My friend is in the process of building a beach house in Barngate, NJ. She was on the hunt for a piece that will be in her front entry. It had to be utilitarian and pretty at the same time.
She found this awesome bench at a local antique store. I believe it is originally from England. However, it had been painted in a very nasty, orange color and the paint was super slick (likely oil based). I knew it would require quite a bit of work to get it ready for its beach house debut!
![](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_6375-2.jpg)
![](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_6376-2.jpg)
![](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_6377-2.jpg)
I started by taking my orbital sander and going over all of the old paint to give it a surface to stick to. After sanding, it had to be totally cleaned before I could begin.
I used a base coat of Annie Sloan Old White and then 2 more coats of Pure White on top. I then used my sandpaper and sanded it all back for a super smooth finish. This allowed all of the old details to pop through and gave it a super beachy, old look. I really love it!
![Vintage Bench in White](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Bench6-681x1024.jpg)
![Vintage Bench in White](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Bench2-681x1024.jpg)
![Vintage Bench in White](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Bench1-987x1024.jpg)
Here is a pic of the foyer where it will go. Love the tile!
![Vintage Bench in White](https://thepainteddrawer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_8460-2.jpeg)
A fun summer before and after!