Hello beautiful friends and welcome to Trash-to-Treasure Tuesday!! Turning old or forgotten items into new treasures is my absolute favorite, and it is even more fun when I get to do it with some of my favorite treasure-maker friends! Be sure to look for links to their projects at the bottom.
Today I am breathing new life into this headboard bench I picked up at a craft market about 15 years ago:
This was long before I had ever attempted a headboard bench of my own. I was smitten with it when saw it and just had to buy it, but over the years it has started to show its age for sure, including those pesky knots you see on the seat. My mom has had this in her guest bedroom for the last several years and recently asked if I wanted it back.
I decided it needed a fresh new look, so I stepped out of my norm to freshen this one up:
Better, no? I rarely use black anymore but I knew this would look sleek and classic in a black finish.
There were a lot of things I didn’t notice about this bench when I bought it, like the way the screws had been puttied over but not sanded very nicely…
The same goes for the seat screws:
I was able to sand them all smooth before applying the new paint color. The black paint hid any other flaws that were easily visible before also.
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
One of the four corner posts has been cut off on the top also, which I never noticed when I bought it, but I think that only adds to the charm.
To paint this piece, I dug around in my stash looking for a black color. I found an old can of Country Chic paint in Liquorice which was just perfect. I gave it two coats and then sealed with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in a flat finish, using my favorite brush for applying topcoats.
As you can see, it still has a nice subtle sheen without being too shiny:
I didn’t do any sanding this time as I didn’t want any of the off-white underneath to show through.
To add a little something to the back, I found this oval plaque at Hobby Lobby:
I painted it white in my Bit of Sugar DIY chalk paint and then sanded it to get a shabby look. I sealed it in the same sealer I used on the bench. Adding your house numbers would be a great idea here too.
What do you think about this sweet bench’s new look? It’s not my normal bright and coastal, but I enjoyed doing something a little different this time!
For a how-to on creating a bench from an old headboard and footboard, click HERE!
Don’t forget my girls have treasures of their own to share today! Click the links below the image to see how their makeovers turned out!
I’ll be back on Thursday sharing what I did with this chair that my Hubby put his foot through:
UPDATE: Come see what I made from this chair HERE now! 🙂
XO,
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Cheryl says
Beautiful!!
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! XO
Mary Kaiser says
I love how that came out. I was shocked when you went black! Now does mom get the bench back or are you keeping it? I love the plague you put on the back, it looks great. I know you have built benches from head boards, I love how they look, wish I had a bigger front porch to put one on!
Christy says
Thanks, Mary! I love how the black made this look sleek and new again. My mom doesn’t really have any black in her house, so this will head to my booth! I don’t have a place for one here either…but they are always so charming! XOXO
Petra says
VERY nice 🙂 and beautiful staging 😀
Christy says
Thank you, Petra! XOXO
ColleenB.~ Tx. says
Beautiful. Like that you painted it in black; looks so classy. Very nice touch; adding of the little plaque. A little touch like that makes the whole piece. It just adds a nice extra touch to the bench.
Christy says
Thank you, Colleen! I used to paint more things black, but haven’t in forever. Love it for this bench! And Yep that plaque was the perfect finishing touch! XOXO
ColleenB.~ Tx. says
I do have one question. What can a person put over knot holes to keep them from bleeding through a light color paint?
Thank You
Christy says
I have used primer in the past, but it didn’t work that great. Next time I would try a shellac based primer or just regular shellac first. 🙂
ColleenB.~ Tx. says
Thank You
Janice Holt says
Love the black. Admit I was surprised but it is lovely and the little plaque is very sweet on it. Another great job.
Christy says
Thanks, Janet! I know I never do anything black LOL. Glad you liked it! XOXO
Christy says
Ugh! Spell-correct! Changed your name to Janet…sorry about that, Janice! ????
Christina in SW FL says
Wow, Christy, way to shake things up with black! 🙂 The pesky knots won’t be pesky any longer. Very sleek looking. The plaque is just the right touch.
I look forward to seeing what you create with the chair.
Enjoy your week to the hilt.
Christy says
Thanks, Christina! I love the black for this piece as well! See you Thursday! XOXO
Debrashoppeno5 says
The look in black is a nice change. And the decorators always says you should have something black in each room. It looks so nice.
Christy says
Thank you, Debra! And that is so true! I think I remember Vern from Trading Spaces saying that back in the day LOL! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
How beautiful!! It’s always fun to change something up, and you did this one so good. Pinning!
Christy says
Thank you, Larissa! It was fun to step out of my norm for this one too! XOXO
Michelle says
Christy, once again, another beautiful piece! I love black furniture and the finish is perfect. The plaque you added looks great. You have a knack for finding the perfect embellishments. Love it! Thx for sharing.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Michelle! I love this in the black and I’m so glad that little plaque worked out for the back of it! XOXO
Sheila DelCharco says
I love all the white paint you usually do but this black version looks so good too!
Christy says
Thank you, Sheila! I really should use black more often! XOXO
Peg says
Love, love, love it!!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Peg! XO
Tamra says
I love what you did with this bench and could definitely find a place for it in my own home! I know you primarily work with lighter colors, but I would love to see your creativity on a few darker colored projects????
Christy says
Thank you, Tamra! I would love to work with darker colors, if only I could sell them! The last piece of furniture that I painted black unfortunately sat in my booth for nine months, and I ended up having to bring it home and paint it white. We’ll see how this bench goes though, and then maybe? XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
I was so surprised that this wasn’t one you had made, Christy. (Of course, yours wouldn’t have had those defects to begin with!) Sometimes I try to guess what you’re going to do, and this time I got the dark part right, but I thought it would be Frenchy. Or striped. ???? Such a beautiful update, ready for a porch or entryway.
Christy says
Nope I bought this one long before I ever attempted my first headboard bench. It was just so sweet that I didn’t notice all the flaws. I decided to keep it simple, just so that it would be easier to sell, but I would’ve loved to add some graphics or stripes! You know me well! XOXO
Ange says
❤️the bench re-do. Especially the black.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Ange! I enjoyed painting something black for a change! XOXO
Donna says
Great makeover! Not often do we see black finishes…back in the days when I worked at a design studio/furniture store, we sold a lot of Hooker furniture in that silky black finish. Have a lovely day! Cold here…brrr…
Christy says
Thank you, Donna! I rarely use black, but I do really love it. I remember when black furniture was all the rage. Stay warm! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Love the black! It looks so elegant and classy. Well done. 🙂 xo
Christy says
Thank you, Nancy! It was fun using black for a change! XOXO
Chef Alli says
Christy – I’m always amazed at how a change of COLOR can totally transform something – you bench is the perfect example of that. Wow!
I so enjoy your creativity and checking out all your projects via your emails each week – keep up the good work! Chef Alli
Christy says
Thank you so much, Chef Alli! You are right… it is amazing what a fresh new color can do! XOXO
Sandi Magle says
This is really a great bench, and I think I like it better in black—gives it some weight and it looks to be sturdy. No one will be afraid to sit in it now!
Christy says
Thank you, Sandi! It really is a great piece now! XOXO
Jacki Gherardi says
❤️❤️❤️ this! I have a love for black as you do for white. What a great job, I may just have to make one of these! Thanks for all you do to keep us motivated! Love this site.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Jacki! I used to have a lot of black pieces in my home but I have slowly painted them white over the years. I really enjoyed painting something black again! XOXO
Susan Ronnfeldt says
I LOVE it!!! I love white painted furniture, but this looks fabulous painted in the licorice color!!! Great job!
Christy says
Thank you, Susan! I love it in this color too…so sleek now! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
Christy, it looks so chic in black! I can picture it in front of a white farmhouse with black shutters. 😉
Christy says
Thanks, Jen! And ooh yes!!! XOXO
Christie says
You choosing black sure shocked me!! LOL! That bench was made to be black. It looks stunning! Bonus in that you got to fix those pesky puttied areas that hadn’t been sanded properly. This would look great adding some drama to an entryway
Christy says
Ha ha I know, right? I really enjoyed using black for a change. And you’re right…black really suits this bench! Thank you, Christie! XOXO
Heather says
This is so cute!! It is definitely different that what I’m used to seeing from you but beautiful just the same!! I always find it funny the things I notice when I’m getting ready to paint something, things that have always been there that I just never noticed. Love your blog and look forward to each email!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Heather! I know…there were so many things on this bench that I never noticed before I was getting it prepped for paint! XO
Kaycee says
Christy,
What a beautiful new look! I love how your Mom passed the bench back to you and you gave it refresh. The plaque looks perfect too!
Christy says
Thank you, Kaycee! We pass things back and forth like that all the time LOL. I think this will be heading to my booth next though! XOXO
Ginny says
I love that bench! Black is so classy and goes with most everything.
Christy says
Thank you, Ginny!! Yes…black is very neutral! XO
Shirley says
WOW this is way out of your wheelhouse! I love it! The sleek black with the decal on the back is awesome! I hope it sells well for you. I know you aren’t usually I. To these colors but who knows.
Christy says
Thanks, Shirley! My sister who has a totally different style than me actually loved it. She’s considering it for her bedroom! XOXO