Monday, June 10, 2013

44 June Monthly Challenge: Outdoor Storage Bench Revamp

A few years ago I snagged a super deal on an outdoor storage bench.  I loved the idea of having a place to toss throw pillows during a storm and for the kids to stash some of their most frequently used outdoor toys.  The bench was made from a durable outdoor plastic, and was a neutral mix of brown/beige.

At the time, I figured for the price and function, I could see past the fact that the beige didn't work well with all of our grays and whites.  But after living with it for a couple of years now, it just comes across as dirty looking to me...


I am all about cleaning up all of our outdoor spaces, to give them new life and color this year.  Treating them just like I would a room inside the house, means trying to work with what I have, and maybe adding a few new pieces to finish things off.

We talked about building a nice wooden storage box, but feared that with our harsh seasons, that may cause more maintenance than we are willing to deal with.  We thought about selling the bench and putting the funds to something we liked better.  But I really didn't find anything that I liked any better, when it came to size and function.  So, the last option was to keep it, and just give it a quicky update.  This was the least expensive and most practical choice, so we went with it!

I started out by removing the bench lid, spraying it down with the hose and propping the entire thing up off of the ground on a giant box.



I then used a microfiber rag to dry the entire bench, and let it sit in the sun {yes, we had sun on Saturday!} for about an hour.

Because my plan was to spray the bench white, and it is going to be outdoors for years to come, I started by using a spray paint with built in primer.


Following the instructions on the can, I gave the bench nice thin coats...

One coat:


Two coats:


The paint/primer spray was working pretty well, but seemed a little thicker and left a couple of speckles here and there.  I wanted a nice smooth satin finish, so for the final four coats, I used the regular, non primer spray.


The paint is meant for indoor/outdoor use and for plastic, and it went on oh so nicely.  No dripping and great coverage.  However, I did go through a total of five freakin' cans for this entire project!  Wowzers!  Oh, and the spray nozzle trigger is a serious hand saver.  Love that thing!

Here she is in all her spray painted glory!


I decided to leave the bench lid the chocolate brown, since my plans for the patio area involve a ton of color, and I knew I could dress it up with vibrant pillows.

An up close view of all of the coverage:


The paint will most likely take a small while to cure, but considering that the most used part is the seat which didn't get painted, I think all should work out in the end.  It even rained last night and I wiped it down with a soft rag and all looks shiny and new!  The bright white really made a dramatic difference to the backyard already, which makes me giddy with excitement to keep going with everything else I have up my sleeves.

Oh!  And the inside is just as fab as the out.  At least this organizing loving gal thinks so!


I didn't bother to paint the inside because with all of the toys going in and out, I didn't want for it to get dinged up.  The sandbox toys are in a basket that can easily be toted to the sandbox.  We don't like to leave the toys in the sandbox, because our doggies don't know the difference between their toys, and kid's toys.  What is hard to see here, is that even with all of the toys, there is still plenty of space for me to toss pillows in on top, should a wind storm come along. 

So although function stayed the same, a little spray paint gave it a whole new look!   And because we splurged on decking for our outdoor makeover, many of the rest of the updates will be done with paint since it makes the most impact on a budget.  And as I mentioned, color is on the way!

Although it did end up raining most of Sunday, we got a good start on quite a few projects.  How about you?  Did any of you take advantage of good weather and do a thing or two around the yard?  Anyone else a fan of spray painting outdoor furniture?  How has it held up?

44 comments:

  1. Looks great! I have wanted to try that Rust-oleum for awhile now and haven't had the chance yet. :) Can't wait to see the rest of your transformation.

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  2. Can you share the details of that spray paint can nozzle? A brand or perhaps an amazon link? I'd like to get my mitts on one of those!

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    1. Sure thing! It is the Rustoleum Comfort Grip. I found mine at a local hardware store, but here is an online link for you: http://www.walmart.com/ip/17203454?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem

      xo!
      Jen

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  3. 5 cans!! Wow!
    Does this stuff bond to plastic better than the Krylon Fusion you think? If anyone could give me some insight to that I would be really grateful!
    xox Kerri at HollyMuffin

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    1. I am not sure so hopefully someone can chime in. I haven't had the best luck with Krylon {coverage and drips}. I have been a long time fan of the Rustoleum and it's durability. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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    2. We've used Krylon Fusion for all our outdoor plastics and it's held up exceptionally well. We even used it on our vinyl shutters which had faded horribly. I wasn't sure how well it would work but they look great and the paint didn't run and hasn't faded at all (after more than a year).

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    3. Thanks for the update Shannon! Great to know!

      xo,
      Jen

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  4. We have a similar bench out by the pool that we use for pool chemicals and "stuff". It's so dingy looking after many years of hard winters and northern weather. I think I'm going to try the spray paint too! I did our rubbermaid rocking chairs and loungers a few years ago and they've stood up well - it's the benches turn this year!!!!

    thanks for the great idea!
    gena

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  5. Looks good!!! I'll be sure to keep in mind to buy extras of the paint should I ever decide to do something outside.

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  6. My mom sprayed painted our patio dining set about a year ago and it still looks beautiful!!! She used the "hammered" look spray paint so you couldn't see the drips and thicker areas as well. I was inspired to use the same paint (but in gray, not copper) for an inside storage shelf unit. Love the way that turned out too :)
    Now I'm thinking of doing something to the shelves. They are a clear plastic and look pretty beat up (this shelving system is about 18 years old!) Gotta think on that some more.
    I'm getting so much inspiration from your blog! Thank you for everything :D

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  7. Wow! I have seen things like this, as well as other plastic "décor", on clearance at the end of the season, but passed up on a couple of items because of the color. For a second I considered paint, but thought it would be a waste of time or thought it wouldn't turn out to well...thanks for experimenting and showing off an outstanding result! I now have a whole new outlook once summer clearance rolls around again!

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    1. I bought really UGLY planters from Big Lots a few years ago and spray painted them. They are plastic and have held up for many years! Going on summer #3. They were plain white "genie" type pots. They look great in bright red and yellow!

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  8. Wow looks awesome. I need something like this for our deck and sandbox... the kids' toy bin always fills up with water and I forget to empty it and then the come mosquitoes! Can't get my husband to agree to using spray paint for some reason. Do you prefer it?

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    1. This storage bench has slots in the bottom so water drains out if any gets inside {which it only gets inside because of the kids and not the rain} so that is a really nice feature.

      The spray paint turned out fabulous and so far, we love it! Much better than the original bench color.

      xo!
      Jen

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  9. Wow, that's fabulous! I've been thinking of going for a storage bench outside, but I just can't legitimize spending 100 bucks on a boring plastic crate... You made yours so lovely!
    {lamourcheznous.wordpress.com}

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  10. Your bench looks lovely! So excited to see what else you do with your fabulous self :)

    I spray painted most of our (metal) outdoor tables and chairs in the Spring of last year, and they haven't faded one bit. I think the manufacturers of outdoor furniture use the cheapest paint, because they fade so quickly and have to be re-done much sooner than they should be!

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  11. Um Wow! This looks amazing!! We need one of these outside, since we have a kiddo now.

    http://scarlettmoonblog.blogspot.com/

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  12. I am currently in the process of spray painting a plastic type outdoor umbrella. I about have heart attacks when I see the cost of new umbrellas! Of course I didn't pick any up when they were 1/2 off last year at the end of season...
    So far it looks as if it is going to hold up just fine! I am also using some type of paint for plastics. The umbrella is industrial in strength just ugly and white. I am looking for some color. It also is made of a mesh type material. I'll let ya know how it turns out :) amy

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  13. I love how you updated this Jen! White always takes more coverage, but I was surprised at five ~ woah!!! It looks fantstic and has the perfect storage for those fun summer items. :-)

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  14. I am a big fan of spray paint for plastic stuff outside. We did our shutters and rain down drain spouts. They've held up all winter and I didn't even prime.

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  15. WOW!!!! What a difference! Give us an update at the end of summer on how the paint holds up. I want to know. But looks great!

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  16. SUPER CUTE!!! LOVE that you updated something you already own! Way to go! Smiles, Jill

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  17. Great update Jen! I am using a few different types of spray paint to spruce up my outdoor furniture etc...I love how this turned out!!

    xo, Tanya

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  18. This is really cool! The side of my front porch needs a bench or something terrible and this just may be the key. I could hide my pocket hose in it instead of bringing it in the shop every time. I live in a red barn house with white accents so all the beige plastic furniture I find doesn't work. I never thought of spray painting plastic. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  19. That looks incredible now!! Love it!

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  20. Looks great!! I don't know why but I thought it wouldn't work to spray paint plastic. I'm sold!

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  21. Looks so much better! I've been thinking of spray painting a similar storage box/bench that we got from our neighbour. Love how yours turned out and the pops of colour that the pillows add.

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  22. It looks great! Can't wait to see your entire patio reveal!!!

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  23. So pretty! I love how fresh and clean looking it is.

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  24. I love the fresh look of the bench but five cans?! Wowza! We did take time to work in the yard over the weekend, spent time weeding a couple of our garden beds and took the time to edge our sidewalk in the back yard, something that hasn't been done in an embarrassing amount of time! I'm so glad we did though, I love the defined look of the sidewalk... wow that sounds geeky!

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    1. Not geeky at all! I feel the same, edged sidewalks and driveways make my heart pitter patter with glee!

      xo,
      Jen

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  25. Even if you paid $10/can you still came out cheaper than a new bench, kept something out of the landfill and took pride in accomplishment. All in all a winning combo in my book! I used Krylon to paint the wicker furniture on our front porch. I have used Rustoleum paint many times and have had good luck with both. I have not ever used the paint/primer for plastic so am eager to see how it holds up for you. Here's hoping you give us an update next September! Thanks for always inspiring me! Have a great day.

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    1. So true Diana! And luckily, it was only a little over $3 per can! :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  26. It's amazing how minor touch ups can change the look of something in such a major way.

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  27. Looks great Jen :) Such a good update especially since so many people have those. xo Kristin

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  28. I'm so glad you decided to just spray it. I think it looks great and using what you have is always the best!

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  29. The bench turned out beautiful! I was wondering where you go the planters that are on either side of it . . .

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    1. Yikes, I have no clue anymore. We have had them for years. Sorry! But I found some that look similar on Wayfair: http://www.wayfair.com/Atlantic-Outdoor-Chippendale-Square-Planter-92704-L349-K~TNR1113.html?refid=GX21919340820-TNR1113&device=c&gclid=CNfmoMy53bcCFUJlMgodXX4Aiw

      xo,
      Jen

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  30. Wow! What a transformation! Love it!

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  31. Love this transformation Jen. I think I might buy a few cans and bring new life to our garden hose reel that is made out of the same material. We have a grey & white house with the same beige and brown on the garden hose reel piece. Can't wait to see what else you do in your yard. I need some more ideas to spruce things up in our yard too. :)

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  32. Oooh it looks so pretty! It doesn't even really look plastic now that it's white. Love the pops of color with the pillows too! You guys are plowing right through these outdoor projects! Love it!

    ~Abby =)

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  33. That's a beautiful garden bench, I'd really like one similar to this in my garden! Great work :-)

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  34. Wow! Looks amazing. I assume the bench is made by Rubbermaid or suncast?

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  35. I know this was a million trillion years ago but i just found your tutorial and followed it and now have a lovely bench seat instead of the mushroom monstrosity. So thank you from England.

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