{ Jacey } ENTRY WAY BENCH

GOOD GRIEF!

Well, this project is FINALLY, after TWO years, almost to the date, FINISHED! We started this the week after we were married (02.05.10) and now, in the year 2012...it is finally done!

i cant even begin to tell you what a huge relief this is to me!! 

granted, it WAS my fault for the delay...

michael did his part like he was told.

i on the other hand, couldnt decide on color, fabric for the pad, and then once i finally did, my sewing machine broke and i didnt have time/know how to fix it and then the next thing i know i decided to re-do the entire living room anyways so i had to start ALL over again with paint color, fabric for pad AGAIN!

long story short, its done and i am one HAPPY girl!

SO! i had this idea for the bench

a) for extra storage.

you see in tiny old homes like my own, you need all the help you can get! how many of you have some serious issues with your entry way and the CRAP (shoes, backpacks, mail, etc.) piling up?!?

i cant handle that, and i didnt want any kind of basket or desk or anything like that in the space. 

and b) for extra seating! 

growing up, in my parents house they had a window seat in their living room and i have always LOVED it! that is the feel i wanted for this. my windows aren't quite your ideal "window seat windows" but its the same concept! 

i drew up my plans for it, because frankly,

everything begins as a sketch for me!

handed them over to my dear husband who then went to work constructing the thing!

we framed it out with 2x4's and then covered it with beadboard. 

we love beadboard! okay, well i do! it so easy to work with, durable, and can cover up all the imperfections of a 100 year old house! :)

the lid we made out of MDF

we then used piano hinges to secure the lid and give it an easy 

"up & down" movement.

 we added handles to the ends to make it a little easier to lift the lids!

now first, here was the FIRST phase,

 red with a brown/tan zebra pad.

this was the ONLY picture i could find of it,

and obviously it is in no way a cute picture.

i never really photographed it because it was never really done!

the pad wasnt sewn and the trim around the lid wasnt on!

side note: my whole family hated me during this phase...

you see, the pad wasnt sewn yet, like i mentoned above, but it was just all pinned together...with straight pins..

oops!

everyone would always forget and go to sit on it to put their shoes or whatever on, and POKE! right in their butt, or hands, or who knows where! they would get so mad at me! 

they would shout things at me like:

"JACEY! you really need to sew this! its a dangerous weapon!"

"WHY HAVENT YOU SEWN THIS ALREADY?!?! If i get poked one more time i SWEAR..."

at one point michael threatened to throw it away if he got poked one more time. HAHA! i did feel bad, but i will admit, it was kind of humorous. :) probably cause i was never the one who got poked!

(dont mind my cute puppies mya & chief!)

AND FINALLY!

the finished product!!

Trim on Lid!

and not ONE pin in site. 

you may safely rest your bottom on this bad boy!

and of course, pillows make the PERFECT finishing touch for any kind of decor! These pillows are from:

• PierOne (Teal & Purple Satin Ruffle)
• Ross (Silver Ruffle & Black Silver Sequin)
• Target (Teal Damask)

Ross & TJ Maxx are GREAT for throw pillows!

They are cheap and have so many cute different styles!

(I will post more of my favorite places for pillows, darling finds, with other posts as my bedroom, rest of my living room unfold!)

(Please dont mind the paint all over the floor. i wasnt to careful when painting the living room this go around because we will be replacing it here very shortly with some DARK beautiful wood!) 

I will post on the SPACIOUS inside soon...

once i get it all organized and actually functional. :) 

i am really happy with how it turned out! 

even if it did take TWO years!!

:)