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DIY Wall-Mounted Fold-Away Chair

Nat Howard

Instructions for a simple wall-mounted folding chair. The chair seat is solid wood, connected to a wall with heavy door hinges. The wooden support allows the chair hold weight. The chair can be folded when not in use.

DIY Wall-Mounted Fold-Away Chair

Wall-mounted folding chairs are the perfect solution for tight spaces, like a crowded foyer or mudroom. Take a seat, put on or take off your shoes or boots, then fold it back up against the wall. When guests come over, fold-away chairs give you extra seating without having to haul out folding chairs. Add a few folding wall-mounted chairs to your “tiny home” to make the most of your precious living space. While wall-mounted fold-away chairs are available for sale online and at home improvement and big box stores, you can easily make your own.

Tip

When you buy lumber, keep in mind that the label will show a nominal or common measurement as well as its actual dimensions. For example, a 2-inch x 6-inch (2 x 6) wood plank’s actual lumber dimensions are 1.5-inch x 5.5-inch

Warning

If you are supporting your folding chair with only wall mounts, it must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the people using it. You will need a solid wood base such as pine or stud-grade wood to support the seat and to hold the weight needed.

    Locate Wall Studs

  1. Locate the studs behind the wallboard with your stud finder. Mark the location. Measure 20 inches from the floor with your measuring tape for the height of your seat. Mark the place where the wall studs are.

  2. Level the base

  3. Position a 1 x 18 x 18-inch board against the wall so it lines up on a stud and using the 20-inch mark as a guide, align with the bottom edge of the board 20 inches off the ground. Place a carpenter's level on top of the board and adjust it until it is straight.

  4. Drill Base & Attach With Wood Screws

  5. Once it is level, drill holes through the board and into the stud every 4 inches. Attach the board to the wall with 4-inch wood screws passed through washers.

  6. Align Hinges

  7. Press a long, thin side of another 1 x 18 x 18-inch board against the front surface of the wallboard. Slide the horizontal board down the vertical board until the bottom surface of the horizontal board is flush with the bottom edge of the vertical board. Set three heavy-duty door hinges on the top of the horizontal board against the vertical board. Mark the position of the hinge-screw attachment holes on both boards.

  8. Drill Holes for Hinges

  9. Remove the hinges and drill out the holes on both boards. Reposition the hinges and the boards and attach the hinge in place with 1-inch wood screws to the horizontal board and 4-inch wood screws to the vertical board.

  10. Chair Base

  11. Align the board into position. Hold the 18-inch, 2 x 4 support board so it is underneath the chair. The 4-inch side presses up against the bottom of the vertical board and the bottom edge of the horizontal board.

  12. Drill and Attach

  13. Press a 2-inch edge of the 2 x 4 against the wall. Drill four holes down through the horizontal board and into the 2 x 4. Attach the 2 x 4 to the horizontal board with 2-inch wood screws drilled down through the horizontal board and into the 2 x 4. Add a latch at the top to secure the seat to the wall if the hinges do not hold your chair closed as needed.