"Built-In" Benches

Guys I'm behind.  This happens to me every year: as I round the corner on Thanksgiving and enter into the Christmas season, I am caught off-guard by the extra stack of things to do in my personal life: Christmas decorating, holiday parties, gift shopping, cookie baking... (jk on that last one - I don't bake), so... cookie eating, you get the idea.

It's T-minus 20something days to 2017 and I still have two items left on my 2016 furniture flip bucket list (including the delinquent DIY bakers rack from 2015 *hides face in  shame*). At this rate I might as well walk naked all the way to the Red Keep with a bell ringing nun behind me (that's the standard punishment for not meeting your New Years resolutions right??).  I even have a line up of flips in the shop that I have yet to share with you here!  

Well, I might as well work on my penance now and share one with ya now ;)  A while back I ran across this pic on craigslist for a "stackable dresser."  Intrigued I clicked to read more to find out that they were solid pieces with two drawers each.  

It was clever of them to use both as a makeshift dresser but they looked a little odd when stacked to me.  I decided to buy them with the plan to un-stack them and figure out a better way to use them...

Storage benches!!!  

When I got my hands on these twin pieces, I realized just how SOLID they are.  They could totally handle the everyday demands of a mudroom or entryway: book-dropping, boot-pulling, galosh-flinging.  So I painted it in our favorite glossy white by  Glidden Door and Trim to give it a matching indestructible finish.

I replaced the old handles with shiny new brass ones and moved the pulls up you wouldn't have to bend down as far to pull the drawers open.

Putting them side-by-side makes for a super long mudroom bench - perfect if you have the space but not the budget for a built-in.  I could also easily see these underneath a window as a window-seat plus toy storage.

Wherever you decide to use it, the drawers are deep and can hide a multitude of clutter (my kind of storage piece ;)

Hoping to really sell the mudroom bench idea, I styled this shoot like a typical "command center" for the on-the-go mom complete with a calendar, fresh flowers, coat hooks, and a basket for dumping.

"Faux Built-in" Mudroom Benches
48"L x 19"D x 18.5"H each
Now Available for Sale
$500 for both or $265 each

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact cate@stylemutthome.com.  My hope is that these handy fellas will help ease someone's organizational needs out there - especially during this busy busy season.  And that reminds me, despite how hectic the holidays can get, don't forget to spend your time thoughtfully and wisely!   And on that note, I leave you with the lyrics from a favorite underground Christmas song:

“No gifts to give, they’re all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we see a light
That comes from what we know inside

I’ll come to you, I’ll sing to you
Like it’s Christmas in the room
I’ll dance with you, I’ll laugh with you
’Til it’s Christmas in the room”

— Christmas In the Room, Sufjan Stevens

Industrial Bench

Remember these puppies er... ponies?

When I bought them, I thought I would make a massive desk supported by both sawhorses.  But their size length would make for a desk with a HUGE footprint (and quite possibly too large to appeal to potential buyers).  So I split up the set and used only one to make a narrower desk complete with a hutch and detachable lamp.

As for the other sawhorse, I was stumped.  Fortunately when I get myself into these kind of conundrums, I have a secret weapon: I call Chelsea in for a consult.

Now the LORD knew what He was doing pairing me up with such a creative and supporting business partner.  She took one look at them and said, "What if you make an industrial bench?"

Genius.

Chelsea lent me her hacksaw so I could cut down the legs of one of the sawhorses to the right height.  I combined both pieces of storied wood from each sawhorse into one bench surface and remounted it on the galvanized metal base.  

I just LOVE the saw and paint streaks - it makes me wonder what projects these sawhorsed saw(ed) in their day. 

See (saw) what I did there? 

Ijustcanthelpmyself.

So what magical rugged loft did I drag my new bench to for the perfect industrial backdrop?  Where else do I stage my pieces these days...

Now, if you're clever and observant (which I'm sure you are) you may be thinking to yourself, "Cate, when did your garage get a brick wall?  All of your other staged pieces have always had regular old drywall as the backdrop..."

Clever, clever you.

Take a closer look at the photo - did I fool you?  Or are you onto my little ruse?

It's not brick, it's wallpaper.

I'll admit, I was skeptical about using a 2D wallpaper to make a 3D effect.  I don't often go for faux unless it's really convincing - but I live in a new(ish) apartment complex that doesn't have old charm in spades.  Cue Milton & King Wallpaper.  (Remember this wall hanging giveaway using their Gluttony print?)  Well they were generous enough to also send me a roll their very popular Soft White Bricks.

And I was surprised to see just how believable the pattern was even in person!  The only way you would know it wasn't brick would be to run your hands along it expecting to feel a gnarled texture and instead finding it's baby smooth.  

Disclaimer - I do live in a rental so I couldn't bring myself to install wallpaper only to take it down in a few months when our lease is up.  I just tacked up the panels and used wood trim to hide the seams that would otherwise be invisible if the paper had been glued.  (Plus it adds a little architectural interest.)

And just because it's Fall (and I'm obSESSED with cooler, crisper weather), I used my favorite fall accessories for this shoot. 

Thank you Milton & King for opening my eyes up to the wonders of high-quality wallpaper prints!  One of these days I'm going to have to get my hands on your Marble and your Dandelions prints.  (Insert 17 heart-eye emojis)

It's only fitting that this industrial bench ended up in a cool DC apartment.  That's right!  If you've been following along with us you may recognize this bench from yesterday's eDesign reveal:  

May he forever grace our client's moody dark green hallway!

Muted Teal Apothecary Chest

It's been a long time since I've been in touch with my shabby chic side.  In fact, I don't think I've heavily distressed a piece since this dresser .  But once-in-a-while, only for the most spectacular of clients, do you roll up your sleeve and distress the heck out of something to get that chippy-vintage-storied look.

As Chelsea hinted at with some teasers in this post, we've had the joy nay the honor of styling a hip condo for our latest client in DC.  One of the unique challenges we've faced with her space is a quirky triangular entryway with very little space and very little going on to greet you when you first walk in.  After weighing a few options, we decided that a narrow piece in a bright but sophisticated color would do the trick.

And it just so happened that I had a 12" deep faux apothecary chest in my possession ;)

Recognize it in our first apartment?  This skinny little piece has served us well over the years.  But the inevitable shift of my personal style combined with our lack of entryway in our new apartment meant it was time to move on to bigger better things.  I was pondering how to refinish it for resale just when our client brought up her need for some super-skinny entryway storage!  Twas meant to be.

After running some custom refinishing ideas past our client, we decided on a muted teal that played well with the rest of her newly designed home and a "weathered" look for some added character.

In my experience, it is really rare to find a storage piece as narrow as 12" - I mean just look at how thin this lady is! 

All she really needs to be for our client is a happy little place to catch her keys and store her weather-wear (scarves, mittens, and such).

Giving a nod to the piece's vintage vibes, I styled it with the replica botanical prints salvaged from our old master bathroom (which have been sitting in a box since we moved) and a blown-glass vase with foraged thistles.

I am so happy to see her go to a beautiful new home and even happier to offer our client a custom piece that I've had the chance to product-test myself!

You'll have to circle back to us to see how she'll fit into our client's digs!