gossip bench

not too long after we made an offer on the condo, i became obsessed with finding the right piece of furniture for the entryway. i wanted someplace where we could drop our keys and the mail and don/doff boots and outerwear, especially in the winter. after seeing a post about gossip benches on apartment therapy, i was hooked and began trolling craigslist and ebay for the perfect bench.

well, it took a few months (and a brief but torrid dalliance & infatuation with some old theater seats), but i finally found my bench on ebay! sean and i drove out to stratford CT to take a look and bring it home!



(pic from ebay listing)

it could stand to be refinished, which i may/probably will do one day, but it's solid and has lovely lines. i gave it a good cleaning then placed it in its new home.





(pics from our entry)

a few weeks later when i had the time, i removed the seat, which still had the original upholstery, and recovered it. i wrapped it in batting (for cushion) and a fun fabric, leaving the original upholstery intact underneath.





i'm pretty happy with it! and it's perfect for putting on/taking off shoes on our way out/in. (we don't wear shoes in the house.) gotta love a quick and easy project! refinishing it, on the other hand, will probably be a bit more time-consuming.