DIY Gossip Bench with Fusion Mineral Paint

Ever since our Flohmarkt days in Germany, I have been looking for the perfect entryway bench. I found a few benches in Germany but something was always not quite right, i.e. too big, expensive, ornate, or just not what I envisioned. While looking through Facebook marketplace (my new favorite pastime), I came across gossip benches…and I love them so much!! The little seat and shelf is so cute and unique. One just so happened to pop up so I snagged it…super lucky! I thought this would be a great project to paint and try out a new paint I had been checking out at a local store.

Chalk paint seems to be all the rage and used by lots of people. I like the look of chalk paint but after taking a class a few years ago discovered I wasn’t so great at it. I know…the beauty of it is that everyone can do it…but in reality it is a skill and one that the teacher pretty much informed me I did not have. She also did not appreciate my color choices..brown is not that bad!! Well, let’s just say after that class I was very uninspired to continue to chalk paint anything.

I have an old set of bedroom furniture in my guest room I would eventually like to paint and with chalk painting pretty much out I was looking for another option…enter Fusion Mineral Paint. It is a zero VOC (basically, no smell) water-based paint that has really great coverage and beautiful colors. The best part is for most colors you only have to apply one coat and no top coat, unless it is a well used item, like cabinets. Yes..it works on cabinets too!!! I found it in a local shop near me, but it can be found on Amazon.

DIY Gossip Bench with Fusion Mineral Paint

Supplies

• Bench (or any piece you would like to paint)
• Fusion Mineral Paint – I used the color Ash
• Brush (Synthetic)
• Sanding Paper or Block
• Degreaser (can make your own)
• Cloth
• Paint Holder or Trim Cup

Step 1: Clean bench with a degreaser and cloth. I made my own degreaser (¼ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup dawn dish soap, 1 cup water) and added it to a spray bottle. Then just wipe away all sticky residue from the surface of the bench.

Step 2: Sand bench to get a light scuff and remove any waxy buildup. This does not need to be a really deep sanding of the surface just needs to be a little rough to give the paint something extra to hold onto.

Step 3: Start painting. Using a synthetic brush paint the surface of the bench and try to get all the crevices. I did one coat first and just had to go back through to see any parts I missed. I also added another coat on the top surface of the seat and shelf since those would be the most used parts of the bench.

That is it…for this project I did not use a top coat. The paint dries to a matte finish, so if you would like a more shiny finish you would probably want to add a clear coat on top. Fusion Mineral Paint company offers all sorts of products to finish off your products including a wax to give your pieces a more antique look.

Some Handy Tips…

Brush – you must use a synthetic brush (I did invest, it was expensive, on a brush for this project). The brush does make a difference, but if you are only doing one small project a synthetic chip brush from the hardware store will work. For better detail work a brush with the tip works a little better. Also, only dip your paint about ¾ of an inch into your paint. Don’t dunk the whole brush, the brush is made to soak up the paint from the bottom.

Paint – Empty your paint into another container. Don’t use the jar it comes in as a paint container. Also, make sure to clean the lid of the jar so it is easier to open next time you go to paint. If your lid does get stuck run it under hot water.

Surface – If you are painting on lacquer, laminate, glass or plastic it may require Fusion Ultra Grip first to give the paint something to adhere to.

Happy Painting…As always, we would love to see any projects you are working on!!