I have been collecting things to furnish the boys' garage attic fort and I am determined to use things that are free or things we already have. This storage bench use to be in my office back when the space was turquoise. I'll know you are a long time reader if you remember that! It was put in the garage and has seen better days. I decided it would be perfect for the attic fort to hold board games, art supplies, blankets, or puzzles. It is deep and has a lot of space inside. Here's how I did this storage bench makeover!
This post is sponsored by HomeRight but all ideas and opinions are 100% my own. This post also contains affiliate links.
The Before
The Storage Bench Makeover Reveal
The slanted walls of the fort are going to be black and the love seat is a dark yellow so I decided to go with a bright white for the storage bench.
I think paired with these pillows it will be the perfect addition to the boy hang out place.
Makeover Details
Giving a piece of old furniture a face-lift is easy! And it can easily be done in a day or two. Here's how!
Step 1:
Sand the surface with a medium grit sandpaper like 120. This will make the surface a little rough and the paint will adhere better. It will also help remove any dirt and grime.
Step 2:
Clean the whole thing really well with a damp rag. As soon as it is dry and dull, it is ready for the next step!
Step 3:
Make any repairs that are needed. Fill dents and scratches with paintable putty. I needed to nail some trim back on and calk along a seam. It really wasn't in too bad of shape all things considered.
Step 4:
Remove any hardware and tape off anything you don't want to paint. I decided to keep the the inside dark so I covered the opening. Place the furniture piece on a tarp to protect your workspace. I like to place the furniture on scrap wood so that it doesn't end up sticking to the tarp.
Step 5:
The best way to get a smooth finish is to use a paint sprayer. I love the HomeRight Finish Max Super. I loaded it with my favorite white paint and added a thin coat. Several thin coats are better than one or two thicker coats.
I like to use a semi gloss paint on things that will get a lot of wear and tear and will need to be wiped down a lot. Since this is going in a garage attic with a bunch of boys, I'd say it will be getting wiped down quite a bit.
Do you have any painting projects on your to-do list? I'd love to hear about your summer projects :)
PIN For Later:
This came out gorgeous! You're really going to put in in the attic sapce?
Ha! When I saw it in my living room I had second thoughts but yes, it is going up in the fort!
I really want to try one of those sprayers! Your bench looks great.
Thank you! :)
What and awesome save! That bench is darling now and I'm sure your boys will love it! I'm loving how you used paper over the openings to protect the inside from overspray too! Good job!
Thanks! They are excited to fill it with all sorts of things :)
You use interior paint? Is it smooth enough to paint a scene on it?
Yes. I used a high quality interior paint with primer. You could paint on top of it as well. The Finish Max Super (and all of the HomeRight sprayers) give a super smooth finish so it would be really easy to paint a scene over it! That would be beautiful!
Love the bench and the storage. The boys will have a super fort! You really do such a good job on all your projects and thanks for sharing.
What a great bench, the update looks great!
So fun seeing your link-ups at Tuesday Turn About, Stacy! Love this makeover of your storage bench! I have something similar in my tiny home, too! (I was going to feature you, but I believe another one of our hostess chose you first! So, next time for me!) Pinned! Hugs, friend!
Thank you so much Julie!
Great makeover. Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ's!
I love my HomeRight sprayer. I haven't used it in some time but you have inspired me to find a new project to use it for. Thanks for visiting and sharing this week at #HomeMattersParty