Banquette Table Gets a Refreshing New Look

Krosiepowers
by Krosiepowers
This little corner of our kitchen has been through a few iterations over the last 6 years, but thanks to a mini-renovation last summer, we've finally found a solution that works for our needs: a Banquette Table with a pull-up bench. The funky trestle-based table was a Craigslist cheap find (my favorite kind of buy!), and I used RePurpose Paint to cover it in a beachy-blue color scheme.
This is how the eat-in kitchen space of our 900 sq ft cottage looked before we bought the house 6 years ago. If you peek in the back corner, you'll see a pellet stove, which was great for saving on heating costs, but not at all practical for a family with young kiddos. The fact of its sheer size, combined with the intense heat output left little options for where to safely place a kitchen table.
When we finally were able to save enough funds for some updates, we decided to have a wrap-around bench/banquette space built so we could really maximize the space. I looked all over Craigslist for a few weeks until I finally found the right size inexpensive table with a trestle base.
I sanded the table down first to determine whether I wanted to re-stain it or just paint over it, and I decided on paint. I was super-excited to discover HGTV's Cari Cuskey's RePurpose Paint Line at the Country Living Fair last spring, so I grabbed two colors there, and started to experiment!
I ended up going with a two-toned look--the turquoise color on top, and the darker blue on the bottom. My mind wasn't made up on whether or not I wanted to distress it, but after seeing it in the space (which is a very simple beach-cottage), I liked the idea of "aging" it a bit... well, fake-aging it, that is :)
At the Country Living Fair, I had asked Cari's team about her method for distressing--they suggested using steel wool, which I hadn't used before, but I am so glad for that tip because it is my new favorite distressing tool. All you need is a bowl/bucket of water, some steel wool, and a rag or paper towels (and I used gloves, too, because the wool gets prickly). After the paint is dry, just rub the area you want to distress with the wool (and add or subtract water to achieve the look you want), and then remove the excess paint with your rag or paper towel. I found it to be a really easy and forgiving approach.
I sealed it with some soft wax that I had on hand, and it's held up really well so far, although I'm not averse to adding our own scratches and nicks to the surface ;) Really, it's inevitable, and one of the main reasons I love distressed pieces with my little messy ones.
The new space is perfect for our needs. The built-in benches allow us to move the table closer to the corner, which gives a few more much-needed feet of space in the kitchen. The pull-up bench easily tucks under the table when not in use, so it's out of the way, too!
All together, the entire project cost less than $100!
The table adds a nice pop of color to an otherwise very-white space, and honestly, for the price, you really can't beat it!
The white vintage stool was a $20 flea market find, and the wood pull-up bench on the other side is from Ikea... I'm going to paint or stain it, too, but haven't decided on a color scheme. Any suggestions?!?!


For more pics and process notes, check out the post on my blog!
Krosiepowers
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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