bench project.

i LOVED this project. don't know if it's my deep love for benches, old white paint, or the color green. whatever is was, this was fun. and it only took half of a nap to complete (like less than an hour, folks!).

these benches came into our possession illegally. we didn't steal from anyone in particular, and i know for sure they were unwanted. i saw them on a trip one day, and despite the work involved, volunteered myself to return for a second trip. at the end of that trip, i begged for these benches. pete gave in. i love them.

step one: sand, sand, sand. sand away the grime. sand away the odd piano keys paint. sand away the lead. sand, sand, sand.


step two: prime. this is my LEAST favorite step of any painting project. i am horrible at it (aka, i don't do it). i know that there are walls in my house that deserved this step, but i skipped it. i guess i'm maturing, because i spent the time to prime instead of skipping to the instant satisfaction of color. or maybe i knew where these benches had been and that my little precious would sit on them soon. whatever the case, i primed. and it didn't take long. and i think the project turned out better because of it. maybe i learned a lesson, but then again, probably not.


step 3: COLOR! i tried red. i tried blue. but i knew, deep down, the benches would be green. a bright green. a strike of green in our regular decor. i only used 1.5 of those little sample size paints. they were left over from a stripe in jack's room. do you like? i kept the legs white - i love old white paint.


step 4: placement. i don't usually get something (decor or furniture or even clothing) with the thought of exactly where to use it. sometimes that ends up bad for me. for example, i have an ADORABLE dark brown belt with silver beading that i've had for months and not worn. i didn't have a place for it before i brought it home. in the months i've had these benches (waiting for weather to settle & inspiration to strike), i've thought of a few places for them. my favorite place was as the benches for the wood table we have on our patio. unfortunately, i underestimated the length of the benches, and they were too long. alas, i decided on strategic placement - one in the front, one in the back - a place where one (or three) could sit and gaze across the yard, gaining a different perspective. what do you think?

this is the one in the backyard. situated under our beautiful birch trees, it offers a lovely view of the grass, our lady in the fountain, and our porch. in the evenings, the bulb lights draw your attention to our outside eating area...

this bench adorns our front yard near the street, taking in the shade of our oak trees. from this viewing point, you can clearly take in our newly planted hydrangeas, crab apple and rose trees, and seasonal decor both on the porch and in the entryway of our home. on hot summer nights, it takes you to a serene spot overlooking the bustling 'feature point' porch...