Planter Box: priorities and constraints

My project is is to make a planter box that I can put in my apartment. After my initial design stage, I have come up with my top 5 priorities and top 5 constraints that I will go over below.

Top 5 Priorities

1. My top priority is to make my planter box in the modern farmhouse aesthetic. I really like how this aesthetic looks and I want it to go with the furniture I already have. This way, it will be able to fit seamlessly in my apartment. I hope to do this by choosing a similar stain to the current furniture I have which is a gray-brown color. I also want to choose a metal handle similar to what is on the current furniture I have now. Below is a picture of my nightstand from Walmart (1) which is in the modern farmhouse aesthetic. 

2. My second priority is to make a functional planter box. I hope that it’ll turn out well and I will be able to plant my own herbs and flowers in it to brighten up my place. I’m also excited that I will be able to have fresh herbs when I’m cooking.

3. My third priority is to make a drawer that works. I’ve never tried using drawer slides, so I think this will be a fun experience. I would love to have a functional drawer though because it would be nice to have a place to store gardening supplies where they will be close to where I need them.

4. My fourth priority is for it to be large enough to fit both herbs and flowers. To do this, I’m planning on making 2 different boxes as seen in my sketch below. This way, I will be able to separate the herbs and flowers in case they have different gardening care needs. 

5. My fifth priority is properly staining the planter box and choosing a stain that can be waterproof. I want to make sure that it will hold up over a long time and if I’m going to be watering the plants a lot, the wood should be finished with water-proofing varnish.

Top 5 Constraints

1. My biggest constraint is probably time. I’m not sure how long the project will take because I’ve never tried making a piece of furniture like this before. Due to this, I want to start making it over break in case something goes wrong so that I have plenty of time to recover. Below is my timeline to keep me on track.

2. My second constraint is making the drawer. Since I’ve never tried making a sliding drawer, I want to allow enough time to figure out the correct sizing for it and to make sure it will function. I’ve already seen a few videos on how to do it, so now I just need to get the materials and try it myself!

3. The third constraint is never making a piece of wood furniture from scratch. I’ve built things out of wood for various projects using saws, drills, sanders, etc. but haven’t made furniture. I think this will take new skills in terms of making the furniture functional though. Therefore, I want to plan out my project very carefully so that it turns out well.

4. My fourth constraint could potentially be the weather. I need to do the project in our backyard since it could cause a lot of mess and I don’t want to mess up anything in our place. The weather in April can be very unpredictable so I plan on making it any time the weather is good and leave plenty of time to get it finished.

5. The fifth constraint I have is not having any power tools. I know the machine shop may be busy with projects for other classes, but one of my friends has a whole set of power tools that I could use. I just need to make sure to coordinate a good time to borrow them from him.

Sources:

1. Walmart, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Modern-Farmhouse-USB-Nightstand-Rustic-Gray/374208119?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1045&adid=22222222277374208119_160805772391_20959796377&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9028819&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=374208119&wl13=1045&veh=sem_LIA&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=22222222237374208119_160805772391_20959796377&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9028819&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=374208119&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oOI4ilCHlAfn5uqsPosU1GD8Gl4BEAx0FpENE-lqE9o25r8pMZvHAxoCTSIQAvD_BwE