One of my favorite things to search on craigslist is work benches. Though I could probably use one of these for my furniture refurb work (and a workshop to put it in for that matter), I love the look of vintage work benches as kitchen islands, or even dining tables. There is a lot to be said for the allure of many years worth of grit and grim, what I call "earned patina". I like when vintage and antique pieces show their age, and have a little character. Placed carefully among more typical cottage decor- industrial found pieces can be room-makers. Here are some of my favorite looks.
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| fabulous rusty wheel from etsy |
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| A wonderful series on industrial islands and stools from one of my favorite blogs, Willow Decor |
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| A great use of a vintage work bench as a table here |
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| Imagine this table in an entry. So beautiful. |
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| And here's a spectacular one for sale on 1st Dibs |
The neat thing about the industrial items is that when you stumble upon them 'in the wild', they're usually pretty cheap. Once they're in a retail setting though- holy cow those prices are high!
I found a great vintage work bench about a month ago on craigslist. It was being kept next to a shed. I thought it was magnificent. The owner, and my husband, thought I was crazy. It became my project to prove it could be an awesome kitchen island. After scrubbing it from top to bottom, many coats of fresh white paint, and a fair bit of sanding, staining, and sealing (to make the top kitchen worthy), as well as adding a new lower shelf made of antique barn board, it was complete. It's getting picked up on Sunday by a college friend who will be using it as an island. Pretty chic no? She obviously has excellent taste.
absolutely stunning!
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