A little place to sit

I have been wanting to sand and varnish the agarikamachi-seating platform ever since  we concreted the floor. This little seating area has been crying out for some TLC. 

Our sweet toy poodle "Bikky"

So firstly we started by sanding this area by hand since we had a couple of sheets handy, but that idea got old real fast, so I switched to my new best friend....my orbital sander! Then it was just a matter of wiping it down with a wet cloth to prepare it for varnishing. 

I used the same clear varnish as I did on the toilet bench, so that it would expose the natural wood grain. However I'll be honest and say that I just wasn't happy with the end result, it just looked so flat. So back to the hardware store for a tinted varnish with a gloss sheen to it.

BEFORE

Here is my ever enthusiastic assistant, eager to paint alongside me again.

AFTER

The timber itself isn't of any fine grade, just a humble little place to sit as you enter and exit with your shoes. Japanese style!

But we are happy with the varnish and how it turned out in the end. It really is about trial and error! The process was a lot of fun though.

But I need to close this door now and head out for another onsen!