Dear readers,
I am excited to present a Goodwill transformation project completed by Erin Fogg, who writes the beautiful Domestic Adventure blog. Read below to see how she turns a thrifted bench into a beautiful addition for her walk-in closet.
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I rarely go into Goodwill looking for something I need. Instead, I look for something that will inspire, and I am rarely disappointed.
Take this bench for example. After more than a year searching for the perfect bench for the dressing table in our new walk-in closet, this jumped right out at me at the Ellsworth, Maine store.
Sure, I had seen many benches that I liked online and in local stores. But, I was looking for a deal, and for a piece that was the right height and style for the room. This bench was a little bit short and a little ugly, but I knew I could fix it up and customize it. With a price of $4.99 the deal was done and I brought it home to test it out.
After removing the current fabric to reveal a gazillion nail and staple holes, I devised a plan to recover this old piece. My plan was to cover and tuft the cushion, add about 6 inches of height to the base, and add a skirt to the frame to cover all of the holes and my handiwork.
With some beautiful silk from Marden’s (a local bargain store) and some styrofoam that I found in our basement, I recovered the cushion. To create the tufted look, I pulled through some buttons that I covered myself.
Next I added some 2×4 pieces of wood to the base to add the necessary height. It didn’t look very pretty, but it was just the solution I needed.
Finally, I added a skirt to the base by simply stapling fabric to the wood. After just a few minutes I had the finished product in place at the dressing table!
The total price for my bench was $33.99, which included the bench, fabric and wood. Best of all, it is completely customized for this particular space!
So, next time you go to Goodwill, make sure to use your Goodwill eye. Look closely at what you find and use your imagination to think of ways you can re-purpose items for décor solutions in your own home. It’s fun, and rewarding!
Erin is the author of the Domestic Adventure Blog, where she documents her adventures in homemaking while juggling life, love, and her career. By day Erin is a fundraising and PR professional for a Maine nonprofit. Erin lives near Bar Harbor, Maine, with her husband Chris and their dog Frankie.
