Python Piano Bench

My mechanic, who happens to be more obsessive about yard saling than me, if that is possible, gave me this lovely, vintage piano bench, free of charge.  It had an outdated finish, but the bench is nice and sturdy with a hinged top for storage.

I am naturally drawn to earthy colors and I tend to paint most of my pieces of furniture with a neutral color pallette. With this bench, however, I decided to take a risk with some bold colors and patterns.   

I have been hearing that orange is the new "IT" color of 2012, so I picked out a pretty shade of orange for the legs.  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint just came out with a similar shade, called Barcelona Orange, that I hope to try on some future projects.

I padded the seat with a thick layer of foam and found this fabulous, turquoise and flax, linen fabric to cover the new seat cushion.  I waxed the entire surface with Annie Sloan clear wax and then added some dark wax to tone down the orange just a bit. 

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Butterfly Bench

Last time I visited my sister in Southern California, I found this vanity bench at a yard sale for a few dollars.  It was one of those days when I did not find anything all day until I snatched up this petite bench at the last sale of the day. 

I forgot to take a before picture, but with a little luck, I found a picture of the exact bench on a google image search. 

I painted the legs with Aubusson Blue Chalk Paint and applied clear and dark wax over the paint. 

I added a double layer of new foam for the seat cushion and upholstered it with linen, butterfly fabric.

My local fabric shop just got this fabric in stock and I love the butterflies paired with fancy scripts and stripes.

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Paris Map Bench

Last weekend was my 10 year anniversary and even though I am not supposed to go to any yard sales until I finish my pile, Mr. Rubbish took me to a couple estate sales he found on Craigslist.  One of the things he bought me was this bench for $2. What a perfect anniversary gift! 

 It was old, ugly, and beat up, but I love little benches like this.  The finish was already sanded (or worn) off and it was ready for a custom paint job! I took the dirty old cover and padding off and added thicker, foam batting.

I wanted to create a distressed, white-washed finish, so I mixed my white paint with water (about 50/50) and brushed it on.  After brushing the paint on, I used a clean rag to rub the paint into the surface and allow some of the natural wood to show through.  Next, I sanded the legs, so even more of the original wood showed through on the turned legs.  The final step was applying Ralph Lauren glaze (smoke color) and rubbing it off with another clean rag.

To reupholster the seat, I chose this linen, Paris map fabric from my local fabric shop. I actually purchased this fabric to redo my friend's chair and I had extra to cover this bench.  She lived in Paris for a while and I know she will love the print.  I will post pictures of her chair when it is complete.

This little bench is on its way to the shop!

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Linen Upholstered Bench

My sister-in-law picked up this lovely, vintage bench seat at a garage sale last year for only five dollars and she gave it to me when she moved across the country. It is a beatiful style and just needed some new paint and fabric (the vinyl covered seat just had to go). The date stamped on the bottom says 1921, so it is almost an antique too!


I have been wanting to try Old Fashioned Milk Paint for a while, so I ordered some in cream color. The paint was really easy to use. I just added warm water to make it a good consistency and stirred it to get all the little clumps out. It dries fast (30 minutes) and I love the authentic "old look" it creates. The best part about it is that it is non-toxic and biodegradable.

I adore the completely flat finish of the milk paint.

I found this flax colored antique, linen fabric online and recovered the seat using a staple gun. Then, I sewed a ruffle with the same fabric and attached it with the staple gun to the underside. I know I am a little ruffle obsessed, but I love how a ruffle can really dress it up!

*Edited to add - linked to:

Make it 4 Monday, Motivate me Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up , m.m.m. , and Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.

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