I’m back!! Finally, a new project to share with you guys. And one day when this attic is finished, I might also actually be able to stage pictures inside my home. For now, outside and makeshift will do.
I picked up this antique gossip bench from Mr. E.C.’s place a while ago for $18. (kind of a random number now that I think about it)
I love the shape and lines and knew immediately I would refinish it for the kids’ playroom. I even considered leaving it alone, but there were some spots that were shabby in the not-so-chic way. And let me say, now that I’m working on others’ furniture, it’s such a treat when I do something for my home!
Here it is now:
Please excuse the half-completed writing room–but it has great lighting and isn’t covered with furniture waiting on a new home. 🙂
I wanted a time-worn patina on this piece. And not really the “painted patina.” I wanted it to feel like it had been left sitting on a balcony at the beach….or better yet, in the sand! I began thinking I might strip the stain off, but as I gave it a good sanding, this is what I got….
And I liked it a lot. I didn’t like the original wood underneath…it honestly looked too new and possibly some kind of birch with little wood tone to it. I wanted the wood to peak through the worn paint, so I stopped there, leaving some parts stained and some sanded all the way down to the bare wood.
I then washed on the first coat of paint–and went against every fiber in my type A (becoming more type B) being and used no primer. I used the same color as the walls in the kids’ room–Valspar’s Sea Breath. Honestly, I was thinking I would get more saturated color from the first coat, and it was really washed out. But again, I loved it. I almost left it at the first coat.
I then sanded by hand with a fine/medium sanding block–if you want to get the faded and worn look, sand in a circular motion. I did this on the first coat and then added the top coat of Benjamin Moore’s Iceberg, which is the pale grey my bathroom will be painted. There was not as much contrast in the colors as I had planned, but I’m still very happy with the way it turned out.
Hope you guys have a wonderful Monday! I’ll leave you with this verse that moved me today:
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My Name.”
-Psalm 91:14
**linking to these parties**
DIY Project Parade at the DIY Showoff
Just Something I whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
DIY day at A Soft Place to Land
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday’s @ Coastal Charm
Trash to Treasure @ Reinvented
Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Designs
The Boardwalk Bragfest
Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
DIY @ Tip Junkie
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Frugalicious Friday’s @ Finding Fabulous
Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed’s
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
and probably some more I’m forgetting! 🙂 Find the links in my sidebar or under “Friends & Inspiration.”
That's so cute and your photos are amazing! It looks so coastal and while it's aged it appears so fresh. Love it.
I’M VERY LIKE WITH YOUR ARTICLE,YOUR PICTURE WAS PERFECT.PLEASE SEE AND COMMENTS MY BLOG(gondolainvenice.blogspot.com)
just found your blog thru house of giggles and love what you did withthe gossip bench! stop by to see what i did with mine! :)
I love what you did with the bench!! The color is great.I love the coastal look…Kathy
I think the colours look great and really love that washed out look! Tell me, did you seal it with varnish afterwards or just left as is? I'm starting to think now that I might start sealing some pieces with some non yellowing varnish as some finishes I have found are not wearing as well as I would like.
Shaunna, I love the gossip bench! Your work is always amazing. I can't believe you bought the bench for $18. WOW!! What a deal!
Just dropped in from The Girl Creative. This is so lovely! What a bargain.
LOVE IT, the treatment that you did is perfect!
THis is soooo cute!:)
What a great steal for $18.00 and you made it very welcoming…another great tip is to rub "butchers wax" over the finish now. It softens then entire finish and gives it that soft, warm, worn look that you are going for as well as protects your piece from water stains, etc. It's the easiest thing to apply…just rub the wax on with a soft cloth and buff until your hearts' content. Hope this helps, fondly, Roberta
It turned out beautiful! I have something very similar that I found last year and it has been patiently waiting for its makeover. I just love this old gossip benches!
Absolutely beautiful, thanks so much for sharing. As with everything else, I love what you've done with it!
Great project, Shaunna. Thank you for sharing it with the Boardwalk Bragfest!
So pretty. I love it!
I love that sunwashed beachy look you've made. Thank you SO MUCH for the tutorial….I am an amateur painter….but I've got this coffee table that would look beautiful just the way you did it. I'll have to give it a try!!
Wonderful redo and the staging with the pops of blue is just gorgeous. So beachy/coastal/vintage/relaxing. Very clever!
So cute, and thank you for the tip on how to achieve the look. You have inspired me.
Cute!
GORGEOUS! I love the piece and the color… just beautiful & I loved the verse you shared. It really ministered to me today… Thank you!
I saw this showcased on another blog and I thought it was lovely! Just beautiful!
Oh I just love this little seat!! Just gorgeous in every way! I love the roughness of it, and the pale grey colour! Fabulous!!
I love how it looks so weathered. I'm glad you let your Type B side take the lead on this one. Nice job!
LOVE IT! I had to laugh a bit because I totally just said my project was perfectly imperfect. Had no idea there was a whole blog named that. We mus thave some similar taste.
This is beautiful! We have been searching for a telephone bench like this, but we can't find one for under $100!! Good buy!
Really pretty. Thanks you for sharing your technique.
Oh, so pretty!