For those who follow along, ya’ all know how much I LOVE to give new purpose to an old treasure.
Old pieces just make my heart sing because they have SO much history.
They always have a story to tell and as I begin the process of turning each one into a functional piece for our home, IÂ find myself wondering what exactly that is.
Like the antique washstand dresser that I found at the farm a couple of years ago. After a lot of elbow grease and a little paint-it found a home in our foyer, before later becoming a coffee bar in our kitchen. But before that, it sat in my Great-grandparents house at our farm and was used to hold a large bowl for washing hands. That dresser definitely has a special place in my heart.
And then there was the antique vanity that I turned into a desk for my office. As I sit down to do my work there each day, I’m reminded that many years ago, it had a different purpose for my Grandmother. She sat in front of each evening and brushed hair, and the drawers were filled with lipstick and powder, instead of files.
I’m sure this old piano bench that hubby and I found at our local Restore a few weeks back, also has a story.
I wasn’t able to find any history on it-but the scribble marks, scratches, and chippy paint were all signs that this vintage piece was well used and I’d like to think-well loved.
I knew it would take a LOT of work to bring the bench back to its original beauty, but I just couldn’t resist taking it home with us.
Hubby and I had spent weeks trying to decide on a coffee table for our living room, but by the time we arrived home that day, my head was already spinning with ideas on how I would turn the piano bench into just that!
The first step in doing so is one I dislike the most. There is nothing ‘FUN’ about stripping layers and layers of paint! But it had to be done, and since I wanted the top to be bare wood so it would hold stain-I started the stripping process there. It took two days and many, many coats of the stripper until all the paint was FINALLY removed!
Then it was on to the lower half of the bench. I started by removing as much of the paint as I could with 60 grit sandpaper. Then I applied several coats of the stripper. Since I was going to re-paint the bottom-it wasn’t necessary to remove all of the old paint-but I wanted to get down to at least one layer, so the surface would be smooth for the new paint. Once I accomplished that I gave the base one coat of Waverly Chalky Paint (white). I allowed that to dry (about 15 minutes), and then gave it a good sanding.
One more coat of chalky paint-and the base was ready to be distressed.
The last step in turning the vintage piano bench into a coffee table was to finish the top. I started by applying a thin coat of my FAVORITE stain- MINWAX-Early American. I allowed that to dry overnight and then applied one more coat to achieve the dark, rich color I was looking for. After that dried (again overnight), I applied two coats of poly on the entire bench.
The inside of the bench required a little sanding and a coat of poly. Now it’s the perfect place to store remotes and my favorite magazines! I’ll be sharing more on the new rug our farmhouse style coffee table now sits on-in another post! And the next project in our living room will definitely be finding a budget-friendly way to cover our VERY brown sofa and loveseat!
I hope our new/old coffee table inspires you to think twice before walking away from an old treasure! You never know what you’ll find other years of paint-but one thing is for sure….there’s always a story!
Have an AWESOME weekend!
Blessings and hugs,
This is amazing! I don’t envy the work you had to put into it, but I so admire your eye and talent for taking something so far gone (seemingly) and transforming it into something truly beautiful. You did a fantastic job. A piano bench turned coffee table – what a clever and unique idea!
Awesome project and what a fantastic treasure. I’m thinking back to that earlier post you did on coffee tables and this one here is absolutely perfect. I’ve removed paint from furniture so I understand the intense labor this takes. You always think just one more coat and then it happens you’re there. Your effort was worth it because I personally love the natural against the white. You’re creating a wonderful space!
Thank you so much, Carole! The room is really coming along, and every time I look at our new coffee table, I can’t help but smile! I keep wondering how many kids sat down at that bench to play! Obviously, some of them were bored-because there were plenty of doodles! LOL!
Aw…thank you, Karen! It can be quite a challenge to re-create an old worn out piece, but I so LOVE doing it! The best part is, the piano bench is the exact height and size we wanted, and it’s super functional too!
This table turned out great. I love the idea of using an old piano bench. Thanks for sharing this idea.
Thank you, Charlene! I LOVE the idea of re-purposing that old bench into something functional-and the fact that it was the perfect fit for our farmhouse living room is a true bonus!!