Creating A Potting Bench with Reclaimed Wood

Hi Friends, welcome to the October edition of the Lifestyle of Love blog gathering where a few of us share our love for decorating with vintage items. This month our topic is using and decorating with items created with reclaimed wood. Our blogging bud Cindy from County Road 407 is our host and creator of this fun get together. If you're coming from Lora's Blog, Create and Ponder, thanks so much for continuing the Hop!

You all have seen plenty of posts on the Potting Bench throughout the years. It's a fun and functional piece that has become a focal point in my back porch decorating. I found it at a vintage market sale back in the spring of 2011 when potting stations and benches were first becoming a trend. I had been wanting one for a bit but didn't know where to put it. I hadn't really gotten serious about finding one until I spotted the base that was being used in a kitchen area as a worktable at the sale. I'm pretty sure it had been someone's garage workbench before, and I know it must have been old.

Here's a post from last year;

Cozying Up the Back Porch for Fall

The biggest sign that it was made from reclaimed wood is the table top. The tongue and groove wooden slats were old and had recently been sanded down to the bone. These next two pics are from 2011 after I gave it a coat of white paint and did a light wash and sealer on the top.

I later painted the top a solid white so I would have more protection from the elements and so dirt could be cleaned up easier. Seeing the small nails along the edge makes me wonder if at one time it hadn't had linoleum covering the top. I think the top probably was originally a piece of old flooring that found another life as a tabletop. Amazingly it's survived 4 moves and 3 downsizings after I purchased it. My husband complains at times because it can get a bit "junky" looking, but he knows how much I love playing there and using it as a subject for blogging fun.

These are a couple of pics that show the old tongue and groove flooring for the top.

I foraged a small natural bouquet in the old ironstone pitcher from Autumn Joy Sedum, mini zinnias and ornamental grasses, that I've had here at the house this summer. I keep the pitcher here on the shelf so I can put together a bouquet easily.

I found this tongue and groove reclaimed wood photo from West County Journal so you can get an idea of how raw reclaimed flooring can look.

I've used the potting bench more here at this house than at others, since the back porch is easily accessed here. Below is a post from 2020 where I shared some foraged leafy greenery and oak leaf hydrangeas from the yard. Backyard Naturals Bouquet

The bench has a nice sturdy shelf underneath that I use for tools, pots, and odds and ends, which are stored in salvaged laundry room cabinet drawers from this house. I'm using an old bookcase skeleton on top with a very old chippy door as a backdrop and stabilizer. I store loose dirt in the old galvanized washtub underneath. 

Here are a few posts showing how I use the Potting Bench

 throughout the year and seasons.

Back Porch and the Summer Potting Bench

Wooden Christmas Star on the Potting Bench

Back Porch Potting Bench

 Here's a post from our second year here at this house.

Back Porch, the Potting Bench

 and New Landscaping

Thanks so much for coming by. We hope you'll continue visiting the Hop for more great ideas, and head over to check out Ann's Pallet Coffee Table at Dabbling and Decorating.

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