A bench for the porch

Some of you may remember that I bought this bench from IKEA a couple of weeks ago? 

Well with some TLC, white paint and sturdy cotton fabric... it is now our porch bench.

I am so happy we have been using it for a week now. A week in which it has snowed at least three times, and my floors manage to keep clean for long! We come in and very nicely take off our shoes and leave them to dry in the rug. The rug got horribly dirty in one week, but nothing that a visit to the laundry room won't fix.

I used white primer as the first coat of paint, as the cheap IKEA bench was no good for sanding, nor was I in the mood for it! And then a few coats of white acrylic paint and a good coat of varnish.

For the cushion I just re-purposed the filling of two old cushions I had lying around. It has a zip all across the back so it is easy to wash as well. I just made sure I bought a sturdy cotton as it gets a fair bit of use every day!

It even matches the advent calendar that is hanging in the back of the door! Looking at these pictures I realise how much we need a picture for that back wall... well I guess something else to add to my to-do list!

What projects are you working on for the house, I would love to hear about any DIY you are embarking on!