Look at this beauty- a 12 foot long church pew! I have wanted a long church pew in this space for about 6 years and would check on Craigslist every so often. Then I started checking daily! And a few weeks ago- I hit the jackpot. But, my pew wasn't this pretty when I met her....
She looked like this.... her previous owner used her in the backyard for potted plants. She was dirty, oh so dirty. I cleaned her with rags, swept her, vacuumed her and even sanded off layers of dirt. While living in the backyard, she became home to thousands of ants. I have sprayed and laid out traps for days and each morning I sweep up a few hundred more DEAD ants.
After cleaning it up well, I sanded off most of the turquoise paint. I knew I wanted a more neutral color and that with Annie Sloan paint, sanding all the way wasn't necessary. Here is a clean and sanded pew ready for paint.
I ended up using an entire quart of Annie Sloan graphite on this project. It was so dry and just sucked up the paint. Plus, did I mention it is 12 feet long? Phew!
After two coats of paint, clear wax and my electric sander, I fell in love!
It is the perfect size for my big long foyer! Plus, we love storing backpacks and purses on it, and other things we need for the next day. It is on the way to the front door or the garage which is super convenient.
I added a quilt that used to be on my bed and a few throw pillows I was storing under the guest bed. I am imagining a lot of seasonal decor on the bench too! Can't you see a little Halloween doll sitting on here or a collection of Christmas pillows?
There you have it- my long lost find on Craigslist that I just love!
To see more Annie Sloan projects I've tackled, click here. Or, to see the making of the gallery wall behind the pew, click here.
