is 68" wide x 19" deep x 40" tall. Currently it holds 2 terrariums - 18"x18"x24" and 18"x36"x18". With additional space to grow!

Here is the sofa table I was using before - not ideal but it worked:

For the project I used 4"x4" posts and 2"x4" boards along with 1/2" plywood and about 230 screws! I spray painted the simpson strong ties black and stained the wood a very dark brown.

Duff · #2 02-21-2014, 07:02 AM

Overall I am very happy with the build as it has allowed me to be able to hang the lights from the underside of the bench as well as contain all the cords for the lights and fans so they are a bit more hidden then before. I have a few more screws to paint black but other then that the build is complete!

I hope this inspires others who need more space but have limited building skills. All cuts were straight and I only needed a circular saw (borrowed from a friend), screwdriver and a speed square. The Simpson strong ties made the project ultra simple and quite forgiving.