We’ve all seen the photos on Pinterest, of a gorgeous church pew in the entry way, right? It’s a great piece of farmhouse style decor – except for one thing.
They are so stinking BIG!!
Who has a spot in their entryway for an 8′ bench?? So when I spotted this mini church pew at a local consignment store, you better believe I was all over it!
This one is just over 4 feet long so not only a lot more manageable for me to move and haul and refinish, but also a more perfect size for home use. This size I could see this as a bench on one side of a farmhouse table, or as an entryway or porch bench.
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This pew looked handmade, and it was in kind of rough shape with some holes, scratches, and otherwise imperfect wood. I sanded it down as much as I could with my pad sander and 80 grit sandpaper and decided General Finishes Java Gel Stain was just what I needed to update this church pew.
Once the piece was sanded down and cleaned, I grabbed a stain sponge and got to work. These staining sponges are awesome if you have a large area to stain. It makes the process go much more quickly which is important to work quickly with gel stain before it starts to dry on you.
Gloves are also a must for this! Apply the stain section by section, leaving a wet edge as you go. The nice thing about working with the stain sponge is that it wipes off the excess as you go, keeping the finish nice and consistent.
Once the gel stain was dry, I sealed it with three coats of High Performance Top Coat in flat finish. Sanding between each coat. This church pew still shows it’s age but in a much more subtle way.
The richness of the General Finishes Java Gel is a color that will go with so many different decor styles. I love the coverage it gives!
This pew is actually quite a comfortable place to sit! I added a few pillows, including this one we MADE with Chalk Couture (tutorial coming soon!). It’s the perfect sentiment to bring to the entry way.
Java Gel Stain for the win! If you want to see more General Finishes Gel Stain projects, I have a whole collection of them right here. It’s a great stain to have in your arsenal of products!
Until next time,
Jenni
