Before and After: A $20 Redo Revives a Decades-Old Vintage Telephone Bench

Vintage furniture can be a great pick if you’re looking for a piece to last the test of time — but some pieces, while still sturdy, can start to show their age. Take this charming telephone bench, which DIYer Sasha Kampmeier scored at an antique shop. The bench was structurally sound, Sasha says, but the wood was covered in scratches and drips of nail polish. The seat also lacked padding, and the fabric was stained. “It was just overall uncomfortable and the colors were not my style,” Sasha says.

A little elbow grease and some creative DIY is all that was needed to get it back into shape, though. Sasha started by sanding the wood to remove all the old nail polish and scratches, which she says was the hardest part of the job. Next, she primed the bench to prep it for some fresh paint in a warm tan color. Sasha used spray paint, which gave her an ultra smooth finish.

Sasha reached into her stash of leftovers for the bench’s new seat, using a thick piece of foam and a vintage-look floral fabric to create a cushy landing spot. Since she used materials she already had on hand for this part, her only cost was for primer and spray paint — just $20 total.

“I love how comfortable it is now, and the colors fit so much better in my bedroom!” Sasha says. And now, the vintage piece has a fresh new style to see it through the next few decades.

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