"The porch has many salvaged and repurposed items mixed with newer elements to help give it that eclectic cottage-y lived-in vibe," Zaeske says. A swing assembled from repurposed parts fits the bill. Other salvaged pieces included a dresser with its fourth coat of paint, director's chairs from a family cabin, a Thai root ball she repurposed into a light fixture and a 100-year-old ceiling beam from a barn.
"I used Houzz to look at black French doors, open ceilings, ceiling beams and screened-in porches in general. It is a major tool of mine," she says. This porch with a swing on Houzz was a major inspiration.
See the rest of Zaeske's porch
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske "I used Houzz to look at black French doors, open ceilings, ceiling beams and screened-in porches in general. It is a major tool of mine," she says. This porch with a swing on Houzz was a major inspiration.
See the rest of Zaeske's porch
Zaeske wanted the swing to envelop nappers, so she planned for a high back and sides to burrow into. She found an image online of a swing that had a repurposed door as its back, and the idea for her swing was born.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
She spied this room divider screen at an estate sale for $8 and envisioned the swing's sides. "I was taken with the idea of being able to open and close them depending how much breeze you wanted to let in," she says.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
The back of the swing was a $5 score at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If you look closely you can see where antique iron hinges used to be.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
Zaeske found the scrolls for $25 at a resale shop in an upscale neighborhood, where she says she gets some of her best finds. "They were originally bonded together at an angle; I had my carpenter gently saw it in half," she says.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
"With all of these pieces in hand, my carpenter and I cleared out a bay in the garage, and we got to work laying out the options. It's very similar to a jigsaw puzzle, without the box to guide you," she says. A few pieces, like the wooden panels in the front, did not make the final cut.
Zaeske estimates it took about half a day to construct the swing; half a day to clean, prime and paint it; and a few hours to install the rope and get everything set up in the brackets.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
Zaeske estimates it took about half a day to construct the swing; half a day to clean, prime and paint it; and a few hours to install the rope and get everything set up in the brackets.
They used leftover 2-by-2s and 4-by-4s from the porch construction to construct the base. "The open slats were important to allow proper air circulation," Zaeske notes.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
After the carpenter finished building the bed, Zaeske painted it creamy white, first with primer and then with Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch 2X Satin Heirloom White General Purpose Spray Paint. She left the scrollwork black for contrast.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
Not pleased with inflatable mattress options, Zaeske protected a regular twin mattress with a waterproof mattress pad and had a custom slipcover made of outdoor fabric. She estimates the cost of the mattress and protective cover at about $200.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
She bought 50 feet of 1 1/2-inch Unmanila rope, a synthetic rope that doesn't shrink and resists rot and mildew. The ceiling joists were built to support the bed in the original porch plans. The rope was $116, and the joists were $160.
Installation tip: "If using rope to suspend, leave plenty of spare at the bottom, as the weight of the swing will pull down and sink, bit by bit. We needed to adjust the knots a couple of times over the next few weeks as the swing settled," Zaeske says.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
Installation tip: "If using rope to suspend, leave plenty of spare at the bottom, as the weight of the swing will pull down and sink, bit by bit. We needed to adjust the knots a couple of times over the next few weeks as the swing settled," Zaeske says.
Zaeske scored the outdoor fabric for the slipcover on eBay for $42, then paid a seamstress $125 to make it. She then got to work on another project after the daybed was done: Scrabble pillows. She used stencils and fabric paint on some microsuede pillows.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
All ages now enjoy the swinging daybed. "When you have a need that mixes with an artistic spirit combined with practical frugality, DIY inspiration often hits," Zaeske proclaims. "Whether starting the day with coffee, my laptop and the sunrise or cuddling with my family on a Sunday afternoon, this salvaged bed is taking full advantage of its new life!"
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
Your turn! Houzzers, share your latest salvage project!. We'll be showcasing one here every week.
by Your Favorite Room By Cathy Zaeske
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The pillows in particular are brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Jules :)
Cathy, you are a genius! Amazing project. I hope to have one of my own some day! Very inspiring, thank you both!