The Story Of A $7 Thrift Store Bench…
You may have seen the before & after bench pictures in our latest column for R. Home magazine. And we’re back to break down the process of completely transforming a cheap rickety ol’ bench with paint, fabric and a bit of elbow grease. Here’s the shoddy excuse for a bench that came home with us for $7 from Love of Jesus Thrift (yes, that’s really the name of one of our favorite local thrift stores):
We looked beyond the dingy wood finish and the dated fabric to see something with true potential. The clean lines and easy-to-upholster seat cushion meant this baby was primed for a major makeover. We removed the seat cushion and tightened the interior bolts which immediately remedied the bench’s rickety nature. And we gently sanded the wood with 100 grit sandpaper and quickly got down to the bare wood (older pieces make this especially easy).
Sanding is a great way to help prepare a surface for paint, but we also followed this step with a thin coat of white oil-based primer since we were planning to paint the bench a light celery color and we didn’t want any old stains or sap marks bleeding through our brand new finish.
Then we followed our coat of primer with two coats of semi-gloss latex paint in a soft celery green (Lunar Tide by Valspar) applied with a brush for a smooth and bubble-free application. Many people think rollers are the way to a smooth finish… but only for walls. When painting furniture items, especially those with spindles or thin legs, even Benjamin Moore paint specialists agree that paint brushes offer a smoother finish (along with paint sprayers of course, but paint brushes are less messy, more accessible, easily affordable, and they offer you more control). Just remember that two thin coats are much better than one globby one- which will definitely show brush stokes and drip marks- ewww.
Then we let the bench dry for at least 24 hours while we tackled reupholstering the cushion. We purchased just half a yard of green and cream lattice William’s & Sherrill fabric for a mere $12 and couldn’t wait to give our sad little bench a fresh luxe look. It’s important to take the time to carefully place fabric with a pattern before you start stapling so it doesn’t seem off-center or crooked. We cut our piece of fabric with a few extra inches on each side so we could shift it and check it out from the front to be sure that the lines were straight and centered looking before we whipped out the $12 Home Depot staple gun.
We secured the fabric to the bench by pulling it tight and stapling it at the 12 o-clock, three o-clock, six o-clock and nine o-clock position. This keeps everything centered and in place (instead of stapling in a clockwise motion, which tends to allow fabric to rotate as you rotate, resulting in a bit of a twisted and unbalanced final product). We layered the new fabric right over the old fabric since the cushion underneath was in great shape and we didn’t want to tear out the old fabric and risk ruining the plush little form of batting underneath.
After securing your fabric in the middle of each side with one staple, going around the perimeter of the piece and adding more staples all the way around takes about five seconds. And you’re left with something that looks pretty darn good- and that’s just the back.
When it comes to the corners, folding them like you’re wrapping a present (and checking that it looks seamless from the front) is the way to go. It usually takes at least two darts and two staples, so don’t try to do it all at once. Slow and steady wins the corner-upholstery race. And the great thing about this process is that you can always pop a staple or two out with a flat head screwdriver if you want a do-over. Which practically guarantees a flawless finished product.
Here’s our bench all put back together. Isn’t she a beaut? I wonder how many people laughed at that pathetic little $7 thrift store bench before we rescued her!
Here’s a top view to show how we did our best to center the fabric both left to right and top to bottom before stapling it in place. See the center line that runs down the center of the bench? And the stripes on each side that hit about a half inch away from each edge? It’s those little details that make it look clean and profession. Not at all like an afternoon project done on a serious budget.
If you can paint a wall and wrap a present you have all the skills you need to completely refinish a bench. And even if you can’t, you can now that we’ve given you the play by play. It’s easy and oh so rewarding. And every time a visitor stops to compliment your new addition you can offhandedly mention “oh this old thing, I picked it up for $7 at a thrift store”- priceless. Speaking of price, the entire cost of the whole bench project was $30 for the bench, the fabric and the paint. Not too shabby…
So go get benched! And tell us all about it.
Looking for another tutorial? Check out our How-To page for everything from cabinet-painting instructions to headboard-making advice.
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Comments
Hey Mandi,
I don’t know of any fabric stores in Cville, but maybe you can get a recommendation from a friend or even rely on google? As for the type of fabric you want if you plan to use the seat often, go for something thick (you can always ask “is this upholstery grade?”) so it’s durable and long-lasting. Generally we would suggest staying away from anything satiny or silky and selecting something thicker and woven without too much stretch (which can make the seat baggy after continued use). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Love it! You guys did a great job! This reminds me of my stool project–except mine cost a total of $6!!! See here:
http://fablifeonafarm.blogspot.com/2008/10/weekend-productivity.html
Wonderful! I’m always looking for ways to save $$ during decorating projects and love the fact that you can purchase something drab for $5 and make it look like a $50 unique piece!!
Hey, love the bench, love the site. Question for you and the bench is the closest I’ve found to the answer. Any ideas on how to turn a regular ottoman into a storage ottoman? Thanks
Hey Tiffany,
Hmm, that’s a toughie. The issue with converting a non-storage ottoman into one that can store things is that it might end up being structurally compromised due to the conversion (ex: storage ottomans are built to have a hinged top and still support a good deal of weight on top so if you made your own I’d be afraid it wouldn’t be able to hold any weight up top). Maybe it’s something you can google or ask the wood guy at Home Depot/Lowe’s? They might have some reinforcing ideas to save your bench!
xo,
Sherry
LOVE THIS! Just found your blog and I’m obsessed! Keep it up! I too purchased my first home with my fiance – a year and a half ago – and it’s old. It was built in ’49, and we’re 24…old house, young people!
Just noticed a silly thing…but I think you’re confusing your usage of “compliment” and “complement.” Sorry, it just popped out at me a couple of times.
PS – I work in advertising too! Makes me love this even more.
Hey there,this was so informative thank you.I was wondering why you chose to prime it first and also why you chose an oil based primer. I’m getting ready to redo an antique bench. Thank you so much. -Megan
Hey Megan,
Good question. We once made the terrible heartbreaking mistake of using a water-based primer and the oils in the wood bled right through our paint job and ruined our white finish with gross brown stains. It was THE WORST because we had to sand everything back down and redo the entire proect with an oil-based primer to correct the bleed-through. Everything looked lovely the second time around, but now we ALWAYS use oil-based primer because we’d rather be safe than sorry! It’s really the only guarantee that the paint will stick for a durable long-lasting finish (painting without primer can be a lot less durable and prone to chipping and peeling). Hope it helps! Good luck with your bench!
xo,
Sherry
Sherry,
Does the top just sit on the wood base? How did you secure the covered seat to the wood bottom?
Julianne
Hey Julianne,
Since it was formerly a piano bench there were two hinges on the underside of the seat that attach it to the bench (which we removed to upholster and paint it but then re-attached so it’s hinged as one piece again). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Wow… so loving your site. I just read your wedding story and I was brought to tears — equally as much for all the fantastic ideas I wish I’d thought of when I got married as the love that so obviously exists between the two of you. We had always planned to renew our vows in Vegas, complete with Elvis impersonator, powder blue tux, and gambling in my wedding dress, but now you’re making want to just throw a real wedding in my backyard!!
Just a quick suggestion for Tiffany, if she hasn’t figured a way to convert an existing ottoman — check out homereserve.com. They sell ‘assembly required’ upholstered furniture that comes in a HUGE array of fabric choices and the offer storage ottomans. If she can’t find a fabric that works, she could always get the plainest one they have and recover it herself.
All the best!
what a deal on a piano/organ bench!
you know how hard it is to find one
along with out its companion!?!?
Hi Youngsters,
What are your favorite thrift stores in Richmond? I’m fairly new to the area and want to go thrift diving over the weekend (after IKEA trip!). Any suggestions?
Hey Catherine,
If you click the “Topics” tab above the search box on the top right of our sight, you can then click the “Feeling Thrifty” tab which will show you a few of our favorite thrift stores and even take you inside for a quick tour!
xo,
s
You are both amazing! Thanks for listing the paint color, brand, and photo of said paints so I can just go grab a can of paint for myself. Everything looks fab on your blog. I think Olympic owes you some $$$! I love the Lunar Tide shade….just what I need for a bookshelf I intend on painting. I am glad things worked out for you with your new URL. Please keep up the good work.
This is so great! I have an old bench that needs a makeover desperately. I left an award for you on my blog!
Hi guys: I love your site and thank you for the step-by-step process. I have a quick question, though:
When you painted your bookcase green last year, you did not re-sand the piece. However, you sanded this bench instead of just priming it. Why?
I’m trying to figure out whether I need to sand a varnished dark wood bookcase/shelf or just prime it before re-painting … Thank you for your help!
Good question! Sanding is like extra credit. If you have it in you it never hurts. In the case of the bench it was so old and dusty that a quick sanding evened things out and removed any loose varnish while the bookcase was newer and had a more seamless and even surface to begin with. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks, guys! I went ahead and lightly sanded the the bookcase, and I primed it. I’m getting ready to paint tomorrow … when I saw Bev’s comment from Sept. 15 in another post about her using a water-based primer (that the paint shop guys pushed) instead of oil-based like you recommended and now her tabletop is still tacky after 2 weeks.
Uh oh. Because when I went to the store today to get an oil-based primer – the clerk also thought I was crazy to get that and gave me a quart of water-based instead.
Should I go ahead and paint my bookcases, or should I cut my losses and sand everything down and re-prime with an oil-based primer? Sorry for this stupid question.
I would return the water-based stuff and pick up oil-based primer instead. It really is an important step and you should have no problem exchanging it or returning it if you haven’t used it yet (just explain that you went back to look at the directions for your project and it listed oi-based and you felt pressured to buy water-based and realize now that it won’t work). Hope it helps! I don’t know why those paint people keep pushing the water based stuff, it’s baffling!
xo,
s
There were hinges that we screwed out to reupholster it so we just screwed those hinges back in to reattach it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thank you for your wonderful website with full of love…..
what if you can use glass a top instead of fabric cover…
Hmm, good question! I bet you could get a piece of glass cut to size and use Liquid Nails to attach it to the bench (they you can paint the inside of the bench or even arrange photos under there as a sort of behind-glass display space. Awesome idea! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Hey, I’ve been to that thrift store! I’m in Richmond as well (southside)and always laugh at the name as I’m passing it on my way back from Family Thrift store, which is my favorite thrift store.
Thanks for the tutorial! I have a bench almost exactly like yours I’ve been meaning to redo. My sisters and I just discovered your blog, we’re huge fans!
I absolutely love what you did with this bench! I remembered seeing it a few months ago and today I scored my very own bench at a yard sale for $7! It’s really sturdy, too. Thanks for sharing the paint and fabric information – that was nice of you. I can’t wait to get started on it. And thank you so much!!
I have a piano bench that was passed down to me (along with the piano) from my grandmother. The top is not cushioned, but instead just a hard bench. Our piano is technically in our living room, but in its own “space”, and I would love to cushion and upholster the top so that we can pull over comfortable, additional seating into the living room if necessary. Do you think my best bet would be to mold the cushion using fiberfill? Any better ideas on how to create a cushion??
Pick up some foam rubber from your local fabric store to create a seat! That’s what couch cushions are made of. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Just spotted this, really spooky as I’m just about to embark on my first refurb of a piece of furniture. I bought a dining chair and footstool from a local charity shop for £15, and am looking to reupholster & paint both in almost exactly the same colours as you! I’ve got my eye on a pretty green and white floral trail fabric that will tie the two together. Really excited to get going (people at work think I’m nuts getting all psyched about furniture), I just have to hope I don’t get too overzealous and forget to let the paint dry! I love looking at your finished pieces, they are just too lovely.
My fiancee and I just moved to Lynchburg and found a great used furniture place which we have basically used to furnish our entire loft. Before we continue on with the painting of al of these new pieces here is my question…the sales girl at Lowes was pretty confident that if you are painting an old piece of furniture that exterior paint and then a poly coat was the way to go. Have you heard this? I would assume it holds up better but the finish is very matte and now we’re not sure how we feel about it. Love your site by the way! Thanks for your time.
Exterior paint does have more enamel (and is therefore super durable) but we’ve heard that it’s not advised to have pieces indoors that are painted with exterior paint (since they’re full of toxic VOCs which can offgas into the air). Instead paint them with oil-based primer (which sets the base for a super durable piece) and then follow it with interior latex paint (in a semi-gloss finish). That way the fumey stinky stuff (the primer) still gives you great adhesion and durability, but it’s covered with semi-gloss paint so it doesn’t give off such an odor (and the semi-gloss paint will make it nice and wipeable). For extra credit you can use a poly, but be sure to pick the right one (since some can yellow or crack). This post is all about our furniture painting process and the only poly that we trust: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/02/how-to-paint-furniture/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
What type of plant is it that you used in the planter on the bench. I’ve noticed it in a few different posts and really like the texture that it adds. to the plain white planter that it is in.
It’s a burro tail (a type of succulent) from Home Depot in a cheap-o Ikea planter. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Any suggestions on places to look for fabric in Charlottesville? And do you have any recommendations for fabric types to use on a piece that will be used often?