October 5, 2011

Piano Bench Makeover


Earlier this summer I picked up a piano bench at the thrift store.  The color was wrong and it was in rough shape.  The legs were badly scratched and the bench seat had scrapes and gouges but it was otherwise sturdy.  Despite it's condition I thought it would work perfectly at the dinning room table.  I already have one bench, another one would complete the look.  Once home it was clear it was too tall to be used at the table.
Determined to find a spot for it, I went ahead and gave it a makeover.  Figuring I'd work with it's rough condition, I first gave it a coat of black paint.  Once that was dry I gave it two coats of Cottage White.  The last coat I let dry for a few minutes and then using a paint scraper I carefully removed the white paint to reveal the black undercoat, concentrating on the edges of the seat and the legs.  I tried to mimic the original distressing as best as I could.  After the paint had dried completely I gave the area's I'd scraped off a quick sanding to smooth things out.  A coat of stain over the top deepened the white paint to a muted, vintage white and a coat of wax  finished the project.  
 I love the result.

Now the color works great in my house.  I like the heavy distressing along the edges and legs.  Plus the contrast between the white and black makes me very happy.

Now all I needed was to find a place for my new bench.  I moved it all over the house trying different places but in the end the perfect spot was in the dinning room. 

Tucked into the corner, the bench makes a perfect spot to add a little softness and a pop of color with a few pillows.


A lantern was placed on top to add some pretty and a galvanized bucket underneath for just a touch more metal - I can't get enough of it this time of the year.  The bucket works great as a place to stash small items like toys and books until I have the time to deal with them properly.

I'm so happy it fits so perfectly into this corner of the dinning room.  In a pinch, we can still use it for extra seating at the table - just like I had originally planed!

Enjoy your day and I'll talk to you soon,
Robin

I'll be linking up to these parties:

25 comments:

  1. Girl, I love your bench redo. I think it looks just great.

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  2. What a cozy little corner! I love the pillows that you made on it,,,they go perfectly. I am trying to get my mantel and hutch decorated and am having some trouble!! So thought I would check out some fellow bloggers and see if I can find some inspiration! Thanks for posting !!

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  3. Oh my gosh, I LOVE that bench! I love the pillows too and the flowers in your last post.

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  4. I love how you re-did the bench, Robin...it turned out beautifully!

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  5. It is beautiful Robin, I love how you finished her up. Your vignette is so cozy too, the pillows and lantern are adorable.
    xoxo

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  6. Oh the bench turned out great! Isn't wonderful how you can redo something so simple and have it turn out so fantastic?

    thanks for stopping by to visit me. I am now a follower.
    Ann A Sentimental Life

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  7. That bench is fantastic. I have one with fabric that I was going to recover, but maybe I will just rip it off and paint it white!

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  8. It's fab! I hope you will come by and join my Creative Things Thursday Party!

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  9. I love how it turned out! You're so talented :)

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  10. I love your bench! Such inspiration, I want to found one to re-do like you... :) Have a nice day. //Sofie

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  11. It's always great to have extra seating nearby! I especially like your paint finish. I'm also admiring those cute red pillows too!

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  12. So cute. Great job on the bench, and I love the other charming elements like the bucket and pillows. If you have time I would love it if you would stop by and share this at my linky party going on now.
    micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com

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  13. Your bench turned out wonderfully-- I'm in the middle of repainting a chest with the black/white duo. I've never tried wax as the top coat, so I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Erin

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  14. Oh wow, I love what you did to the piano bench. What a great transformation. The corner looks so cozy and inviting.

    Jocelyn @
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  15. Love your bench! It's so cute! You did a great job and the pillows and galvanized items are perfect finishing touches! Thanks for visiting my site!
    Angela

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  16. So sweet!The floral pillow is my favorite.

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  17. Looks fantastic!! Beautiful styling, too!! Well done, Robin, sounds like it's in the perfect spot in your home!

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  18. Love it!!!! Love your home--it is so bright! It looks perfect in the corner with those pillows on it too! Love the display!! I am your newest follower. Thanks for sharing! Hope you can visit me sometime:)

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  19. I love it--the black paint underneath looks great. Looks so naturally worn--you did a great job!

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  20. What a great job you did, Robin! The bench looks authentically aged in just the right places. I love its' look with the great pillows.
    Thanks so much for your very kind words on my dining room! Have a great weekend,
    Susan

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  21. So darling!! Love the shabby look and how you styled it!! Thanks for linking up at FNF! :)

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  22. Your new little bench is so pretty and look wonderful there in the corner. I love benches and you have done a fabulous job of the makeover.

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  23. The bench looks great! You did a great job :)

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  24. What a great bench...I love benches...and probably have 10 too many ;o)

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  25. That bench is sweet! Love what you've done

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