Goodwill Bench Transformed

For those visiting from The DIY Show Off and Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before & After Party, welcome!

After more than a year of searching for the perfect bench for the dressing table in our walk-in closet, I found this hideous little thing at at Goodwill for a mere $4.99.

I’m happy to say that after revealing its innards and finding fresh new fabric, the bench is complete!

Not only is it a bit prettier, it’s also a bit higher.  Remember how I could only see my shoulders when I sat down?

Even though many people said unexpected nice things about my hair, no one really thought that the bench was the right height.  So, I came up with a solution for that…

Want to see the nitty gritty on how it all came together?  Well, grab a snack, hunker down and scroll through the photos below!

My initial idea when purchasing the bench was to cover and tuft the cushion and then re-finish the wood base.  But because the previous owner had simply wrapped fabric over the cushion and onto the wood, I was left with a gazillion staple and nail holes.

All those holes, combined with the fact that I needed to add a solid 6 inches to the base, were enough to make me re-think my plans.  I decided that I would add a base to the bench, then skirt the wood frame and re-cover/tuft the cushion.

I tackled the cushion first, by adding a thick styrofoam back to the cushion (I found the styrofoam in our basement!)

Using a staple gun, I secured the fabric, wrapping the cushion like a present.

Then, using a ruler and pencil, I marked where my covered buttons would be pulled through to create the tufted look.  I used an extra long needle (called a doll needle) that I found at my local fabric store to pull the buttons tight against the cushion.  Once I got the needle through, I secured the string on the back of the foam with the staple gun.

I think it came out pretty well!

With the cushion finished, I set out to add some height to the bench.  I came up with a scheme using simple 2×4″ boards.  First I trimmed two boards and attached them to the inside of the legs.

Then I simply added 3 more pieces (screwing one into the other) on each side to provide just about 6 inches of height.

It was pretty hideous looking, so it was time to start the skirt.

Originally I had picked up a beige sheet set to use for the skirt fabric, but I didn’t like it as much when I got it home.  So, I went back to the local Marden’s bargain store and picked up more of the blue silk that I had used to cover the buttons.

I ironed it (although it still looks wrinkled in the picture) and carefully wrapped it around the bench, stapling as I went.

It looked a bit too square and straight when I was finished, so I added some bunches of fabric to each corner.  You know, to add a little fru-fru-ness.

And then it was done.

A little bit better than this, right?

The final cost for this makeover breaks down like this:

• Bench: $4.99
• Fabric: $23
• Wood: $6
• TOTAL: $33.99

While it didn’t work out to be quite as cheap as I had hoped, it sure beats the prices of benches and seats that I had seen online and in stores.  This particular seat really needed to be a custom height, since the dressing table/counter is awkwardly high.  So, short of building a new bench, a re-purposed piece truly was the best solution!

What do you think of the finished result!?  Have you re-finished, tufted or skirted anything lately?  Tell all, please.

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