Last summer I found this beautiful piece at a local antique shop.
Regretfully, I didn't get a picture of the tapestry covered cushion. When I removed the fabric, there was a LOT of dust. I knew this piece was very old.
You may notice one of the legs is a bit shorter than the other. I actually like that because it shows the authenticity of the piece as well as the fact it was likely handmade.
This piece immediately struck me as English, though I don't know why. {I'm guessing it was the tapestry covered cushion.}
The bottom portion of this bench is a door that opens to reveal several compartments. After a bit of research, I discovered this is a sheet music cabinet. These types of pieces were used in the early 1900s to store sheet music. This was during a time when nearly everyone had a piano or organ in their home.
After the introduction of file cabinets in the 1950s, these pieces of art became much less common.
According to serious musicians, a sheet music cabinet is actually a very disorganized way to store music in contrast to a file cabinet. I can understand that completely!
To makeover this lovely piece, I covered it in two coats of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in Ironstone. Because of the thick varnish on top of this piece, I definitely needed the bonding agent.
On top of the Ironstone, I added a coat of Schloss; a lovely gray with almost a purple hue. Schloss is one of the six colors in Miss Mustard Seed's new European collection.
After everything dried, I sanded the piece quite heavily. My hopes were to reveal some of the original stain, as well as the Ironstone paint underneath.
As for the cushion, I added new foam and reupholstered it in a drop cloth. Yes, a drop cloth! I love the faux linen look and texture of these for a fraction of the cost of real linen. It's such a perfect neutral that is goes with most anything. {Make sure to wash and dry before use to soften it up!}
I love the way this piece turned out. It's beautiful, subtle and striking all at the same time. I initially planned on selling it, but my hubby and I both fell in love with it. It fits flawlessly with the rest of our decor, so it has now become a permanent piece in our home. {For now.}
