Jan, I'm not much of a DIYer but many here can help with that. I just wanted to tell you that I really love that bench in the white finish.

I love the bench in the white finish too, but the bench would be placed in our foyer, adjoining the dining area, and we have black dining chairs and a black island.

Here is a picture of the black bench:

Love the bench in both colors. Have you thought of maybe getting the white and using black cushions?

I bet there's a chance it'll be available in black again. I bought the same bench without the back (in black) about 3 years ago. It seems to be an item that's always available. Did you call them?

I suggest calling them too and ask to have your name put on a wish list for the black. That color may be popular and currently on back order. It is a beautiful bench, so hope you can get it in the color you want.

I do really like the off=white too, but again, I'm not sure it would look as nice as the black.

Here is a picture of the kitchen/dining from the great room area:

And here is the foyer area where I will be placing the bench, which leads to the dining area. I just think the black would be so much better here, especially because I also hope to get a runner rug with a black background to ground the area a bit:

Black for sure, love your kitchen wall color.

That's a pretty bench! It would be perfect in the space you have.

Painting over the white is definitely doable. I'm sure the rush seat unscrews from the frame, so you wouldn't have to worry about protecting it from the paint.

You could use the Rustoleum Heritage spraypaint, which might be easier to use on those spindles than a paintbrush. If you wanted to, you could sand back some areas so the white shows through a bit. I did that with a white dresser that I painted black for my son's room.

If I were buying the bench with the intention of painting over it, I'd probably consider getting the green one. Green showing through under the black would also be so pretty!

Thanks, all.

I haven't contacted Ballard's yet, but I will call them to check if the black might be available in the future.

I love the distressed look, but I would rather a stained wood showed through than off-white or green. Maybe painting would be more complicated than I thought.

juddgirl, thanks for the Rustoleum Heritage spraypaint suggestion. I will check into that.

Well, I called Ballard's, and bad news - they no longer sell the black, and as of now, there is nothing in the system showing that the black will be offered again. It's on sale, although, I thought it was quite high priced to begin with. So maybe they're clearing them out. Boo hoo! :o(

Get the white, stain the areas you want to show through, then spray paint black, rub off some ofthe areas you stained so the wood shows through. Its a shame to lose out just because of the color which you can change easily. Even if you dont do the distressing, I would look great just black.

That is a beautiful bench. But for that price, even on sale and I see there is a 50.00 delvery charge I would hate to have to paint over it.
I think painting over something is great when you find a 20.00 Craigs list find but for that beauty and price I would be hesitant

Well that stinks! After seeing your photos I think the white would work great! Bring in touches of black with pillows and a rug.

That is a really pretty bench. Sorry they are out of the black. How about this one?

Here is a link that might be useful: Overstock.com

Either color would look wonderful!

IF you wish to paint it black:

1) Brush on Liquid Sandpaper (yep -- thats the name) wait about 20 minutes until the glossy finish goes "cloudy"

2) Spray on satin Black (I used American Traditions) Get a plastic trigger that snaps onto each can as you use it -- save cramped hands and fingers!

3) Spray LIGHT coats; wait about 30 minutes or so until dry to the touch -- and then do the next coat. Keep the can moving! Gently wipe off any drips -- and wait until the next coat to cover.

4) Spray on poly helps too!

Hope this helps! LOVE the bench! It would look lovely with a fabric that brings in all of the great colors -- especially your wonderful delicious orange!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

I did some quick searching and see (so far) no one else has that style bench. So, were it me, and I was narrowed down to the bench I liked (on sale no less!) but in a different color, I'd have no hesitation painting it.

With one caution: that rush seat would have to be taped and covered very well. Getting paint off woven rush is not easy. Not at all. But that wouldn't stop me. A little prep & diligence with paying close attention and taking it slow goes a long way. ;) My inclination on jobs like that is to use spray paint, but because of the risk of drift onto the rush seat, I'd avoid that, too much risk. Can 'o paint and brush would allow for far better control. And when I got near the seat, I'd use a very small brush to avoid risk of possible bristle splaying and accidentally brushing against the seat. (Even a craft brush for hard to reach areas if necessary. I would probably take a couple contractor garbage bags (they are thick mil and very large size), cut them open at seams so I have small but fairly thick tarps, but not so thick they are stiff & bunch and get in the way. (Contractor bags are slick, making it easier to avoid bunching. Plus they are more pliable and don't tear like clear tarps from paint store.) I would tape them all over the seat with duct tape. But not allow any tape to touch either seat or wood. IOW I'd tape the tarp to itself, good and snug. I'd cut tarp around spindles, fold it down flat and tuck it under itself, so it can't bunch up and brush against spindle, then secure those areas at spindles w/blue painters tape. If I had small gaps still left, I'd use blue painters tape for those. Whatever it takes to cover the seat (top and bottom), but also keep both tarp and tape away from wood.

The only think that might be an issue is how tightly woven that rush is. If there is any white painted wood showing through the weave on the seat or at the edges, then I probably wouldn't paint it.

Since natal owns one perhaps she can let you know if there rush is woven close & tight and no support wood is visible at all where rush is wrapped around it - or if weave is somewhat open around wood seat support so that some painted wood does show through.

Oops - I think the Rustoleum paint I was talking about is American Traditions, like patty mentioned. Rustoleum does carry a line that has the more countrified" paint colors, so whichever one that is.

If you don't want white showing through, then you could take it off using Liquid Sandpaper or just do a dark brown base coat. Then be careful to sand down the black to only the base coat so no white shows through.

You might want to check first to see if the rush seat detaches with screws. It would be a pain to have to tape around it. My unfinished wood chairs came with rush seats that were easily removed when I painted the frames.

I really like the black one from Ballard's. Too bad it's sold out. Here is one from Amazon, that matches your kitchen chairs.

Here is a link that might be useful: amazon bench

Thanks everyone! This is just what I need to know and think about.

Roseabby - Yes, I definitely don't want to lose out just because of the color. Something's gotta work here. I have my heart hopelessly set on something like that bench.

Lyban - I am hesitant to paint over it, especially because it's beautiful already, and I wouldn't want to ruin it. An option I'm considering is hiring the professional who painted our house to do this job. She hand brushed all the woodwork and doors in our whole house beautifully. She takes her time and does wonderful work.

Natal - That's an option - to bring in the black with pillows, etc. I may do that.

Caminnc - That overstock bench is gorgeous too. I read the reviews though, which said the measurements are a bit misleading and that the bench is really only 42" wide, whereas the Ballard's one is 61". So, I'm thinking it might be a little too small. But, it's aged and antiqued, and best of all - is already black! It's still an option. I will do some measuring.

teacats - Thanks for the info on the liquid sandpaper. I've not used that product. Does it help remove some of the finish or all of the finish?

moonshadow - You're right about the woven seats. I have some stools and other chairs in our kitchen with them. I would need to be super careful with painting if they're not removable.

Sigh . . . I'm still not sure what to do.

So, here are my options so far:
1) Buy the distressed off-white bench from Ballard's and leave it off-white (accent with black pillows, etc.).
2) Buy the distressed off-white bench from Ballard's and paint it black.
3) Buy the smaller less expensive ($274) already black bench from overstock (see picture below).
4) Buy a more expensive ($886) distressed antique reproduction bench from greatwindsorchairs.com (see picture below).

Overstock Bench:

Great Windsor Chairs Co. Antique Reproduction Bench:

Basically Liquid Sandpaper takes off the "sheen" -- but doesn't remove all of the paint. Of course I watched my bar stools like a flippin' hawk (LOL!) to see when the finish would change .... LOL!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

(P.S. My DH votes for the last -- and more expensive bench -- he liked the construction. BUT that bench IS more traditional -- as opposed to transitional like the one from Overstock)

If you are willing to look a while longer you can set up an RSS subscription on ebay and your local CL areas for "Windsor Bench" and see what pops up in the next week or so. I'd be more willing to experiment with painting a less expensive piece than the Ballard! I just found these two:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/fuo/1589083879.html

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/fud/1571851168.html

teacats - Thanks for the explanation on the liquid sandpaper. From your explanation, it doesn't look like I would need to prime afterward, correct?

I like the last Windsor Chairs Co. bench also, the best, or the one from Ballard's painted. And I prefer the more traditional look, over transitional too. So the choices are narrowing.

Thanks!

I don't know if this will help, but I flipped the bench on its side and took a pic. Maybe the rush seat can be unscrewed.

I would go with buying the white bench, trying it in your space with black cushions and if you dont like it then get your painter to change the color for you....you must get that bench, it would look awesome in your space. I dont usually get this excited I dont know what has come over me!

Natal - Thank you! It looks like the seat could be unscrewed, which means I'm not screwed! LOL I should ask you how well you like the bench - quality and sturdiness. Oh, and so sorry, your fluffy cat had to leave her spot for the picture - too cute!

Roseabby - It's looking like I will check with our painter in case we do buy the off-white. I'll then order the off-white, then look at it in the space to see if I like it that way (almost sure I would prefer black), and if not, I'll have it painted. Even if it's solid black without distressing, I think it would look better than the white.

Thanks so much.

Jan, it's fairly comfortable and the quality is good. Plus it was made in Italy, not China. As you can see it's become a kitty favorite. Great place for them to lounge in the sun or watch bird activity in the yard.

Well I'll be, I've never seen a rush seat done like that. Usually (well all of what I've seen, mostly antiques) it's woven around the seat frame. That does indeed look like it could be unscrewed. If that's the case, painting would be a piece of cake.

As far as other choices, I'm a nut for windsor but of the two that bench from overstock is really nice!

Oooh - I've been in love with Windsor chairs and benches for years. Before I decided to use slipcovered chairs with my dining table, I was thinking of getting the windsor sidechairs and big fanback armchairs for the head and foot of the table. My DH still regrets that I went another way!

I like the Ballard's bench and Windsor bench for your space more than the Overstock bench. If it were me and I was going to spend the extra money on hiring a professional painter to repaint the Ballard's bench, then I'd probably pay a bit more and get the Windsor bench. It's gorgeous and, well, gorgeous! If I wanted to spend less, and still have a lovely bench, then I'd get the Ballard's bench and paint it myself. Either one will look great, but I think the Windsor bench is one I'd definitely keep forever.

Then again, if you get the Windsor bench and post pics, then I'll probably lust over it until I decide I must find a spot for one in my house (see the copying post!) so maybe you should go with the Overstock bench :-)

I just wanted to say that I did something similar: buy a new item and paint it b/c I wanted it a different color.

In retrospect I think it was a mistake. Why pay the price of a new item that then needs additional work so it will fit your decor?

I don't have time to get it done, and it's not done, and I wish I had just kept looking for the exact right piece instead.

I used to paint/distress wood all the time, but didn't want to take a chance on my old Windsor bench, actually I couldn't be bothered. I hired someone to paint it in a flat black and he delivered it to me and he and I worked on sanding it together. This way, I avoided all the painting, but the look is exactly what I wanted. My chair resembles the finish on the Great Windsor Chairs Co bench.

I personally don't like the Overstock bench and if I wanted the finished product to be distressed/worn and black, I second the suggestion to buy the green. Flat black over the green, sand and then use a gel or stain that would dull the green underneath...you aren't going to see much green, just where you sand. It isn't going to match your Windsor chairs in the kitchen anyway, unless you want a shiny finish.

I remember you picked out a floral patterned fabric for your kitchen window and french door, do a pillow in that fabric for the bench.

You love the bench...buy it and accent it with black~
It will look just fine~
or- try an unpainted furniture shop and get a windsor bench?

Oh, I still can't make up my mind!

I found yet another option on ebay - a large windsor chair bench, but the back is higher, and I'm not sure I want that, as I was hoping to hang something on the wall behind the bench. But it's priced at $469 + $130 for delivery, insured.

What do you think?

Here is a link that might be useful: ebay Find

The ebay bench is very nice and probably good quality but I like the extra details and lower backs on the Ballards and Windsor Chair benches.

It's not my $$$ soooo, I'm voting for the Great Windsor Chairs bench. :)

It's just a lovely scale.

I like the Windsor Chairs, but that Ballard bench is pretty cool in black. You have matching seats on two of your dinette chairs, right?

I like the Ballard bench the best, but not in white. I think the suggestion to get it in green to paint black would be a better option than white under the black. I don't care for the white for that area at all, even if you had black cushions. Are you prepared to pay shipping and have you checked to see if they have restocking fees if you order it and find out you can't remove the seats to paint it?

IMO, which counts not in the least, if you are prepared for and can deal with the money loss if returned, and you like the Ballard bench the best, I would order it and see if it could be painted. If not, I would check out some of the Windsor chairs.

I would follow your heart first and then settle on something else if it does not work out.

I'd be very surprised if Ballards doesn't restock that bench within a couple of months. It's a standard item for them and the fact they're sold out of the black says it's popular. My guess is they're trying to get rid of the white before bringing in more and are telling buyers they may not restock.

If you need something in that area asap, then I'd buy the white with intentions of painting if the white doesn't look good in the area. For a savings of $250 you could easily repaint. Otherwise, wait about 6 weeks and call again. But......it won't be on sale.

Have you placed a chair of each color (white/black) in the area to see which color looks best?

I am so kicking myself for not buying the Ballard's bench on sale before Christmas. The area has been bare for a couple of years, so a while longer won't hurt. Maybe I should just wait to see if they will restock.

I just don't know how hard it would be to repaint the white for the $250 savings. While the white is beautiful, I'm sure it won't look as nice as the black in that space.

I do like the antique reproduction from the Windsor Chair Co. too, so that's still an option.

It looks like no matter what that I will end up paying more than I had hoped though. But, I've learned it's better to wait, save and get what I love than to buy something as a substitute that I'll be less satisfied with in the long run.

Jan

I found this today at Big Lots. Though it doesn't have a rush seat or look like the bench you want I thought to take a picture to share it with you just in case.
{{!gwi}}

Oh that is a lovely bench that justgotabeme posted and I love the price.

Oh, I do like that bench, justgotabeme. Any idea how wide it is? Thanks! Is the wood black or dark brown?

running out to Big Lots.....be back soon!

I agree that Ballards tends to stock that bench - at least for the last 3 years I've been getting their catalog - so I would bet they will get it again.

The only concern I'd have with the windsor bench is it looks like the back angles backwards, so it would take up alot of space in your foyer. How wide is your foyer? I think the bench would fit more naturally in that space.

The Overstock one is nice too - price is especially attractive!

Gosh Jan, I didn't think to measure it, but my guess would be four feet wide. I used to measure fabric so I have a fairly good eye at sizes. Hubby used to test me when we first started to measure our windows while making trim. He finally gave up. LOL

Just thought to check the full size photo and count the floor tiles. It's four foot wide and as well as I can see the tiles for depth would be about eighteen inches.

I don't know if you have already made a decision about the lovely bench yet, but I just got an email from Ballard's that shows it on sale! It is a featured item this week at $299!
Just thought I'd pass on some sunshine!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ballard Levanto

I received the same email yesterday and thought of you!