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This is a small modern chair — dining-height, clean-lined — that gets its look from a few gentle angles rather than curves or complex joinery. The back legs are raked 5° so they splay slightly for stability and style, the side aprons pick up that same 5° so the seat frame stays level on angled legs, and the back rest kicks back 15° for comfort. None of these are hard cuts, but they're what separate this from a plain four-legs-and-a-box stool.
All the joinery is pocket screws, and the build sequence is worth following because it keeps things square while you fight angled parts. Start with the front legs and front apron, use a scrap of 1/4" plywood as a spacer to inset the aprons 1/4" from the leg faces, then work around: side aprons to front legs, then (resting a level on the side apron) side aprons to the back legs, then the back apron. Corner bracing goes in regardless — the plan adds it 'anyway' even with pocket screws, and on a chair that takes real weight, that's the right instinct.
The seat is a single 18" x 18" panel — a store-bought pine project panel, or 1x stock joined edge to edge with pocket holes. Notch the back corners 1-1/2" to clear the back legs. The plan's builder found the 5° back-notch angle unnecessary and skipped it with good results, so a square notch is fine. Attach the seat from underneath through the aprons.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x2, 8 ftLegs and back rest uprights. | 2 each |
| 1x3, 8 ftAprons. | 1 each |
| 1x2 and 1x4 scrap (15 in)Back rest rails and corner bracing. | 1 each |
| Pine project panel, 18 in x 18 inSeat — or join 1x stock to 18" x 18". | 1 each |
| Wood screws, 2 in | 1 box |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 bottle |
| Wood filler | 1 each |
| Finish | 1 quart |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Back legs2x2Ends mitered at 5° off square, short point to long point. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 28" |
| Front legs2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/4" |
| Side aprons1x3One end mitered down 5° off square. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15 1/4" |
| Front/back aprons1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15" |
| Back rest uprights2x2Bottom end mitered 15°. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 6" |
| Back rest top rail1x2 | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" |
| Back rest bottom rail1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 15" |
| Seatpine panelNotch back corners 1-1/2" x 1-1/2". | 1 | 3/4" × 18" × 18" |
Buy 6 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
1 board
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Start with the front legs and pocket-screw the front apron to them, using a scrap of 1/4" plywood as a spacer to inset the apron 1/4" from the leg faces. Attach the side aprons to the front legs the same way. Then rest a level on a side apron as you fasten it to the back legs, so the seat frame stays level even though the back legs are raked 5°. Finally attach the back apron. If you don't have a jig, predrill and countersink — and add corner bracing.
Cut corner braces from scrap 1x3 and fit them into the corners of the seat frame. Add them even if you used pocket screws — on a chair that takes a person's full weight and side loads, the extra bracing is cheap insurance against a joint working loose.
Build the back rest by attaching the top and bottom rails to the two 15°-mitered uprights. Pocket screws or predrilled-and-countersunk screws both work. Center the rails on the uprights, leaving a 3/8" gap on the front and back. The 15° kick is what makes the chair comfortable to lean into.
Cut the seat to 18" x 18" (a project panel, or join 1x stock edge to edge with pocket holes). Notch the back corners 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" to clear the back legs — a square notch is fine, the 5° back-angle notch is optional and can be skipped.
Attach the seat from underneath through the aprons with pocket screws, or screw down through the top into the aprons. Fill holes, sand, and finish.
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