Workbench & a Few Thoughts on Messes

If you’ve been following me on Instagram @bonitabyrachel, you know that I’ve been working on creating a better workspace for building. It takes time to build up that collection of power tools and find a home for all of them when they aren’t in use. I’m not naturally an organized person. I have been conditioned by society to think that organization = order, productivity, & success. I only recently starting thinking this conditioning is sad. Sometimes going through “the mess” is what leads to amazing creations, solutions, & relationships. When I’m in the thick of it, and having new breakthroughs on what I’m making, there’s usually supplies and tools everywhere. I’m not worried or even really thinking about the order. I’m thinking about what I can make with my own two hands, which is more productive & inspiring to me anyway.

Now all that being said, when you live with other people, you need to clean up your stuff at some point. My husband Dylan is very gracious, but when it comes to Indiana winters, he needs to be able to park in the garage. So I decided to build some creative solutions to store my tools & supplies in a way that works for me.

One of my big undertakings this winter was to build myself an extremely functional, but cute workbench. I had just upgraded my miter saw to the Ryobi 10in Sliding Compound miter saw, and not sponsored, but it’s a dream friends. It just didn’t fit on the current counter I had been using. I started searching for plans that would at least get me started on something functional, and I found Bitterroot DIY’s plans for a hideaway miter saw bench. All credit to her, because it’s amazing. Using her pictures, I made some modifications to fit my saw. I knew I wanted drawers too. Drawers are a creative messy’s best friend because they look nice on the outside but can hold all your clutter inside.

After buying tons of 2×4’s, particleboard, & a scissor lift, I got to work. Being in an uninsulated garage during a snowy winter definitely made this an interesting build, and I quit working early some days when I couldn’t feel my fingers. Finally we had a nice-ish day where I could paint this thing.

I knew all along I wanted a pink workbench. I’m notorious for being motivated by color (pink frisbee, baby blue golf clubs, rainbow floral running shoes, etc.). I also feel that in a typically male dominated hobby, I want my space to feel feminine & match my personality. Minwax Solid Color Stain was amazing for this project. I used the color woodrose, and it was the perfect blush I had dreamed of.

The workbench now sits proudly at the front of the garage. Now don’t get me wrong, I still make a mess in the garage daily, but now I have a place for all my tools.