DIY Midcentury Modern Bench

We are working on downsizing and preparing to sell our house and move in the spring. So why am I making new furniture? Staging! One of our spare bedrooms (in the basement) is currently a junk storage room and we need to stage it as usable space. It's large. Very large. It has a queen bed in it currently that you can't use because it's covered in "storage." We are going to swap our king bed from our master with the queen in this room since they are more size appropriate for the spaces. I have a junky bench currently at the foot of our master bed for the dog to jump up on, but it really is a piece of crap. I've wanted to replace it for ages and especially before we list. It's boxy and has bins in the bottom and visually looks unappealing. I wanted something open that will feel more airy in the room. Plus, I love MCM style and always need more of it..... and plus plus, I want (need!) a project. ;)

Inspiration:
This beauty from West Elm for only $299

And this amazing tutorial I found on Pinterest

My shopping list was short and easy since I already had most of what I needed. 

Here is my Home Depot shopping list:

4 - 12" table legs, 4 - brackets, and a 3" thick piece of foam came to $52 and free shipping.

I also used a 12" x 36" by 3/4" board that was previously used as a shelf in my craft room (I took the shelves down so we can stage it as a kids room)

About a yard of fabric, vinyl, or leather (I have a massive fabric stash)

One button making kit (Like this). Usually around $3 - $4 in craft stores.

String or rope to make piping, if you want to use it (you'll need a sewing machine if you do)

Staples and a staple gun

A drill and around a 1/2" or larger bit (I used a 7/8" spade bit bc it's the first one I came to in the tool box)

A looooooong needle and some strong thread or string

Some craft adhesive (I used spray adhesive)

Quilters batting, about a yard

I would guess a thrifty shopper (with Joann's coupons!) could buy all supplies for around $120 or less. Hopefully you already have the tools.


I started by deciding where I wanted my tufts to be and drilling large holes in the back of my board. The larger the better because you're going to have to blindly poke a long needle through them later on.

Spade bits make a mess. Wear your safety goggles and go outside or in the garage!

Next I cut the foam about 1/2 inch larger on all sides than my board. An electric kitchen knife is by far the best way to cut foam. 

I then used a spray adhesive to affix the foam to the board. This will just make sure it never shifts around when a crazy dog goes running and jumps up on it! 

The next step for me involved the sewing machine. You don't have to know how to sew to do this project. You can just skip this part and wrap fabric with no sewing - but I wanted piping on mine, so I had to sew that first:

And then sew the piping to my cover:

Then come the staples! First I highly recommend you wrap the foam and board in batting and put a few staples in that. The batting helps smooth the edges of the foam and will keep the fabric from rubbing the foam over time. You CAN skip this part, but I wouldn't. It just gives it an overall better shape.

Then wrap the fabric and pull it tight, stapling on the underside. I forgot to take a photo of this step, but you know how it goes!!

Then I lined the bottom of the board with the bottom strip of piping that I made and stapled that to the edges. Again, you can feel free to skip this step if you aren't into sewing or piping. After all that, here is what I had:

If you are doing piping, this is how I start and end mine:

 

And here is a closer look at the side with the piping on the bottom:

Next it's time to tuft. First I had to cover the buttons:

Then I measured out where the buttons go and marked them with pins

Next I used long upholstery needles and a thick quilting thread doubled over to attach the buttons. 

To attach the thread in the back I just stapled it in and then bent it in the opposite direction a few times with more staples. Those suckers aren't going anywhere!

Before I put the staple gun away, I took some broadcloth and cut it about 1" larger on all sides than the bottom of the bench. Then I stapled it on to cover all of the ugliness

.

You can screw on the feet brackets right over the fabric:

Screw on the legs (which I previously stained), flip it over, and voila!!! (Don't mind the messy craft room!)

I can see where my seams were a bit off when I sewed the cover, but that's ok. Once it's in the room with everything else it's going tog look AH-MAZE-INGGG!!!  I'll update this with a much better photo as soon as we get everything organized and staged in the new downstairs master bedroom. =)

I also recovered my upholstered headboard to match!

How to recover an upholstered headboard

I bought a king size upholstered headboard on Cragislist for $50 years ago. It was tan and kind of boring. I've wanted to recover it for ages but couldn't commit to what color - until today!

Here it was - boring tan. Almost the same color as the walls - so it vanished.

And here it is now! A beautiful charcoal gray.

This was a SUPER easy process since this was already an upholstered and tufted headboard. I started by taking the legs off, and then taking the felt-like covering off the back - I just ripped it off. This exposed the wooden back of the headboard.

Then I cut off the old buttons.

Because this is a king sized headboard, my craft room was almost too small to work in! So I spread my fabric out on the kitchen floor and plopped the headboard down on top of it. Pull tight and staple around the edges - it's that easy!!

Now it was time to tuft. I bought button blanks and wrapped them in matching fabric. It took three packs of 4 to get all 10 buttons covered. Each pack was about $2 at Walmart in the craft section.

With tufting I use a super long upholstery needle and thin string or really thick thread.I had the headboard sitting on it's side with the button side facing me. I wanted this really tufted, so once I got the needle and thread through, I pushed the button in as far as I could with my knee and tied the string really tight in the back. I usually use large washers or other buttons on the back side to keep the string from sucking back through the hole. (When I removed the old buttons they had these little metal pieces they used, so I just reused them this time. Washers are cheap and work great - just be sure to get washers bigger then your holes!)

To make sure they were extra secure I tried the string in three knots. Then I bent the string back and forth between some staples to make sure it cannot come undone. Voila! TUFTS!!

I decided not to put fabric over the back to hide the ugly. It's always going to be against a wall, so no one will EVER see it. No sense in worrying about it.

Reattach the legs and it's done. Super quick and easy! Here it is all done in our current master bedroom. I'll post a new "after" photo once we move the master bedroom downstairs into the basement bedroom and get it all set up!

Rub a dub dub, I painted my pink tub!

After more than a decade with my pink bathtub and sink, I finally took the plunge and refinished it. I thought about it for a long time, worried about how the off-white tiles would look against a bright white tub and what to do with the pink accent tiles - but in the end, I decided anything would look better than a pink tub and sink. (I replaced the pink toilet back in 2004 when I bought the house!)

I went to Home Depot for the Rustoleum brand tub and tile kit that I had seen all over Pinterest, but they didn't stock that one (and neither does Lowes). Instead, I got the Homax "Tough as Tile" Tub & Sink Refinishing kit. It was about $40 and I ended up buying two since I was covering pink and was afraid I might need more coverage. I later found out that the online reviews are HORRIBLE for this product, but a lot of it seems to be user error. I guess I'll find out!! The kit comes with a cleanser, steel wool, and gloves - so that cut my shopping list down significantly. I also bought some Lime-Away and some Comet cleaners, since that was what the Rustoleum website recommended and I figured "too clean" wasn't possible in this case. This bathroom is from 1964 so it had many many years of build up on it! 

If you don't have a respirator mask, buy one! Thankfully, we already had a super nice one (my husband does all kinds of projects). I had that thing on when I opened the can so I had no idea how bad it smelled until I took the mask off after I finished the first coat. WHOAH! That would have made me dizzy for sure had I not had the mask. The little doctor looking masks WILL NOT WORK! You MUST have a respirator with some filters.  (Any brand is fine. They start around $25 to $30 at Home Depot.)

I spent about 3 hours cleaning and scrubbing. At one point, about 10 years ago, my Mom and I tried to shine the ugly finish on the bathtub and although I cannot remember what we used, I think it must have been some kind of a wax. It was worn off on the bottom of the tub, but not on the sides. I'm still not sure I got ALL of it off, but I put as much elbow grease into it as I had in me. I used the Lime-Away first, then did many rounds of scrubbing with the Comet and the Steel Wool, and then I followed the directions on the Homax box three times, as instructed. I stuck a fan in the room and went to bed - to make sure everything was nice and dry by morning. 

In the morning I taped it all off. (I ran out of the blue and switched to a different roll which was yellow, but it was all painters tape.)  I wanted to remove the sink faucet, but much to my chagrin I realized there are not shut off valves for that sink. I would have to shut off the water to the entire house - for a few days. Nope. Not going to do it. So I carefully taped it off. Then I put a plastic bag over the faucet and taped it on - just in case I accidently hit the faucet or it dripped. I did the same to the tub faucet, as well. 

For the drains, I carefully measured them and used my Silhouette die cutting machine to cut some vinyl circles to cover them. I know I should have removed them, too, but nope. Not gonna do it.  If you don't have a fancy cutting machine I would combine a bunch of tape on wax paper and then carefully cut it in a circle to stick on the drain. Or, remove them like I should have. ;) 

Once they were taped, it was time to go! The Homax says not to use foam brushes or rollers. Thankfully, I had bought smooth non-foam mini-rollers already, so I got those ready and a small brush and put on my mask. 

It only took about 20 minutes to coat both the sink the tub. I worked quickly, since this stuff gets sticky fast.  I started in the back corner with the brush and edged a little bit, then rolled. Then edged, then rolled. After the first coat, here is what I had!

The Homax box said it should take at least 2 coats, maybe 3 for covering a dark color - so I wasn't worried that it was splotchy after coat 1. Then I had to wait THREE HOURS before I could do the next coat. I am NOT good at waiting. Thankfully, I had some work to do so that took up the time pretty easily. 

The second coat went on just like the first. I started in the back corners with the brush, and then rolled whatever I could. It went on fast and smooth and looked a lot better after coat #2! 

I had the fan on in the bathroom, the window open, and the attic fan on in the hallway ALL DAY while this was all taking place. Otherwise I think the dogs, cat, and I may have passed out! You need GOOD ventilation for this stuff! 

Here is where we were after coat #2. Unfortunately, it's still going to need a third coat. You can't tell in the photo but there are some darker spots where the pink is trying to peek through. But I still have about 1/3 of a can left, so I think I can do it without needing the other kit I bought.

 

Nov. 6, 2015: 

It is now the next morning and I have inspected my handywork. Definitely needs the third coat to cover all of the pink, but overall looks very good. The tub is still a little tacky to the touch but almost dry. The sink will still pick up your fingerprints if you touch it, so not as dry. I had to use the brush mostly for the sink, meaning a heavier coat of paint vs the roller on the tub which made it nice and thin.  No bubbles or cracks have formed like some of the (horrible) online reviews have stated and the part of the tub I was most worried about (a section where something seemed to be on the surface that I could not scrub off) looks great so far. The box said that I had to wait 72 hours after the second coat before I could do the third. Impatient me wondered if that was really true and I went to google last night to find out. I ended up asking on Amazon and the manufacturer responded, saying that yes, I had to wait for the first two coats to fully cure (not just dry, CURE!) before I could do the third (which would take AT LEAST three days). If they were not cured, the third coat would trap vapors in between coats and would cause bubbling, cracking, or ripples. Yikes! Thankfully, I was about to go out of town for a few days, so that made the waiting much easier.

Nov. 9, 2015:

We got back today and everything is dry and looks fantastic! I was able to put the third and final coat on tonight. After coat #3, here we are:

I know you can't see the difference between coats 2 and 3 in the photos, but trust me - they are significant. Coat #3 got rid of all of the dark spots and brush marks and made it look finished.


And while we're talking about coats - the manufacturer says the coats should be light. One can will supposedly do two coats on a bathtub. I was able to get three coats on a tub AND a sink from one can - so I think that proves I accomplished the "light coats" rule. (I hope that will be key to my success!)


And now I wait three more days. Ug. I hate waiting!

Nov. 14, 2015:

It's done, and it's so amazing! I actually ended up waiting over 4 days before I took off the tape and then caulked it. I wanted to be extra sure it was safe. I still won't be using the shower for at least a week, though, just in case. (We have other bathroom so thankfully it's no big deal that this one is still out of commission.) Before I peeled the tape I took an Exacto Knife and scored around all of the seams - just in case the tape removal process might chip the paint. It seems hard as a rock so I doubt it would, but better safe than sorry.


The final product is fantastic. It's smooth, glossy, and bright white. I cannot even begin to tell you how much better this room looks now!


Here are the final photos:

And so you don't have to scroll up to compare:

I don't even hate the starburst accent tile all that much anymore. Now it's a small reminder of the 1960's retro style rather than a punch-you-in-the-face with 1960's that it used to be.

We don't use this bathroom much, so I know this finish will last until long after we sell this house in the Spring. Should I have any troubles with it I will definitely update here, but I doubt it considering how rarely we use this room.

Overall I am VERY happy with the Homax product and process. I know it has terrible reviews online, but I honestly do think that is mostly user error. Be extra diligent, clean clean and clean again, and use multiple light coats following the directions closely and you should be successful, too!

DIY Butcher Block Counter Tops - A Year Later

Many have asked me how my DIY butcher block countertops have held up over time. (If you haven't read all about them, start here.) I am happy to report they are still as beautiful as ever!

We installed the counter tops in our rental property in early Spring of 2014. It is now July of 2015 and the countertops have endured well over a year of tenant abuse. Take a look for yourself!

As great as these tenants were, you know tenants don't take care of rentals like they would their own home. So I can assume these took some abuse over the past year - but you'd never know!! I was happy to see there was no water damage around the sink or dishwasher (where steam tends to be released from the underside - which damaged the previous laminate tops!). No scratches or imprints of any kind - no signatures that transferred through the piece of paper and became a permanent part of the countertops. Not even any knife scratches! (This is probably thanks to the tenants!)

The ONLY damage is this sad little spot:

I don't know what it is or how it came to be, but the larger spot is about the size of a quarter. Although it does make me sad to look at, in the grand scheme of things it's soooooo minor compared to what could have happened after more than a year with renters. If you run you hand over the spot you cannot feel it at all..... heat damage maybe? It probably wouldn't have happened on my watch, but I am still not complaining.

(Yes, those are my pink tools. My husband thought it was cute... I agree!)

I would HIGHLY recommend doing this in your own home! Buyers have RAVED about how beautiful our tiny little kitchen is and agents have submitted feedback that buyers love the counters and the big beautiful (cheap) sink.  We had a full price offer on the home on the second day it was on the market, so we must be doing something right! 

In the end: Yes! Do it!! I'd definitely do it again! These countertops saved us a fortune over even laminate and look about a zillion times better. 

Check out my previous blogs if you want to know how it was done!