Porch Bench: tips for adding stain to an old chippy piece

I found this old bench at a yardsale, years ago.  The paint is original, it's sturdy, and was found back in a shed with a bunch of cobwebs. So~ yeah, a perfect find.  

*Lively Grace Tip:  Take your cobweb or dusty piece to a patch of grass and brush the parts you can against the grass before you load any creepy crawlies into your car.  Better yet, bring a truck!

I wanted a little more depth to the wood color, which will also help the paint stand out and create more contrast.

When you are working with a piece that has chippy paint, expect it to keep flaking, unless the piece has been sealed.  Knowing I wanted the wood stained darker, I knew I'd probably loose a little more paint in the process.

*Lively Grace Tip: Pour some stain into a separate container.  This will prevent any of those small paint flakes from making it into your can of stain, causing chaos on your next project.

This is what I was hoping for.  

I used the stain on the entire piece, with two coats over both the wood and paint. With a piece this chippy, there is no way to avoid putting stain on the paint as well.  I think in this case it actually gave a little umph to the weathered paint.

*Lively Grace Tip: Remember, a wet stain or paint will look a little different when it dries.

I didn't seal the bench, because our porch is covered. It does get some weather with blowing snow or rain, but is protected from sunlight.  If it was in the sun and weather all the time, I would have added a coat or two of polyurethane to protect not only the stain, but the paint.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Jen

Available items: Vintage Dresser, Fan, camera, hat box +!

Hi Friends!
Items listed are sold locally in Chubbuck (Pocatello), Idaho.  It's best to contact me via phone/text, 208.390.8653 to set a time for you to come pick up an item.

This sweet vintage dresser, stamped Montgomery Ward on the back has been fun.  I have never seen the glass drawer pulls in black in person before, and they are all in amazing!  It has seen many a use over the years, with dings, scrapes and worn areas.  It is pained in a chalk paint, "Vintage" is the color, a soft grey/blue.  My intent was not to make it look new again, but to well, re-Grace it with a soft paint and keep the years of wear it has earned.  I imagine this dresser was intended to sell to the masses, with a simple style and build.  The drawers all open and close, but are on wood runners, so they don't glide as new metal runners do.  You won't find dovetail drawers on this dresser, but rather what I feel is a good price on a hand painted, distressed, and twice poly-coated dresser.  Plus, it was lots of fun to give it three different vibes with other items I had waiting in the wings for you!

"Vintage" painted 5 drawer dresser $72 ~ sold

Hat Box, most fabulous color!  $12

Cobalt Blue Vintage Bottle $8

Vintage Camera, Argus brand $22

(leather case is non-removable, sorry for the fuzz on the camera, I didn't realize until the sun went down!)

White Single Pane Window $12

glass-intact, paint-chippy, hardware-rusty

(the beautiful sunset gave it a pink hue, but it's old white paint)

"Kash" fruit crate $16

White wire basket $6

Milkglass vase $6

Ironstone Creamer $6

Vintage Cheese Crock $8 -sold

("Independence Hall" printed on this side, bright paper label on back)

There's the glow from that sunset again!

Apothecary Jar $5

Square Corner Jar $5

Vintage "Manning Bowman" Fan $30

(I don't know if it works, power cord has been cut, I do know it looks great on display!)

Black painted basket $5

Wishing you all a safe and happy 4th of July!