Please note this is an old post that is now archived.

Introduction

When I moved into my new place, I had the opportunity to create a separate Home Cinema and seating area in my living room. I decided that I wanted to have every seat in the house a good seat. What this meant was that I didn’t want to have my recliner sofas in an L-shape like in the previous place, but have them one behind the other, proper cinema style. However, to do this, I needed to elevate the back sofa enough so people in the back could see the screen comfortably, but also in a way that fits the room, looks stylish and is sturdy enough.

You can see the result of this work below:

Preparation

What you will need to get the job done:

1. Strong-enough MDF boards that can hold the weight of the seating. I simply went to our local hardware store (Bunnings), pulled MDF boards off the shelves and tested how they bent and asked the hardware guys what their weight holding capacity was. I decided that I was going to have two MDF boards – one next to the other – to hold one sofa up. (Approx. AU$40)
2. Sturdy enough legs that can hold the weight and won’t buckle. Also, they need to elevate the platforms enough that people sitting in the back will be able to see 100% of the screen from the back so pick legs that are large enough I picked 23cm legs that could be extended by another 5cms. I decided to attach 5 legs per board initially, but settled on 6 legs in the end. (2x6x AU$10.50 = AU$126)
3. A cheap carpet by the meter that will look good when stapled to the MDF. Again, you should be able to find this in your local hardware store. (I bought this for AU$16.90 a metre and bought 3 metres = )
4. A pair of scissors.
   1. A stapler gun (AU$16.90 with 1800 staplers)

Altogether, the bill of materials was AU$233.60.

You will need to measure the space out so that the platforms can sit against a wall or corner preferably so they don’t move. However, as an option, you could put rubber or  carpet underneath the feet of the platforms to make sure they don’t slide. Get your local hardware store to cut the MDF to the correct size.

Putting it Together

First, fix the legs onto the MDF platforms: one on each corner, one in the centre. After the  initial testing, I decided to put 3 legs in front so the platforms should hold larger people as they step up on the platform.

Next I put the carpet onto the platforms and cut it to size so it hangs off the bottom of the platforms.

Lastly, I stapled the carpet to the platform from the bottom. When stapling, you need to pay attention to the corners so the sides fold properly onto each other. To achieve this, you will need to cut them diagonally, making sure you don’t cut into the corner hanging onto the top side of the MDF.

Please see below for a picture of the result from the bottom and the top side.

Putting Them into Place

The sofas had to come forward then then platforms put into place next to each other. The back sofa was then put onto the platforms and rests solidly on them. The platforms are sturdy enough to bear the weight of two people and the sofa comfortably without any instability.

I also saved materials for a third platform that goes in between these two, should I decide to elevate my bigger sofa instead of the smaller one.

If you do embark on this journey, good luck and enjoy!