If you’ve been following our cabin renovation journey, you know we’ve been trying to figure out what to do with our stairs. Many of you said we HAD to do something cool under the stairs and we agreed! Our plan: create cozy banquette seating for our space. I have spent hours going down YouTube rabbit holes, researching how to build them from scratch, while constantly keeping an eagle eye on Facebook Marketplace for used restaurant booths or church pews to upcycle.
Facebook Marketplace Find
So, when we spotted the perfect pre-cut church pew online, we were thrilled. It was not the exact size we needed, but it was in the banquette shape we needed, and with a little altering, it would be perfect. It was ready to just slide right into our cabin. And it was only $10! We made arrangements to pick it up after work the following day, and we were so excited.
We hopped in the truck, feeling like we had just scored the DIY lottery, and started the drive. We were halfway there when my phone buzzed. It was a text from the seller:
“Hey… so sorry, but the pew is actually gone.” He said they had set it out so it would be easy to load and that it was no longer there. Someone must have thought it was getting pitched and taken it!
Cue the instant heartbreak. 😠We had driven halfway there, the truck was ready, and our perfect cabin banquette had vanished. But then, the seller offered a plot twist we weren’t expecting.
They felt terrible about the mix-up, so they made us a counter-offer: “We do have this other one. It’s in one piece, though.”
Ten dollars?! For a solid wood church pew to make our banquette dreams come true? We couldn’t say no. He thought it was around 11 feet. (He was wrong…it was longer!)
The $10 Catch…
Of course, a $10, 12-foot piece of solid wood doesn’t just hop into the back of a truck with a 5-foot bed. Getting this massive piece of furniture loaded and hauled back home was an absolute comedic workout. Mike and “the guy” had to navigate this pew out or a room over a garage, onto a tiny landing, and down a huge set of skinny stairs. Mike took the side/arm off so that it was more aerodynamic, and we even had a couple of funny looks from other cars as they drove by this truck with a 5-foot bed carrying a 12-foot church pew in the back!
We got it home, but we wanted to get it into two pieces so it was easier to transport. So, it is staying at our house while we prep the cabin for its new pew.
Meanwhile, at the Cabin…
We have been actively prepping the space and getting the exact measurements for this long-awaited banquette setup! We sanded and painted the walls, painted and finished the stairs, and measured the exact space so we knew what size to cut the 12-foot pew to fit perfectly. Once it is finally ready, it has a home waiting for it.
Oh! We also drywalled the ½ bath upstairs, bought and installed a door, painted the hall, installed framing around doors, enjoyed weather warm enough to open windows, I posted a YouTube short that went viral, and Mike even managed to go fishing!
What’s Next?
Well, the pew is currently sitting in our garage. We thought cutting it in half would be a quick evening project, but those slanted backs and curved, contoured seats are a geometrical conundrum. 😅 (That might be the OTHER $10 catch…if it were easy, they wouldn’t sell it for $10!)
We officially put the saws down for the night to regroup. Stay tuned for Part Two, where we attempt to chop a 12-foot church pew in half without completely ruining it!
