Footboard/Headboard Bench

It's garage sale time of year again! And that means it's a perfect time to find just the right bed to repurpose into a designer bench. I lucked out last fall when a neighbor put a twin size bed out on the curb with a "free" sign attached. I ran home, grabbed the truck, and nabbed it. (I brought home the entire bed hoping that I would be able to use the slats in the construction, but they were too short, so I had to purchase additional boards at the hardware store.) I have to admit that the headboard/footboard sat on our back porch for several months--the holidays and cold weather slowed me down a bit--but when the spring weather brought warmer days, I finally got to it.

There are a lot of great online sites with step by step instructions for how to benchify your bed, but I used this one from Addicted2Decorating. The directions were clear and easy to follow.

The only thing that I did differently was to use narrower boards for the seat. I chose to do that because I thought it would look better, but I realized the first time I sat on it that I had made a mistake. I had forgotten that narrower would also mean less sturdy, and the boards sagged when anyone sat on them. So I ended up gluing and screwing a brace under the seat for added strength. You can see it between the seat boards and the front apron:

It was a fun and relatively easy project, one that I would love to do again--perhaps with a larger bed. This bench is love-seat size. The problem is. . . . where will I put all these benches?

Charmed by Chalk Paint

I was a bit slow jumping on the chalk paint band wagon. Although I was intrigued by what I saw on Pinterest and loved pieces that my friends had painted, it took a push from Delys to get me started. Last summer, she decided to give her kitchen a punch of color by painting a small hutch that began its life as bedroom furniture:

We had planned to go with Annie Sloane paint because, frankly, that was the only chalk paint brand we knew, but I happened to notice that Lowes carries a chalk paint, Valspar Chalky Finish Paints, and we decided to give it a try. We chose a blue that matches colors in her living room--which is open to the kitchen--and got to work:

We simply followed the directions on the back of the can and were generally pleased with the results. One of the things that we had been told about chalk paint, along with the fact that you don't have to sand the original surface, is that it has excellent coverage. This piece definitely required two coats. We let the paint dry over night and then applied Valspar Sealing Wax for Chalky Finish Projects. The wax provides a protective layer and adds a warm patina to the paint. (They also have a darker wax that can be used for a more distressed, antiqued look.) The can suggests using a brush for application, but we used an old T-shirt rag to rub on a thin coat:

(The galley kitchen didn't give me enough space to get a great picture, 

but this gives you a glimpse of the result. It turned out great!)

A few months later while I was visiting Elin, she decided to update a desk that she purchased years ago at a thrift store. Some creative little student, Max, had written his full name in large letters on the top of the desk with a permanent marker. (It was interesting that Elin chose, without any influence from Delys or me, the same color for her project.) She also updated the drawer pulls. I don't have a before picture, but here are a couple of afters. I love that the paint makes the decorative details in the wood pop:

Our most recent project is a dresser and mirror for one of Delys' daughters. It was another thrift store find and was in good condition, so we debated about whether or not to paint it at all: 

But we opted to go white because we thought it would stand out better against her moss green walls. (This project required three coats of Valspar. My plan is to do another piece using Annie Sloane to see if the coverage is better.) 

However, we do love the result:

DIY Sewing Table

Last summer, Delys and her family moved into their first home. I was able to fly out a few days later to help a bit with the unpacking. When we pulled out her sewing machine, Delys mentioned how much she would like to have a designated space where it could live full time so that she wouldn't have to set it up and take it down every time she had a project to work on. Later that day, while we were rummaging in one of the sheds in her yard, we discovered an old shelf/cupboard that the former owner had left there. "Ah ha!" I thought, "A sewing table. . . ."

So, with the help of these little craftsmen, we carried it outside, removed the cupboard door and shelf, and turned it upside down. I drew a gentle curve on a large piece of cardboard and traced it on to the bottom of the piece. (I centered it between the left side of the entire piece and the left side of the cupboard on the right.) Using a jigsaw, I cut out the curve and then repeated the process on the middle shelf. These cut outs created a space for her feet and knees.

I sanded the rough edges, washed off the dirt and sawdust, and then let it dry thoroughly. We headed to the hardware store and bought a small can of primer that the helpful hardware man recommended for painting over laminated surfaces--the primer helps the paint adhere to the slick surface--and Delys chose a paint color. 

We applied one coat of primer and two coats of color. After it was completely dry, we replaced the shelf, reattached the door and, voila, a sewing table! The top of the table gives her plenty of sewing space, and the cupboard on the right provides storage for her supplies. (Delys pointed out that this could also function well as a computer desk or any other work center.)