3 Clever Benches

My partner really has a knack for seeing a bench with any given piece of wood. He started constructing basic benches in various lengths using all recycled wood. Now he has gone into a whole new creative direction offering more unique, one-of-a-kind pieces for our customers.

I only wish I had the before pics of the pile of lumber he starts with but I know his whole process is a work in progress and ideas change sometimes in the middle with an even better detail or solution in the end result.

The black started as a raw, beat up foot board. He made a wider seat to accommodate the heavier back using some old trim board from an apartment we gutted and, finally, added some legs that were gathering sawdust. $80

The green chair-bench (which can be seen in the background of the blue bench) is what I've nick-named 'the 3-year and 15 minute project'. He actually put the chairs together using hinges three years ago and then it sat, literally. With the mysteries of creativity, nothing seemed right for the seat until that day came when the stars aligned themselves perfectly and BAM! 15 minutes later, project complete. I painted it using a scant coat and a very dry brush to give a more weathered look, then distressed it in the right places. The slat seat, the same trim boards from the apartment, was left raw. $110

Finally, our most popular bench started as pew ends found in a barn loft. Using the apartment trim boards, he assembled the bench and beefed up the bottoms of the pew pieces so it would be a more comfortable height. I painted it all black for a more uniform base coat, then the blue and distressed to expose the black underneath. $125 SOLD http://www.rustybucketantiques.com