The Bench

The front room is where I teach piano lessons and has continually evolved over the last year. It started out with just a piano and a little chair for me. I quickly realized I needed some other things in that room to keep it functional, most importantly seating for students who come early or are waiting for their ride. We found the perfectly sized white sofa (because that room really is quite small!) and a $35 bench on the online classifieds.

It was actually an old church pew. But I loved the shape and the size. I was unsure if I was going to keep it natural or paint it, but after living with it a few months I finally decided to paint since it was pretty beaten up in some places. I also felt like the black piano, white sofa and brown bench just were not meshing. 

I have plenty of neutrals and blues in the house, so I wanted to be brave. Sometimes I'm bad at being brave. I turned to my entry-way rug for inspiration. I went for a medley of the orange and red, and I'm quite pleased with how it came out!

My amazing seamstress of a mother whipped up the cushion for me. I bought some foam at Jo-Ann's and wanted a neutral cushion to even out the in-your-face coral bench. :) The Ikat pillow is from this etsy seller.

My friend Laura was moving across the country so I bought that fun chevron-cushioned chair from her as my official "teacher's chair." I love it. The lamp, vase, and picture frame were from the new Threshold line at Target (is anyone else obsessed with that line?). 

This fun mirror was on clearance at Home Goods. Everyone needs a mirror right by the front door!

My mom also helped me make a pillow cover out of some leftover fabric from my roman shade in the kitchen.

I feel like the bench still needs a little something above it. Coat rack? Shelf? Frames? Not quite sure yet.

Even though the front room is not quite "done," it's come a long way. I think it's quite a cheery and welcoming entrance when you open the front door! Welcome all!