simply vintageous...by Suzan: Pallet Wood Bench

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

If he were a Carpenter

Thanks so much to Rooted in Thyme for the feature!!!

Hi Everyone!
Remember this pile of pallet wood I was supposed to make my son artwork from?

Well Mama got greedy - and decided to use it for herself ( don't worry Gordie - I promise I'll make you something - scout's honor - just not THIS week )

Well progress in the bedroom continues -
We have a very small master - very very small - so everything has to be stragically placed to optimize space.
I've always liked having a bench at the foot of the bed - but just couldn't make it work in this house - without walking around with black and blue legs from smashing into it constantly.
After walking by this pallet wood for a few days, an idea started forming in my head - what if we ( I use "we" very loosely in this case ) could make a custom piece - very narrow - but still a BENCH???

Suzan says - John, do you think you could make me a bench for the foot of the bed?
John says - No Suzan, I cannot, I'm not a carpenter
Suzan says - How hard can it be to do?
John says - Very hard - if you've never done it before,
Suzan says - Oh but it's nothing really - just a few planks of wood - and some more wood for legs - there's nothing to it really
John says - So you make one
Suzan says - I'VE PAINTED THE FLOOR - I'VE PAINTED OUT FURNITURE - CAN'T YOU JUST SAW UP A COUPLE OF PIECES OF WOOD?
John says - Listen to me carefully, I'M NOT A CARPENTER
Suzan says - But it doesn't TAKE a carpenter to make a little bitty bench -
Suzan says - AND it doesn't have to be functional - it's not to actually sit on
John says - Well what the hell is the point then? Just to look at ?
Suzan says - Yes - just to look at, it would make my heart so happy just to have a little bench to LOOK at.

That night John started working on one -
Look what he made!!!
Keep in mind he has never built anything before - EVER.

It's rustic - and shabby - and perfectly imperfect - and fits exactly how I thought it would.

Oh oh, there's some space beneath the bench - can't have any of that!
( remember, small room, have to utilize every square inch )

Does anyone remember this? ( if not you can find it HERE )
It was an old wooden crate that I picked up for 5.00 last summer - I painted it white and stencilled it AND

DIY, Parisien address, storage box, white washed

it fits under the bench like it was meant to be there - and gives me more storage

I love that I have somewhere to place a few books

I dry brushed it white - with a little blue here and there - and for 5 dollars I have a bench and storage!

Suzan says - Do you think you could build me a little bookshelf
John says - Relax. I think you're overestimating my abilities here.
John says - And whatever you do - DON'T SIT ON THAT BENCH.................
John says - I TOLD you, I'm not a carpenter
Suzan says - Oh but John, I beg to differ.......................