The Perfect DIY Farmhouse Entryway Bench for Our Small Front Porch

Sharing all the details of finding & refinishing the PERFECT farmhouse entryway bench for our small front porch with pictures on a budget.

I am so excited to share my new red farmhouse entryway bench with you guys!  

Farmhouse Entryway Bench for the Front Porch

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A little over a week ago I saw this bench in a picture of a house that is for sale near our house & it was like a light bulb moment for me…talk about farmhouse entrance bench inspiration.  

This was exactly what I had been looking for our farmhouse front porch!

So off I went to try & find one at a reason price… so it had to be less than the cost to make one!  

Cost of Front Entry Bench Seat (AKA Settle Bench, Deacon Bench or Quaker Bench)

For some reason this type of high back entryway bench (also called a settle bench, deacon bench, church bench or Quaker bench) is very expensive.  

It also looks similar to a small church pew.

The cheapest “new” version I found for sale was almost $500 & I found some well over a $1500 for vintage antique ones.  

What?!!!  And then I found this one on Craigslist (one of my favorite sites to shop for deals) for $100.  Woo Hoo!

You can find similar entryway benches from this google search.

Now, the seller had already refinished the bench but the color scheme just wasn’t going to work for our farmhouse front porch.  

Sanding Down our Entryway Bench

We started to sand down the piece to see what kind of wood it was.

Jason & I had been hoping for a pretty hard wood like oak but sadly no such luck we think it is pine.  

So probably not the over 50 year old bench the seller tried to indicate it was but the size and shape fit our front perfectly.  

Painting Our Entryway Bench Red

I painted the bench the same exterior red paint as the trim of our farmhouse so it would weather well in on outdoor front porch. 

The color is rustic red by Pittsburgh Paints.

Although the wicker chairs & end table we had here great they did not fit the space well.  

Every time it rained the cushions got went & I always felt like our front entrance looked too crowded.  

Whereas Jason & I sat on these chairs a lot in our previous house we are almost always having our morning coffee on our kitchen deck.

Our new red entryway bench actually fits under our very small overhang & I love how simple & functional it is. 

Perfect for the kids to sit & pose for their back to school pictures & for me to sit & watch them playing in our driveway.

Now, I am not saying I am done with our front porch.  

I can’t wait till we can add some trim around the windows & doors & our plan is change out the tan/grey siding for white but I am loving the look of our new entryway bench.

I hope this inspires all the entryway bench ideas for your home.

by Tara Lehman

We have made a few more changes to our Farmhouse Front Porch as part of a Curb Appeal Challenge,

It is so much fun decorating our new entryway bench with pillows & blankets for the different seasons!!!

Don’t forget to Pin & Save Our Entryway Bench for Our Farmhouse Front Porch for Pinterest!

Curb Appeal Reveal – Farmhouse Front Porch

Christmas Front Porch

Some More DIY Entryway Ideas You Might Enjoy