No one can deny that Pottery Barn offers a classic style in their housewares, home decor and furniture. Problem is not everyone can afford it. That’s when I peruse the catalog and say, “We could build that!” Let me show you how we created a wonderful rustic Pottery Barn knock-off on a budget. It’s Themed Furniture Makeover Day and our focus is all about STORAGE and ORGANIZATION. We can all use a little of that in our lives, right? Here’s what my hubby and I choose for our knock-off project: The Pottery Barn Caden Bench *this post is sponsored by The Leather Hide Store and does contain affiliate links so you can find the products I love to use too! It’s rustic, leather goodness just kept calling my name. We had considered recreating this piece back in our Pottery Barn Theme in April, but went for a trunk project instead. When The Leather Hide Store asked us to give their product a try, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, and my husband loved the idea too.
Here is where I’d love to officially introduce you to my partner in furniture and DIY (and my highschool sweetheart), please give a warm welcome to JC. His name is short and sweet, and he deserves the biggest award for putting up with creative ol’ me. I give him props for taking the woodworking end of this and figuring out all the specs. It’s fun to analyze this type of furniture puzzle, and, thankfully, we work well together. I was amazed at how quickly he figured out all the angles and how to do a mortise and tenon joint on an angle – mind you, he’s never done this before. Look at that cut… He chiseled out the mortises and got everything ready for me to tackle the finishing end – even to the point of working on our shop floor in the dark with a lamp because we have so much going on – whew! Once we got the structure cut and mostly assembled, it was time to put on the finishing touches. Anyone in our line of work can understand how this is my perpetual living room rug and how my living room pretty much looks all.the.time.
One day we will have a shop where I can go back to having a normal house. In the mean time, I am blessed to be able to do what I love. To create a rustic base, I went for my favorite stain, Early American Varathane by Rust-Oleum, that we used in our bedroom, our bathroom, and on several other projects, including our other Pottery Barn knock-off. Once the base was finished being assembled using our Kreg Jig (one of my all-time favorite tools), it was time for the upholstery. I have done several upholstery projects, like my channel back chair and my feed sack chair to name a few, but have never used leather in this capacity. Just look at this gorgeousness. It’s called Restoration Wicker and is leather sourced from the same tanner that Pottery Barn uses as well. You can find this and more upholstery leather at The Leather Hide Store. I was a bit nervous to cut this beauty, but I was so excited to see our finished project, that I quickly put my nervousness aside. Once I got my pieces cut, I sewed them together and then attached it to the base of the bench.
All that was left to do was to add the trim and nails. Are you ready for our reveal? Not too shabby, eh? I love this bench for its rustic appeal and the storage it offers. We not only tried to recreate the Pottery Barn bench, but also make it better. Instead of a 3″ foam on top, I choose the 4″ to give long-lasting effect and use. And how about that leather…I’m drooling I tell ya. So, instead of a $899 price tag, you can build your own for $299. If you love it too but are not the DIY type, you can find it in my shop. We’re hoping to make this a regular addition to our stock, so if you have a custom idea in mind, just let me know. A huge thank you to my husband, JC, for helping make this project so wonderful. Here’s a key chain that I had made on our first trip to Cedar Point together. I had just graduated from high school at turned 18 and he was 17. Wasn’t that long ago, right? Time flies when you’re having fun (or lots of kids). I hope you’ve enjoyed our knock-off project and hope that you’ll pin and share our work for others to enjoy and be inspired.
Don’t forget to head below to see what storage and organization furniture my blogger friends have for you! More of my furniture and DIY goodness: Queen Anne, on a Budget Most people would call a house with gingerbread trim and walnut paneling a Victorian. But that's a little bit like calling a Rolls Royce a sedan. Accurate, sure, but not really specific. Or at all detailed. And that's what this particular species of Victorian-era house—more properly called a Queen Anne—is all about. Heaps of detail: a second story of shingles atop a first of brick, both strung with a garland of fancy fretwork; Moorish arches supported by Greek columns framed by Asian-inspired carving, all of it accented with stained-glass windows and furniture with fancy swept lines. For something named after a British sovereign, it's pure American melting pot. The handsome hearth, S-shaped table leg, and rich earth tones in this home in Swans Island, Maine, are typical of an authentic Queen Anne interior.
Queen Anne: Hallmarks of a Style When this architectural style reigned, from 1880 to 1910, Queen Anne herself was long dead. But her influence was not. It had lived on in enormous, ostentatious English manor houses for nearly 200 years. The newly emerging American middle class aspired to such grandeur. And at the end of the 19th century, mass production allowed them a small piece of it. Suddenly, new homeowners had cheap and easy access to formerly handmade products once available only to the wealthy. Architectural elements could be had to order from pattern books. Furniture with brocaded fabric and curving cabriole legs could be picked out of a catalog. And, like kids in a penny candy store, the house-proud overindulged. This unique—and uniquely American—look still makes the Queen Anne style one of the most desired today. We can't all be so lucky as to live in one, but fortunately that doesn't mean you've got to forgo its delightful extravagance altogether. The original spirit of quality goods at a smart price lives on today.
We show the best ones for your house. This reproduction dining chair nails the curves of the S-shaped table. Classic Delft tiles echo the fireplace surround. Set of four, about $36; Paints in historic hues now come in low-VOC formulations. Aura, about $55 a gallon; Though electric lighting became more and more common by century's end, many homes, such as the landmark Chicago residence detail shown, maintained their gas lamps. Get the same effect with reproduction wired fixtures. This one's curved base and brass finish make it perfect for a period vestibule. Tie on a Tassel Late-19th-century decoration incorporated touches from many historical styles; tassels tapped into then-popular notions of medieval grandeur. These look period-appropriate dangled from a curtain tieback or lamp string. Colorful cotton toile fabric printed with pastoral scenes was popular in the English country houses that inspired the American Queen Anne style. Similar but more sober colors are perfect for modern-day living room seating.
About $66 a yard; In the 1880s, homeowners were thrilled that items bearing formerly hand-crafted wood or metal decoration could now be made cheaply by machines. Channel that exuberance with this ornate, 23-inch-diameter plastic wall clock. Incised cast-brass pulls add period charm to any chest or desk. The earring shape was a feature borrowed from earlier, English-made furniture. The highboy, an elegant interpretation of the English tallboy chest, is the iconic piece of Queen Anne furniture. In cherry, 89 by 42 inches. With the invention of Lincrusta in 1870, the look of ornate plasterwork became easy to get. Today, the linseed oil–based wall covering still provides pattern by the yard. Stain or paint it any color. 33 feet or five 32-inch-by-22-inch panels, about $600; Small collectibles were big, especially in porcelain imported from Asia. These switch plates conjure up old-fashioned charm in any room. Double switch plate, about $8; Maryland China Co., Inc.