Bringing An Old Church Bench Back To Life

Hopefully you caught our Instagram story yesterday - we were showing off a great old church bench that we refinished for the studio!

The church pew has been in my family for as long as I can remember! I am not really sure the true origin, there are many tales but from what I can gather a favorite cousin saved them from certain destruction. His name is still written in his hand, underneath the seat cushion. Cousin Bill offered them to family and friends, and my dad claimed two. Thru the years there are many memories and events associated with the benches. One that I will never live down, occurred during my thirteenth birthday party, oops! An infamous dance-off led to near calamity for one of the benches. Too many thirteen year olds rocking out on the bench, shhh!

Fast forward, many years later; my dad gifted us with a small version of the damaged bench, which now proudly sits in our front entry. He still gives me a bad time over the dance party “mishap.” Dad used his hands and woodworking skills to resurrect the piece. Some day it will be handed down to the next generation and I hope they treasure it as much as I do. A coat of red paint and new custom cushions and voila, a whole new look. In fact it might be time for a new color, hmmm, thoughts?!

Fast forward once again, mom and dad are in the process of editing, they were seeking a new home for the remaining bench. My brothers declined so I felt compelled to find a new home for the piece. The challenge, the bench is long, over 90.” Thankfully it was just the right length for our studio work table. The bench sat a bit too low, so my better half added 1 3/4” to the legs. It now sits at the perfect height to the table. Keri Seery of Antique Therapy did an amazing job refinishing it. Kerri worked tirelessly on the piece, sanding, gluing and repairing areas that needed a little extra TLC. She used Ben Moore’s Twilight Zone (2127-10) in a matte finish. She sanded the edges and details to bring out some of the warm wood tones from beneath…the after is quite stunning!

We now have a wonderful recycled piece, with great patina and history. And it is fast becoming a favorite perch, especially for Kylie, who loves to sit near the warmth of the radiator, positioned just behind the bench. Our Schumacher Chiang Mai pillows work perfectly with the original red horse hair cushion. Once the holiday installation rush is over we will update the cushion, perhaps with a mohair version but it does the trick for now.

So get out your sandpaper and paint brush and let your imagination run wild. Your home should tell your unique story. We would love to hear from you, do you have a favorite piece that tells your story, please share!