Serious envy here.....that is fantabulous!! LOVE IT - especially with all your treasures on it! Thanks for sharing such an awesome project. Definitely need me one of those.
Arlene

I am speechless the before and after are ........out of words, except fantastic, beautiful, creative use of materials that you salvaged!!!!!

Luvit

Nanagrandma

PS Your little bear is so cute!

STANDING OVATION!!! Awesome job, Kirkus!! I want one!!!

i was not expecting the impact of the after photo. this is the most unique and gorgeous bench i've seen! i am dead serious. and that handsome little guy ain't bad either! lol!

WOW! Well worth the wait for the pics, Kirk!
Yes, all the planning you put into this original pc certainly pd off! The rustic iron scrollwork for the shelf & the front is drop-dead gorgeous! Love everything about this potting bench...the finishing & the recycling!

Hope you are sending pics to your former neighbor...sure he/she will appreciate how you recycled his bench! AWESOME! TFS! Jeanne S. (& the "after" pic needs to go on one of your cards!)

OMG I love it !!!!!!!!!!You did great!!!!!

That is totally AWESOME!!!

AMAZING!!! Love the transformation! If I hadn't just made one myself, I'd fly out to WA and take that off of your hands. Absolutely LOVE the metal work on it....you find the neatest pieces out your way. Such a work of art...you should definitely be proud of that! I'm shaking my head here....amazing...just amazing!~

Thank you for all of your kind comments. After working so hard on this project (and in my mind for so long), your kind words mean the world to me! Thank you! Thank you! Bear Hugs! Kirk

P.S. I had those old doors for 8 years...just knowing I was going to do something with them. :o) Almost got rid of them!

All the iron work really turned it into a fabulous antique potting bench with 21 century practicality. The finish is perfect for the piece & i sure was shocked to see it as I had the 3 doors across the back-bottom part!!! Was I ever wrong!! You will get so much enjoyment working at that lovely bench.Jan

I am speechless!!!! Thank goodness everyone else covered it with their glowing praise. I couldn't agree more!

hugs you AMAZING bench-creator,
Karen

Beautiful! I like how the rusty brackets look like carved wood. Gives it an arts and crafts feel. I was trying to envision what your bench would look like knowing the materials used but I didn't come close to something this wonderful. Great job!

LOve it and what everyone else has said!!!!

That is so very cool! Personally, I couldnt bear to use it to pot things LOL

What a transformation!! You definitely have a knack for finding interesting 'junk' and then putting it all together to create something absolutely fantastic. Gorgeous bench!!

Sheryll

WOW! was the first thing out of my mouth!!!!
It's beautiful---Almost too pretty for a
potting bench!

Oh my GOSH!!! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!! Completely jealous now LOL :o)

How cute is that??? I LOVE it!!! Great job!!

How wonderful is that! I love it. It looks like something out of "County Living" magazine. You really are quite the carpenter. The iron work is sooooo beautiful, I swear, you people are going to make me like rust before I know it. Great job.
Four

W.O.W.!!!!

Someone please contact DH! He will never believe I am speechless! That bench is truly a work of art and love. TFS!

Kath

There are no words left - everyone has already used them all up! I would put that in my living room! Great job...

Wow! You all know how to make a guy's day! Thank you for your words of encouragement! Thank you so very much!

Well, I couldn't wait for my brother to come out to help me move this heavy piece. LOL So, my wife Carol and 2 daughters (ages 20 and 10) helped me move it to the side porch. You should have heard the yelling! LOL It is sooooo heavy!

I'll take an additional picture with the potting bench on the covered side porch. :o)

Again, thank you... This is the kindest, most encouraging forum!

Bear Hugs! Kirk

that is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna have to drive over and torture the name
of your favorite junking place out of you!

oh it's gorgeous! I don't think I could bear to get it dirty!!

Wow! what an amazing transformation. Bet your neighbor would be so amazed to see his old bench now! I could never in a million years look at the "before" items and know that when put together, they could turn out so wonderful as the "after". Those iron pieces just really make it special--great collecting and fabulous workmanship! Luvs

WOW what an awesome job I'm jealous wpuld love to be blessed as to have something sooooooooooooo unique

that is tooooo cool!!! Clearly, I'm not very creative, cause when I read your first post, for some reason I kept seeing the doors on the back, but on the bottom of the bench. The finished product just blew me away. I'm of the mind that it needs to go IN the house, tho, to show off some treasures :)

SO creative, awesome, unique....and everything everybody else said. Like mmebrady said, I wouldn't want to get it dirty.

As stated above, bravo well done. So I had to sit back and think what else you could do. A beautiful plant in the pan and then add a spotlight, use it to soak plants, for fall add mums and pumpkins, for Christmas add a small lighted tree, etc.

Great as a outside buffet table, drink area, ice with bottled pop or water or other drinks in pan. It is endless.

Most people would probably say "What do you mean a potting bench" or "Rustic yeh right".

Hope you haven't popped all the buttons on your shirt, but you do deserve a great big pat on the back.

Just had another thought, I could see that little one sitting on top soaking his dirty feet after being in the garden. My daughter did that in the bathroom years ago when her feet were cold.

Now, next project-no rest for the weary.

Betty

Betty, what GREAT ideas!!!! You have the wheels turning in my mind!!!! I love the fall vignette and buffet ideas!!!! I already used it to plant plants as well. I also took a watering can and washed up my really dirty hands in the pan today! Thanks for inspiring me to think beyond the box! Bear Hugs! Kirk

I am SOOOO jealous of this masterpiece!! DH is getting close to finishing my potting shed, and it's very nice so far, but I just don't think my potting bench is going to look as nice as this! Glad to see that you found a very cool way to use those metal decorative corners you found. I have to admit that I'm peeing all over myself for those babies! (snort!) I will have to save this as inspiration for sure! Thx for sharing...

I have a serious case of ENVY!!! I've been wanting DH to build me a potting bench on the side of our shed. Yours is to die for!!! Maybe if I show him this picture, it will inspire him.

That looks really, really nice. You did a great job on that. Love all the embellishments.

Such great memories for your little helper too.

Just took a picture today of our potting bench on the side porch...will post it soon. :o) I've added lots of treasures. :o) Bear Hugs! Kirk

You are so talented!!!!!!!

OMG. Love this too!

oh, this is just much to beautiful to be used for potting!!!

Ok! Now how did I miss this. Awesome Job Kirk! You know that would make a great unit for the kitchen. I can just see pots hanging and a rice cooker, crock pot etc. sitting on the shelves.

Just the bench for a victorian gentleman in his greenhouse! I'm sure it will look incredible where ever and how ever you use it.
Kathy

What a fantastic project! It came out beautiful!

Truly inspiring & imaginative piece of art. My daughter & I are gathering recycled items to construct our potting table to go with our almost completed lean-to greenhouse. We are so excited to begin our new adventure into greenhouse & vegetable gardening. Thanks for sharing & giving us even more inspiration.

What they said!

Simply Stunning!

Extra fabulous. Show us your other stuff! Inspirational.

Wow, Kirk....almost 4 yrs old now and people are still remarking on this. And rightfully so. Its very beautiful and creative. How's she holding up? And do ya have any more "t to t" to inspire us?
bonnie

Kirk, we can't find any "American rust" that isn't priced at the antique level!
DH found some old barn wood at a great price and we're hitting all the flea marts and yard sales for the iron work, to no avail!
Luckily he's a partially out of work wood carver and can carve some brackets and decorative things to add to the bench! I'm thinking of taking up carving myself!
Thanks for your great photos to get us started! Nancy

Made my day to see my old bench being reposted. Thank you for the kind words! :)

Here is a little article on the potting bench. :) http://www.fleamarketgardening.org/2013/02/03/garden-workspace-cottage-style-potting-bench/

Great job.