Sun Spot

Sunny under the eaves

More party dressing, this time under the deep eaves overhanging the backdoor patio. I didn’t want this seating area to be dreary, despite being in deep shade: enter my vintage L-shaped bench. This yard sale find — in bright yellow vinyl — would surely shine some light on the situation. But, looking closely at it I had to admit it was showing its age, and the effects of having been outside during winter’s rains. The vinyl seat was cracking and had taken on an unpleasant hardened appearance. I figured we’d have to take drastic measures and reupholster it, but without much time, taking it to a professional was out of the question. We’d have to do it ourselves. So we headed out  …

… to Ikea, naturally. I’d seen some terrific graphic-printed fabric in their catalog and thought I’d find something there for very little cash. And, I did! The fabric I bought to re-cover the bench’s seat was a two-yard remnant for less than $10, but, better than the price,  it was almost a perfect match for the bench’s yellow vinyl. Once home, Paul and I unscrewed the bench seats and positioned them on the fabric.  (Paul thought it would be a good idea to have the white plant graphic coming over the seat from behind and I agreed.) Now, with the seat turned upside down on the fabric, we pulled it as taut as possible, and using heavy-duty staples, secured it to its wooden backing. We did one side, then the opposing side, to be sure there would be no sagging. And, we took extra care on the corners to keep bunching to a minimum. Turning the newly covered seat over, we admired our work. To make the new conversation area user-friendly, I accessorized with a stump cocktail table; the irregularly natural tripod shape was a good foil for the angles of the bench. Another stump, this one with a peek-a-boo cut-out, was topped with a leftover granite piece from our kitchen remodel. A student ceramic bowl holds citrus fruits for a hit of color. Already-there succulents in containers provide backup for the scene, as the sunny half of this blog’s symbol shines down his approval. The party past us now, Paul’s been using the bench for typing notes on his laptop — I think we’ll be keeping this setup in place for a while …