Before & After: Wooden Bench Makeover

Before you hunker down for the winter, we still have a few nights left to enjoy the fall weather. I finished making over a wooden bench for my porch just in time. Cast off on the side of the road, this sad wooden bench was destined for the trash. See how I refurbished the bench—with a bit of sanding and a paint job—and gave it new life on my front porch. Abandoned in front of a house with a “free” sign taped to its front, this sweet little bench sat waiting for me to scoop it up. Its maroon paint was chipped and worn, but more in a neglected way than in the farmhouse style that’s so popular today. Despite its shabby paint and scratched up surface, the bench was sturdy. No broken legs or wobbly parts. It just needed a little TLC and a fresh paint job. Fixing this bench started with a lot of sanding. And more sanding. And taking a break when my hands hurt from all the sanding. And more sanding. The boards that made up the seat of the bench were so scratched and worn that I would have had to sand them away...

Old Dresser Redo

Taking something sad and outdated and transforming it into something beautiful? That’s my favorite. Especially with furniture. Take this dresser. I bought this sad number for $15 at a garage sale. It needed a lot of love. The drawers were fragile and starting to fall apart. (Thanks for fixing those, dad!) It was full of scratches and the stain was wearing off. But I loved the pretty scalloped detail at the bottom. Here’s the before. And now the after. This dresser just shows that it doesn’t take a lot of know-how to make a big transformation. I didn’t do anything crazy. I simply sanded the dresser and the drawers; gave it a couple of coats of Valspar paint in Crisp Linen; and perked it up with new aged bronze knobs. I love the classic look of the crisp white and near-black pulls. I’m really happy with it. What do you think? Related articles: Closet Makeover Reveal 5 Favorite Furniture Find–For Free! Wooden Chair Makeover: After...

Wooden Chair Makeover: Before

Can you believe that I found this pretty piece on the side of the road? Yep. I spotted her in a pile of garage sale leftovers bound for the trash. I saw the potential for a stylish chair immediately. You can see right away that the bones are good. Sleek arms and engraved details. Even though the cushion is mighty stained and one leg was slightly cracked, I knew I could transform her. Look out for a full makeover soon! What do you think of this chair? Do you think she can be saved? Keep up with Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest. This is the twenty fourth post in a 31 days blog series called 31 Days of Reimagining. Start from the beginning....