A few months ago, I created this bench for my entryway to make the area more comfortable as well as conceal my cat’s litter box from sight while entering through the front door. I liked the end result and it does it’s job but it was a fairly simple execution and I thought I could do better. In addition, I still had a spare coffee table just sitting out in storage in my garage. This table had a little shelf under it which I thought would be a perfect location for scattered shoes to find a home.
Because of this, I knew I wanted to try and revamp this project. I not only wanted to do it better, I wanted this bench to have a totally different purpose from the first one. So, I fashioned a new bench, using the same products: a coffee table and headboard, that has a completely different aesthetic and purpose.
I built this bench for someone else’s home and I love how it turned out. There are lots of different ways I could have gone about this project but I’m happy with the way I chose. I love that this bench has arms, which mine doesn’t. I think this makes it such a great place to encourage actually sitting and taking off/putting on your shoes. And, with a built in place to store said shoes, this bench is perfect for a mudroom or entryway.
My favorite part about the project though? The paint job. I gave it a really rustic/weathered look which I think fits a variety of home decor. But, myself and possibly others, have been turned off by this type of paint job because of the work it presents with sanding, etc. Well fear not! This project required absolute NO sanding. That’s right, none whatsoever. I did not sand the pieces before assembling and painting them and I did no sanding at all to get the weathered paint look. And as someone who absolutely avoids sanding at all costs, this was a huge win for me.
Using an extremely simple trick (that you probably already have the supplies for in your house) I simply painted, wiped and lightly painted again. Literally, that was all I did. It could not have gone quicker if I had a fairly godmother appear and whisk the task away for me. Not kidding, the quickest paint job I’ve ever done.
So head on over right here to see how I fashioned this bench for basically the cost of paint ($15) and only a couple hours of actual working time. Adjust it to fit your space/needs with any colors you want, the uniqueness of your table/headboard and the addition or subtraction of other useful features (like the shoe shelf).
