Benches and ottomans are my favorite furniture pieces! And they are quite functional! Usually you would see benches placed along the wall in the hallway. They provide extra storage and a perfect spot to decorate for the seasons!
Finished benches are available for purchase in variety of styles, colors and finishes. Before you start this project I suggest that you browse some inspirational images on Pinterest or Instagram and see how benches are styled and used.
You can use my tutorial to build a bench and paint the top in the color you like. Reclaimed wood top is also an option. As well as repurposing and old window shutter or a narrow door!
I was going for a simple natural look with black accent hardware, but you can repaint the legs to match the style you are going for!
I promise this project is super easy!
Many diy projects are long and have many steps, but not this one! Just a few simple steps!
And let me tell you this DIY is so simple and easy that you may want to try it even if you are a novice diy-er!
How this project happened!
I was looking for a furniture piece to fill an empty lower half of the wall in our family room. Our space is small so I needed a small bench, nothing bulky or heavy!
After I looked at a bunch of modern farmhouse style benches I decided to design one myself!
To be honest I am not a huge fan of measuring and cutting wood angles. This is something I do believe I absolutely suck at! Yes me, a girl who built few pieces of furniture and redid a kitchen by herself! So this project had to be simple!
I love the look of black iron legs and a wooden top on furniture. And bought legs for our tv stand online before.
Did you know you can purchase iron legs for coffee tables, dinner tables, benches online?
Heavy duty ones are better for larger furniture pieces. So I went with cheaper and lighter ones because I know that we won’t sit on this bench. And I went with a thinner wood top using piece of lumber I already had from a previous project.
What type of wood to use?
So when you are choosing a bench top keep in mind there are soft and hard types of lumber.
If you are looking to distress your bench top then go with a softer kind. But it will also dent more than hardwood unless that’s the goal.
But for my diy modern farmhouse bench project I wanted a clean non distressed look. In order to achieve that look I went with oak board.
Oak is a hardwood and very durable, but also somewhat heavy. The size of my bench top is 10 inches wide, 1 inch thick and 5 feet long.
After wood was cut to size at the Home Depot I sealed the wood with beeswax that I’ve purchased on Amazon.
Let’s design your bench now.
In order to design your diy bench you need to know how wide and how long you want it.
Once you have measurements in mind, go to a home improvement store that carries lumber and select the piece. Ask store associate at the saw counter to cut it for you to size.
Bench legs I used in my project.
Purchase bench legs. Many of them come with screws so read the description to see if you need to purchase screws! Make sure the part of the legs where the screws go in is equal or slightly narrower in size than the wood top.
Assemble the bench.
Flip your wood top face side down and mark where you will attach the legs. Screw the bench legs in place.
Next step is to seal or paint wooden bench top.
Natural beeswax actually makes a great sealer for wood and I use it often! Link below.
Now you’ve built yourself a nice bench! All you need to do is to seal the wood! Rub some beeswax on the top and sides of the bench top. Simply dip an old clean washcloth into the wax and wipe it on a wood surface. Wipe off unabsorbed wax once done.
If you are painting the bench top make sure to paint it on both sides and let it dry well before attaching the legs.
Yay! Our DIY modern farmhouse bench is done!
And the project is done! So let’s decorate our diy modern farmhouse bench! For instance I use accent pillows, throws and lanterns to decorate a bench or a chair. Change out accessories according to the season and enjoy the view!
Also, don’t forget about under the bench storage! Tuck in a couple of baskets or a crate to store things in! It will not only make it pretty but also functional!
I am already planning how I will be decorating it for Christmas! And my fall decor will officially be out in September!
I really hope you find this post helpful and please let me know in comments if you’ve tried this project!
Have fun!
Hugs,
Nadia
