Bench Makeover: How to Paint the Frame and Fabric

Hello Friends, 

Ever started a little project and then had an ooops moment?

I know! Right? Sometimes DIYing is all about winging it.

And this, my friends, is one of those times.

Bench Makeover: How to Paint the Frame and Upholstery Fabric

When I laid out the makeover plan for this outdated bench, it looked like any other. Simply paint the frame and change out the fabric. Easy peasy.

And so, I got to work.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Fusion Mineral Paint, but all projects and opinions are 100% my own.

How to Paint the Frame

Step 1 – Prep the wood surface

For this particular bench, begin by removing the cording that covers the intersection of the upholstery and the bench. I did not do this and had to backtrack to paint the wood after the cording was removed. It wasn’t a big deal, but proved I didn’t have my head in the game. Ooops#1

Otherwise,

• Always begin by giving the wood a good cleaning with TSP or Simple Green. 

• Wipe away all residue from the cleaner. 

• Gently sand.

• Wipe away dust from sanding with a tack cloth.

Because this frame was in such good shape and was from my own stash, prepping the wood surface was a snap. After a cleaning and sanding so that the wood would accept the paint, this little bench was ready to go.

Step 2 – Layer on the paint

The first color added to the frame is Ash.

• One coat is added and allowed to dry (about an hour).  

• Slightly buff (not sand) with 240-grit sand paper.

• Wipe away the dust from sanding with a tack cloth.

• Apply a second coat.

The second color added to the frame is Inglenook.

• After the second coat of Ash is dry (I allowed several hours), apply Vaseline where you do not want the second coat of paint to stick. This process is fully explained in an earlier post. Click here to review “How to Distress Paint with Vaseline.”

• After the Vaseline is applied, apply the second color of paint. In this case, the color is Inglenook.

• Allow the paint to dry and then wipe away the bubbled-up Inglenook and Vaseline with a soft, clean cloth.

The third color added to the frame is Champlain.

• Now apply Vaseline again to the areas where you do not want the Champlain to cover.

• Allow the paint to dry and then wipe away the bubbled-up Champlain and Vaseline with a soft, clean cloth.

Step 3 – Buff to a velvety finish

• Wipe and wipe with a soft, clean cloth until all of the Vaseline residue is removed.

• Then gently –and I mean ever so gently — buff with 240-grit sandpaper. The goal here is to buff to a buttery finish, not to remove more paint.

Meanwhile, the search for just the right fabric continued. I don’t know why I didn’t find the fabric first. Ooops#2

This is totally a rookie error, but for some reason I thought the neutrals in the refinished frame would be easily matched.

But hello…. they weren’t. Especially not in remnant pieces. And I wasn’t going to pop for $40/yard for this particular makeover. I just wasn’t.

And so the idea of painting this heavily textured upholstery fabric was born.

How to Easily Paint Upholstery Fabric

Turns out, painting heavily textured upholstery fabric is super easy.

Step 1 – Prep the fabric

• The fabric on this bench was in perfect condition. There were no stains of any kind, so prepping the fabric consisted of vacuuming the dust using the power nozzle on the vacuum.

• Trim away all threads and globs of hot glue from the cord removal. Also check for tacks or staples that need to be nailed in, pulled, or replaced.

• Do this on the bench and the cord since both pieces will be painted.

Step 2 – Paint the fabric

• Apply the Fusion Mineral paint (color Ash) as if painting wood. I did not spray the fabric with water, but did dip the paint brush in water to keep it damp. 

• The process took two coats of paint using a regular paint brush. Each coat was allowed to fully dry between coats.

• Then an artist brush and thinned paint was used to fill in little areas where the big brush missed. This step was a little tedious because of having to look at the fabric from every angle, but was easy to accomplish in terms of painting between the textured areas of the fabric.

• Please note that the frame and the bench required only one 500ml container of Ash paint.

Step 3 – Reattach the cord

• The painted cording is reattached with hot glue or some other equally strong adhesive.

• Caution to make sure to measure and stretch, if necessary, the cording so that it fits the piece perfectly before beginning the gluing process.

• The paint can be touched up with an artist brush if needed after the cording is hot glued to the frame.

Step 4 – Nourish the fabric

After the paint on the fabric is thoroughly dry, apply Fusion’s Beeswax with Hemp Oil to create a soft and supple surface. The final fabric is not quite as soft as the original fabric, but it still looks and feels great. This is a bench that will be dragged all over the house, including the patio. Since it will get lots of rugged use, the fabric needs to be tough.

• Apply Fusion’s Beeswax Finish with Hemp Oil to the painted fabric as if applying to wood.

• Let it set for a couple of hours.

• Wipe away any excess product with a soft, clean cloth.

And that’s all there is to it.  Oooops and all.

Resource List

Fusion Mineral Paint in the colors Ash, Inglenook, and Champlain

Fusion’s Beeswax with Hemp Oil

Paint brush – I used Fusion’s horsehair paint brush

Artist brush – Just a cheap one from a multi-pack

240-grit sandpaper

Tack cloth

Several soft, clean cloths

Hot glue and glue gun

This bench makeover is also part of the dining room makeover that will begin going live in October. As part of the One Room Challenge, this bench will join three other pieces of refreshed furniture to help create a completely new dining room.  I do hope you will join me for this exciting reveal.  

In the meantime, if you’d like to keep this makeover idea, please…

For more ideas using PAINT in a variety of ways, please check out my bloggy friends.

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