Online Inspiration: Coffee Table to Bench Seat

MONDAY, MAY 24, 2010

I hope by now that you all know how much I love when a project that involves re-imagining and reusing something that we already have. So,, when I saw this project I had to ask if I could share it. Jenni from Peppertowne did a fabulous job with an old coffee table, check it out:

Confession: I lost the 'before' picture for this project.

I swear I took the pic. But where is it?

I've search through the endless piles of photo chaos on my computer. Oh, don't judge me. You know the photo chaos...you've been lost in it too.

The abyss of unmarked photos scattered all over your computer.

Promise: I promise to save my pictures in a marked and uber-organized way. At lease until I'm in a hurry or the cheese quesadillas are burning...

Craigslist rules! I found a photo similar to the coffee table I originally bought.

My coffee table cost me $10 bucks. But, I needed a window seat!

I was looking something with modern lines and a neutral feel.

TAA-DAA!!

This was an easy project with some basic upholstery.

Step #1: Prep and paint the wood frame.

After removing the lovely smoke mirrored glass, I painted the table and then sanded up the edges a bit to let the dark wood show through.

Step #2: Cut some wood board to replace the glass mirrors.

Step #3: Cut a piece of foam for the bench seat. The best way to cut foam is a band saw. But if you don't have one, the second best way is with a sereded kitchen knife.

Glue the foam to the board using spray adhesive.

Step #4: Using a staple gun, cover the foam with a liner cloth.

Securely staple on the backside of the board. Use a firm even pressure around the edges. As you can see in the picture, I use my body weight to push foam in and then staple the fabric. This makes a nice rounded edge on your seat.

Step #5: Cover your seat with the upholstery fabric.

Using the same technique as the liner cloth, use a firm even pressure and staple the fabric in place. Always cut away and excess fabric. Pull your corners in and staple them like crazy. Remember, the underside of your project doesn't have to look perfect. This is not an art of perfection...and that's why I love it! Also, I'm using an air powered staple gun, which is the bomb. If you don't have access to one of these, a hand powered gun is great. I've done many many project with a hand gun.

Step #6: Staple your trim.

Adding a trim gives finished look to your project. Here I choose a burlap natural fiber that fit in with my neutral scheme. Simply, staple the trim along the edge of your board.

Here's a trick I learned from a great upholsterer, when the two ends of your trim meet, simply unravel the ends, cross them over each other and staple in place on the underside of the board. This way your cushion will fit perfectly without the added bulk of the extra trim.