DIY $4 Chevron bench makeover

Let’s start at the beginning.

~~I got this bench when we were first married.~~

Scratch that, let’s get real.

We were flat broke when we first got married, and I really wanted a “coffee table.” So one day, I was walking by our neighbor’s house and I saw this piano bench sitting outside IN THEIR YARD. Apparently, I had no shame, because the next day, I knocked on their door and ASKED THEM if I could HAVE their bench that was sitting in their yard. No, I did not know these neighbors. And as I learned when they opened the door, they didn’t even speak English.

But we communicated juuuust enough for them to GIVE ME their piano bench. Out of pity, or pressure, or just plain fear, we’ll never know. Maybe I told them I was the local news lady and worked the I’m-a-big-deal-in-a-small-town angle. Whatever it was, thank you to them. Because now, 11 years later, we still have the darn bench!

On the first makeover, 11 years ago, I just polyurethaned the wooden legs and added some cool fabric with French words on it. (I was really proud of myself when I spotted the same exact fabric on a seat cushion in the MTV Real World house in Vegas. Yes, that’s how old this bench is. Real World was still a show that people watched.)

But then, I was getting bored of the tan look, so I decided to change it up.

I’ve been obsessed with chevron print, so I repurposed some leftover chevron fabric that my mom had given me.

My husband turned it upside down and used a staple gun to tack the new fabric right on top of the old. (We didn’t even take off the old fabric because… what’s the point? Don’t make it more difficult if you don’t need to! Plus, when we recover the bench again in the future, we can look back on the old layers and remember the different chapters of our life. Like when I had no shame and convinced a complete stranger to give me his furniture.)

Anyhow, all I spent was $4 on some bright aqua spray paint!

I love that this small piano bench punctuates the large room with a bold print and a bright, fun color. And now, instead of a furniture piece that no one notices, it’s a young, modern, chic-looking element that adds a pop of style to our old, historic home. I’d never use the bright aqua color on the walls, but on a small furniture piece like this, it communicates a punch of style without taking over the room and making it feel tacky.

In fact, I loved this bench so much that I used it for some of Porter’s newborn photos. (How adorable is that little frown?!?)