How would you copy this sofa?

[Garnett13]

Hi there. I'm hoping someone might be able to help.

I want to build a sofa similar to this one:

and the back

I know nothing about working with wood so I've been reading and researching.

It looks like it's lap jointed planks, which I presume are doweled and glued to each other to make the sides and back and then the cushion base is attached.

What I want to know is how could the sides be attached to the back in such a way that the joints are invisible, or concealed under the base and it is easily dismantleable?

I've thought of brackets with short screws into the wood, but these always strike me as a one-time deal - if you unscrew them they never bite that well when you put the thing back together.

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

 

[foxhole]

Simple way would to be to use sheet oak blockboard with 2X2 timber around wall to support base.Recessed upright about centre below seat.You could hinge side panels to back [hidden by cushoions] so it will fold flat for moving.

 

[Dave54]

I'd agree with foxhole. Use blockboard as suggested. Not saying you can't do it, but really making up large panels with edge jointed boards like this isn't an ideal beginners job. Apart from anything else, with hardwood you can't buy PAR, it comes as sawn boards or often just as a "slice of tree" with the bark still on the outside and has to be cut and planed. You can get it done for you, but you're looking at a fair bit of cost and trouble. Also unless you get really good timber cut on the quarter, these panels will bow at the front edge where they're unsupported I reckon.
If you need to take it apart, do as suggested with hinged sides, and try using e-nuts (a sort of nut with a wood screw on the outside) and connector bolts instead of wood screws to screw on the seat base.

 

[Garnett13]

Awesome, thanks a lot guys. Hadn't heard of blockboard or e-nuts and hadn't thought of hinges.

 

[ladylola]

I don't think that sofa is made to be dismantled so the joints are tightly done and most likely done with dowels that aren't visible from the outside. To be honest if I was making it that would be the route I'd go down rather than some sort of flatpack affair. Downside of course is that it makes it harder to move and manouver around the house.
Another aspect you may consider is cost. It probably may well be cheaper for you to buy that actual sofa than to try to buy all the materials and make it yourself especially if you want a hardwood one.
One other idea. You could always build it out of birch faced ply. It's not the cheapest in the world and it is heavy but I've seen furnature built with it and the edges are left uncapped. That is to say the layers of ply are on show and it gives quite a modern and contempoary look.

 

[stevethejoiner]

I agree with the other replies that blockboard or faced ply even, would be quick and easy, however I would add, you will have lip the cut ends of the sheet material by gluing on real wood edge strip or iron on lipping, whereas a nice hardwood or even stained pine can be sanded at the cut ends to get a nice smooth finish, you cant do that with an engineered board.
However you could use a top quality plywood and make a feature of the ply laminations. Seeing well sanded and polished multiple ply laminations is a cool modern look.