Before & After: From Busted Sofa to Stylish Safari Bench

You are not going to believe this. If you, like me, are only able to see this old busted leather sofa as an old busted leather sofa, you may be pretty astonished at what one enterprising DIYer managed to make out of it.

Leather furniture, as you may know if you’ve ever shopped for leather furniture, can be really expensive. While making over her niece’s bedroom, Mandi from Vintage Revivals had the idea of taking an old leather couch (that she bought at a thrift store for $75) and turning it into something different entirely.

Yes, it’s the same couch! Well, sort of. Mandi took her couch and skinned it, saving the old leather, which was in excellent condition. Then she built a new frame (out of standard lumber from the hardware store) inspired by a vintage safari chair she found on Craigslist.

The result is a stylish, beautifully detailed leather bench, for a fraction of the price you would pay for a new (or even a vintage) one. Head on over to Vintage Revivals to see more photos of the bench, and find out how you can make your own.