Barn Beam Floating Bench
Our mudroom. It’s becoming one of my very favorite makeovers… and with the addition of our latest project, well it’s absolutely pushing it over the edge…
At the very start of our mudroom makeover, I knew I wanted two things. One, a floating bench to store baskets and items underneath, and two, better organization. And through the process I was definitely not going to lose our love for wood in the mix. Instead, I found a way to bring it to the center stage…
Let me introduce you to one of my very favorite projects to date, our Barn Beam Floating Bench!
Anthony just happened to mention one day about this local antique wood dealer and I immediately had to make the trip to look around. Oh my word, this place was amazing… and full of farm life history.
There were stacks upon stacks of wood beams that came directly from old barns in the mid west. I was in awe. And I knew I’d be taking one home for my floating bench! It didn’t take me long to find a beam that was just the right thickness with the right amount of character. I was basically wiping the drool off my chin as we loaded it into my truck…
As soon as I got it home, Anthony and I began planning how we were going to make it appear “floating”. Here’s how we made it:
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Supplies:
- 1- Metal Bracket/ Platform, Anthony made ours with 1/4 steel
- Wood Beam, cut to size
- Table Saw, this is similar to ours
- Miter Saw, this is similar to ours
- Circular Saw
- Screw Driver/ Drill
- Drill Bit Set
- Torpedo Level
- Anchors
- 3″ torx screws
- Tape Measure
- Sandpaper, to knock off rough edges
- Wood Shims, optional
- Hemp Oil
Because the beam is really heavy, Anthony decided to weld a piece of 1/4″ steel to make a platform that it would sit on. He’s a welder by trade, but the platform could easily be made with wood as well.
Here’s what he made:
Because we have an outlet and a central vacuum receptacle beneath the bench, he notched around them…
Then, we held it up to the wall and made sure it was level…
And I marked all the platform holes with a pencil. With the holes marked we took it down and pre drilled the marks where our wall studs were located.
On the other holes we used plastic anchors for extra support…
Then we anchored it to the wall with several screws…
With the platform in place, we started on the barn beam…
We marked and measured it to fit our wall, which is 3 foot long, then Anthony used his saw to cut it…
Because our saw wasn’t as large as the piece of wood, we flipped the wood over and finished cutting it…
The barn board was also a bit uneven on the back side, so in order to make it sit flush against the wall, we trimmed the back to make it straight…
And since the blade didn’t cut all the way to the top of the board, Anthony finished cutting it with his saw. We just flipped the board over, marked a straight line and he started cutting…
We ended up with a very nice cut:
From there we lightly sanded the top and side of the bench to make them smooth for sitting…
Once the board was how we wanted it, we began attaching it to the metal platform from the bottom…
We used wood shims to make sure it was level, then screwed it in place…
With the beam in place, I used natural hemp oil to restore the wood… I really didn’t want to sand and stain it. There was so so much character that we wanted to keep!
I used a brush and gave the entire top and sides a nice even coat. The wood quickly absorbed the oil and I gave it another light coat. I’m absolutely thrilled with how well the hemp oil worked. The oil only enhanced what was there. The bug trails, the cracks and crevices, the history. I wanted to keep it all.
I am 100% completely in love with the way it’s turned out….
Our mudroom is so small, so I really wanted to make a custom bench rather than buying one that didn’t fit quite right. And I definitely wanted room for ample storage space underneath for boots, baskets, etc. And because we have the central vac outlet on the wall, which I use all the time, we couldn’t have any type of furniture that would block it.
Plus, I really wanted the bench to look like it was floating…
And even though you can see a little bit of the metal platform, I couldn’t be happier. It ties in nicely with the wood, the white and everything else in our home.
It’s also only 12″ deep, which is great because it doesn’t get in our walk path.
And don’t even get me started on those bug trails and natural cracks and crevices…
This beam has history and I didn’t want to lose any of it during the process…
Now, we just need to add a bit of our history in there too…
I wish I could explain how much I absolutely love this bench. It’s everything I wanted and more… plus it’s unique and different and just entirely perfect.
This little mudroom is so close to being finished, and I’m getting really excited to start putting everything together and adding those little details!
And just in case you’re wondering, here’s where I got all the pretty things! 🙂
- Grain Sack Pillow- DIY Project
- Wire Basket- Found on our family farm
- Grain Sack Bag- Vintage Whites Market
- Blue Boots- Murdoch’s
- Wicker Basket- TJMaxx
- Wool Rug- TJMaxx
Psst… You can see more of our mudroom makeover here.
That mud room is just to diy for! So loving everything you two have done. It’s the perfect fit for the rest of the house, totally seamless. Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Easter!!
THANK YOU so much, Shan! I am absolutely loving the way it’s all coming together! And I couldn’t agree more, it flows beautifully with the rest of our house! Mission accomplished! 😀
I don’t think there has been one thing you posted that I didn’t like! This is just beautiful! I love that it’s natural with all lifes wear and tare on it! I’m not surprised you’re in love with it, I am too… only from afar! 🙂 Beautiful job!! I wish you took a picture of the whole area head on so I could see it with the shelf. It’s probably gorgeous! Enjoy every single minute of it!! Wishing you and your whole family a Very Happy Blessed Easter!
THANK YOU so very much, Amy! I love all the character, texture and history too! That’s one of the reasons I couldn’t make myself change it too much! 😀
I’ll be showing the whole room soon… I know your anxious to see it, and so am I! 😀
I hope you have a wonderful Easter! 😀
Oh my. I LOVE this!! Just beautiful! You’ve got me thinking:)
THANK YOU so much, Jenni! I love it too! 😀
Love it although it screams slivers to me. I was wondering if you couldn’t paint the metal that shows white, like the walls. I love the thickness , what a great mantle it would make, even without a fireplace!
THANK YOU so much, Ann! I worried about slivers too, but we haven’t had a problem so far. It’s a good thing we’re “blue jeans” kind of people! 😀
I thought about painting the bracket white, but I love the industrial vibe that it adds! And I couldn’t agree with you more, it would make an absolutely stunning mantle! 😀
Beautiful, functional, practical – what a fabulous project!
THANK YOU so much, Anne! I couldn’t agree with you more! 😀
It’s official. When you post something and it pops up in my reader. it’s GUARANTEED that I will be obsessed with it and need to pin it. Seriously. Every. Single. Post.
I love this bench so much. We’re currently renovating the loft of an old barn into a studio apartment and I want to add barn wood everywhere. Since we have so much barn wood and beams lying around, I feel like this bench is simply a must-have. Thanks for the tips and inspiration.
OH, Kim! THANK YOU so very much! I’m so happy you’re loving my projects!! You just gave me the Biggest. Smile. Ever.! 😀
Sounds like a barn beam bench is in your future! 😀 Enjoy!
So gorgeous Shayna!
THANK YOU so very much, Sarah! 😀
No wonder you love it as it has so much character and history. Hubby did a great job making it work.
THANK YOU so much, Elizabeth! I’m absolutely in love with it, the texture, the character and the history! It’s perfect! 😀
I loooooove it! What a great piece! It has so much wonderful character and texture!
THANK YOU so much, Lisa! I’m in looooove with it too! The character and texture of it push me over the edge! 😀
Oh my goodness, the bench is perfect and how lucky to find such a fabulous beam. Your mudroom is looking perfect so far. Happy Easter!
THANK YOU so very much, Marty! I’m completely in love with it too! 😀
Very nice, very nice indeed! I think I’m addicted to wood grain now…what a sweet looking mudroom, Shayna:)
Blessings & <3
M
THANK YOU so much, M! I’m so happy I passed my wood grain addiction onto someone else! Gotta share the love! 😀
Wow! Such a great look Shayna- I love it. That is a seriously heavy duty bracket! Pinning:)
THANK YOU so much, Krista! I’m in complete love with it! And you’re right, that is one heavy duty bracket! Our bench, or anyone who sits on it, isn’t going anywhere! 😀
I love it I wish I can find that around where I live . Smithfield NC
Wow I love your bench! My husband and I are just finishing up installing beadboard in our mudroom and I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect wood bench. I was leaning towards old church pews but can’t find any within our budget, but now I think I’ll have to try hunting down some old barn wood.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have a barn beam from my third cousin’s barn that was built the year George Washington became president. Really! I used it as a mantle in the 90’s. Since then, it has been safely stored for 20 years. Your step by step process has inspired me and helped me to know just how to ensure a safety conscious installation.
Oh man, Jan! That is soooo neat! I’m so happy you found my tutorial helpful! 😀
I wish I can find that wood around here. We try but nothing .We have some ideas to do in the house but I can find reclaimed woor or barn wooD NO IN THIS AREA I love to do some ideas that IHave but I can find the wood i want.
Beautiful, beautiful barnwood! Love your bench!
Love it, Shayna! That piece of wood has such character! So perfect 🙂
I would love to know where you got these pillows!!
Hi Taylor! I actually made them. You can read more about it here: https://www.thewoodgraincottage.com/2014/03/17/grain-sack-pillows/
I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi lovely job! Can you tell me where you hot the grain sack pillow or the fabric for it? Thanks!
Oops just saw this post sorry!
I was dying to use barn wood and beams from our own barn during current renovations but my husband and contractor are too worried about the bugs in the wood. They eat through the wood and then move on to other sources of wood in your house. I’m heartbroken because I had so many projects I was planning to do with the wood. How did you deal with the bugs before bringing them into your house? Have you had any problems?
Hi Lianne! Thank you so much for the comment. I’m not sure where you live, but we have such a dry climate in Colorado, that we don’t have any issue reusing wood from outside. I’ve done sooo many projects with reclaimed/ barn wood, and I haven’t ever found any bugs. I’m sorry that’s not more helpful.
I love that you refrained from using chemicals to finish it. I can’t believe I haven’t thought of using hemp oil until now. Thank you for the inspiration!
Hi! I too live in Colorado and would love to know where the local antique wood dealer is located? I am looking for something natural for my mantel. Thanks!
Hi there! The wood dealer I used is in Ridgeway! I can’t remember their exact name, but they had a fabulous selection! 🙂