Gossip Bench Makeover in "Duck Egg Blue"

I haven't blogged in a while now because I've been really busy.  I haven't had a chance to show you but I've been busy crocheting, busy visiting family in NJ, busy refinishing furniture, busy hunting down furniture, busy re-arranging furniture, and busy being a wife and mom.  I've been feeling quite productive lately and today especially since I got out and cleaned up a part of my front yard to get ready for spring.  The longer days make me happy :)  Anyway let's get down to business and let me show you my latest project.  I'm totally in love with it.

So exactly two weekends ago I landed an awesome gossip bench.  I've been on the search for one for a while now and I really thought it suitable for my foyer.  It was on craigslist so I contacted the seller and got it the next day.
I wanted to paint in in Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue but I honestly can't afford it at the rate that I paint furniture.  By all means I love it but it's just pricy so if price isn't an issue then go for it.  Anyway I searched blog land for inspiration and as always I learn something new.  I love blog land and how everyone is so willing to share information.  I came across Altard.com and found Annie Sloan color equivalents and was so happy.  Check out their post on Color Comparisons.  So my Duck Egg Blue in Behr paint was Gray Morning.  One trip to the Home Depot and I was set! I also bought Polished Pearl which is like the Old White because you can't go wrong with having it around.

Here's what I started out with (ignore the background and focus on the bench) working on my kitchen table.

 And here's my paint :) you won't believe that I only bought a sample for $3! Yay! Plus I only used half it it so $1.50 is a drop in the bucket compared to Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint.  I was so proud of myself.

Here's the result after the first coat!

While my final coat of paint was drying and I went ahead and popped my fabric in the washer and then dried it.  I bought a drop cloth canvas and used it to reupholster the seat.  Cheap and sturdy and french looking and this was inspired by a lot of projects in blog land but mainly by Miss Mustard Seed.  I love her blog and her house please be sure to check out all of her awesomeness I spend hours on her blog and I love it.  Seriously though who am I to give her a shout out when I'm such a young blogger I'm just giving credit where credit is due :)
Anyway here's the fabric.

Then after stapling my fabric to the seat I painted stripes on it using some burgundy/purplish oops paint.  Always nice to have oops paint on hand :)

Then a few hours later as this was drying I glazed the bench with a little bit of gold craft paint diluted in water.  It was so thin more of a wash and I glazed to add some sheen and gold accents then I'd wipe lightly with a cloth.  That made the blue more green so then I made another wash with the blue and went over the whole thing again. Then some sanding and distressing with a hand file and I was done.

A photo shoot was in order:

Don't you just love all the details?! I know I do.

It's total luck that my oops paint stripes match the hearts on my It's Good To Be Queen pillow :)
So this is it! Just a $1.50 worth of paint and this baby has been transformed and is sitting happily in the foyer.  Please share some love and let me know what you think.  Would love to hear from you!
xoxo,
May

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