How to Make an Old Potting Bench Look New

I wanted to do a little makeover on our potting bench once the original wood started to weather. And not necessarily in a good way! If it were made of teak, then that would be a different story.

When we first moved into this house, the area where the potting bench sat was filled with weeds and overgrown shrubs. You can see the before/after graphic at the bottom of this post. 

Today I’m joining a few friends for summer gardening ideas. We have a lot of outdoor projects in the works. Giving this potting bench new life was top on my list for summer projects.

 It is the little things that make a big difference. All we did was clean up the area, give it a coat of paint, and start fresh! 

Why a potting bench is a good thing

A potting table or potting bench is perfect for replanting pots or working on a project. Typically potting benches are a great height. Bending over on a work surface that’s too low is never a good idea. If you use an old table or piece of furniture to create a dedicated space for a potting bench, you can retrofit it to the height that works for you. 

What is the typical height of outdoor potting benches?

A traditional potting bench is 36″ high. This is the same height as a traditional kitchen countertop. A new potting bench might have the height dimension as part of the overall height dimension,

 which may include an upper shelf. 

For example, this potting bench has listed this overall dimension: 55 x 18 x 55 in (L x W x H). It does not specifically say the height of the work surface, but it’s probably 36-37″ high. This potting bench is made of fir wood and is less than $100. It would need to be sealed with something like Varithane to protect it. (something I did not do with ours when we bought it).

Here are a few ideas if you want to buy a new potting bench

1. Yaheetech Outdoor Potting Bench // 2. Potting Bench with Baskets and Hooks // 3. Smith & Hawken Black Wood Potting Bench // 4. Sunnydaze Outdoor Meranti Wood with Teak Oil Finish Potting Bench// 5. Acacia Wood Potting Bench // 6. Wood Potting Bench with Dry Sink

Most of these are on the smaller side, so if you want a large potting bench, you may have to find something and make it into a great potting bench. An upcycled DIY project can give repurposed life to a piece and create a beautiful potting bench with lots of storage for gardening tools, hats, and baskets. 

In any size, potting benches are a great addition to a backyard or back patio.

A potting bench provides extra storage.

A sturdy potting bench can also be a storage area for gardening supplies. A great option for additional storage next to a potting bench is to have a galvanized trash can. We use the trash can to hold bags of potting soil and plant food. It’s a great option to store items that can’t get wet. 

A galvanized trash can provides that old-school look that will enhance your outdoor space rather than detract from it if you were to use a typical outdoor trash can. The galvanized metal can have more of a rustic look than a more utilitarian look. I found ours at Home Depot for around $35. Behrens makes it. They also make galvanized buckets and pails.

We also have this wonderful kneeling pad, flower pot brush, and a gathering basket. The Bergs pots and saucers are a favorite of mine to use indoors and out. I’ve had the Bergs Scallop Bowl Planter for years. Only last spring did I add to my collection of favorite Bergs Pottery. 

The Fiber Concrete Barrel Pots are also from Terrain.  We use them on our porch and on the patio next to the potting bench. They come in four colors and several sizes. You can see more of the pots in this post from spring.

How we made an old potting bench look new using a black stain

Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW6258

Our potting bench needed a fresh coat of paint. We used Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black Stain Block with a matte Varithane finish to protect it. 

We probably could have put a sealer on the original potting bench to preserve the wood, but now that four years have gone by, it was time for a makeover. 

If you know me or have been following me even for a minute, you know I like to paint or stain things black. Like the garage, for example, make that two garages. There is something about bringing life back into something when you paint it black.

You can see our current black garage in this post and New Canaan in this post.

DIY Project: Staining our Potting Bench

Staining our potting bench after allowing it to weather for a long time was like working on an old piece of furniture. However, unlike refinishing old furniture, the potting bench makeover did not have to be the perfect project. 

Steps to Staining the Old Potting Bench

1. Clean and allow to dry
2. Sand the entire potting bench
3. Tightened any loose screws
4. Stained with Sherwin-Williams Woodscape Block in Tricorn Black
5. Applied two coats of Varithane matte finish to protect it from the elements

This relatively simple DIY transformed our backyard potting bench area. We can now use it for its intended purpose, a potting or garden bench, and for entertaining. 

Using a Potting Bench as a Drink Station

Years ago, I created an outdoor drink station using our makeshift potting area behind our old garage, and it is still one of my most popular pins on Pinterest! You can see the post right here!

Creating a drink station and entertaining area with our newly cleaned-up potting bench and the area was super simple.

On the bottom shelf, I used it as plant storage. I could have easily moved these items to the garage if I needed more space for entertaining. Since this was just a simple dinner party, I really just needed a flat surface for a few entertaining things.

With the lower shelf mostly full of plant items, there was still plenty of room or storage space for a water cooler, glassware, a few snacks or trays, and an ice bucket with bottles. The potting bench has hooks on the side and pegs on the front. The hook was perfect for hanging towels. 

The black potting bench blends in beautifully with the rest of our outdoor furniture. Adding the beautiful lanterns from Terrain made the entire space look magical at dusk! A perfect potting bench also doubles as a great place for entertaining. Win-win for an easy summer DIY project! 

Plant Storage on the Bottom, Drinks on Top!

Hexagon Lanterns from Terrain

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Before & After