My DIY Greek Key Bench

  Two DIYs in one week? Moving really has me on the ball people.
Today I bring to you the story of a bench.
^ Here is what it looks like now. I use it as a coffee table/ottoman in front of my couch, but it could easily go at the foot of a bed or in a front foyer! I love how versatile a good bench is.

Let's travel back in time to July, 2011 to see what the piece used to be:

Picked this baby up at Good Will for $4. It was chipped, bubbling and a strange height for a coffee table. But I saw the potential of those great legs (and yes, it took me over a year to finish even start this one).

The First step was to remove the top of the table:

^ It was attached with these L-brackets that easily unscrewed.

Next, I used the top as a template to cut out the 2inch upholstery foam that would sit on top to form the cushion of the bench.

I cut out the foam with a serrated knife and used spray adhesive to attach it to the table top. I did the same for a layer of cotton batting.

^Since my bench is four feet long, I ordered 2 yards of fabric and cut it down to size.
The fabric I chose was 'Greek Key, Buff' from Tonic Living.

Then, with the help of my parents, I staple gunned the fabric to the underside of the table and reattached the top. Oh and I also painted the base of the bench white!


I'm so pleased with the end result. The entire project cost me around $40. I had the paint leftover from an old project so that kept costs low, but it required very little paint!
Then, on a trip to Home Sense, I was even more pleased when I spotted this:

The EXACT same fabric on a similar looking bench for 200 dollars!

Pretty amazing if you ask me!
xo