#black bench

As much as I love trying to work with existing paint colors and finishes [like with this dresser], I probably love even more when I get to completely transform a piece of furniture. In this situation, things went from white to black, about as stark a contrast as you can get!

This story began with a cute, church-pew style bench, painted in a glossy white, which was bubbling and peeling in a less than appealing way [in fact it sounds like I may have just described some unfortunate skin disease, bleh].  The photo below is after I did some serious sanding on it to try and get rid of the overtly shiny, almost oily look it had.  I probably could have just continued working with the white until I got it to an attractive, rustic state, but... 

As I was prepping it, I remembered a client who was in search of a bench for her entry way, and after showing her the initial photos, she was sold.  She had suggested doing an antiqued black, since she was placing it on a white wall, and other black pieces would be in the mix.   

I promptly picked up Annie Sloan's Graphite color, and painted several coats.  Whatever paint [maybe oil based] that was on the bench initially was proving to be a burden, but eventually I had the bench covered in this charcoal/black.  Once it was completely dry, [which in this case dried to a lighter charcoal color] I brushed and buffed in copious amounts of dark wax, which helps it keep that satin/matte finish, but brings out the texture of the bench, while also darkening the color to more of a black.

I then did just enough distressing using medium and fine grit sand papers, which takes it from looking one dimensional and adds that extra bit of depth and interest.  I sanded the bench based on where the light hit it this morning [my kitchen has amazing natural light early in the day].  I finally went over the newly sanded areas with a bit more dark wax, just to mellow out the white the peaks through.  I may still darken it more, but right now I'm liking the way the white and the black work together.

Some of the photos have a bit of a sheen, which is mostly due to the bright sun that was shining directly through my kitchen windows, but in person, the bench has a nice, soft black tone.

Benches are another incredibly versatile piece of furniture.  I could see this piece in an entry way or mudroom, outside on a porch or patio, in a kitchen [it looks pretty amazing in mine!], or even at the foot of a bed.  My dog, Watson, especially loves to use it as a fort that he can crawl under [insert obligatory adorable puppy photo!].