The coffee table that became a French Country bench

Hello there, please forgive me for going mia for a couple weeks, we have had the most unpleasant of winter colds and tummy bugs passed around.

I think we may be out of the woods, and boy am I am glad!

But as I came up for air I finished an upcycle that I am super duper excited about.

So I know I keep talking about updating our bedroom, and with the flu that hit we kind of hit the pause button for a week.

However, I have to share a very thrifty and fun redo we did for the end of our bed.

We have been looking for a bench that we can use as a coffee table/foot stool/end-of-the-bed-bench.

And while we were open to different styles, and I figured I could repaint THE perfect bench if needed…

I didn’t realize it would be a glass-topped coffee table.

But, there she was at Goodwill when we were out shopping and looking for good junk the day after Christmas.

 

 

We picked this cute table up for $5 not bad huh?

Then, because no outing is complete without stopping at Home Depot, we happened upon a lovely pile of cull wood.

These pieces are usually up to 70% off the regular price.

Sometimes they are what is left over from a cut they did for a customer, other times they are damaged in one area etc…

but for what we needed, wood boards for the seat of the bench, this piece was perfect.

 

 

You never know what may be waiting for you in the cull pile.

A little diamond in the rough, and at the right price!

It’s such a great place to find just what you need (especially for a smaller project!)

We scooted home with our treasures and discussed paint/stain/wine/what was for dinner and another bit about paint.

Using some lag bolts we made the table more sturdy, and the hubs cut the two planks to fit perfectly inside the “table” top.

In keeping with the French Country theme that seems to be evolving on our Master Bedroom makeover, I decided this bench needed to look old/new.

Old/New if I had to describe it… a little faded, a little gilded, something rough and old, something pretty full of roses.  And a bit of old paint, some linen, a silver tray, an apple basket, wood everything….you get the gist.

And candles….you can’t forget the candles.

Here is what we did.

We used spray paint for the base and I used one layer of this beautiful Serenity Blue all over.

After the wood and metal base were dry, I sanded all over the piece to give it some character.

 

 

AKA beat the heck out of it as I love distressing pieces just enough to make them look like a smart French lady may have sat on this bench and changed her shoes.

Or decided on an outfit before going to dinner…

Or sat daydreaming about her beau…

 

 

Ok, back to the bench.

Here she is, I really love a fun before and after, especially when she is oh so pretty….

 

 

With a little dark wax rubbed in here and there, she is perfectly imperfect.

Living out her days not as a sad coffee table, but a pretty French County bench.

So there you have it, this is the story of how a wobbly $5 Goodwill table got a makeover, was found by a junk-loving couple bound to create pretty things for a song.

And, we are almost ready to show you the whole space!

It used to be an uninspiring space turned haven we cannot wait to plop down in each day to visit and relax.

Coming soon!

if you love an awesome before and after check these out:

 

Painted Herringbone Coffee Table!

Shabby Industrial Chalk Paint Stools

Green Dresser before and after!

DIY Horse Bookends!

Thank you so much for reading, and as always, may your heart and home be full of everything you love…

 

xo, Tanya

       

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