I would never have thought to rehab an old newspaper stand, but it really came out beautifully!

It’s a pity they covered the original Times text!

shouldn’t of covered the New York Times part… otherwise it’s a cute little bench

Covering the typography turned it into a cute but generic loveseat.

Would’ve been a covetable piece had only the bum cushion been added.

Sorry to say, but they ruined that bench! What a shame to have covered up the original paint and type. Not good at all, oh I can’t look!

I actually like what they did with the bench! Not everyone would want the newspaper name in their home.

I think the bench is cute! But if I had found it I would have just added a black and white print for the seat… how cute would newspaper print fabric be?

The newspaper stand is pure genius!!!!

I like what they did with the bench- it could have worked in a quirky way with the New York Times typography, but I think I like what they did better.

I, too, liked the original NY Times stand. Would have made a great magazine rack or bookshelf.

Good design means knowing ‘when to say when.’
I can imagine 40 years from now some museum art restore’rs gingerly removing the baby blue paint to reveal the preseved NYtimes logo. The future thanks you.

bench was way cooler before…
dommage!

That bench has me swooning!

I like the blue box with the purple designs. Looks like shoes. What is this box made for I wonder?

I agree the bench would have been way cooler if they had left the original color/type! Yeah, not everyone reads the New York Times or would want that in their house (except I know tons of people who WOULD), but you could take any bland bench and refurnish it to look like that.

Someday there are not going to be any charming, rustic antiques left because people keep painting over them!

I am glad they saved the bench, period, and do think it would be great with the NYTimes, too, and wouldn’t mind it in my house!!!

Would have been cool to leave the stand as-is and added white cushions customized with heat transfers that displayed personalized headlines — giving the illusion of two stacks of newspapers.

What a great idea! I think it is so much better without the old logo. That’s what makes it ingenious — turning it into something totally different!

Oh shoot! that bench was ridiculously cool with the NY times font on it! Maybe just a cushion and a bit of paint would’ve been perfect! Good to know, though, that there are many more out there. I also love the top cushion portion of the bench…fantastic.

Bar none, that NY Times stand/bench is one of my all time fave before and afters – what a wicked idea!

hmmmm….

I’m sorry but I too love the ‘before’ much better than the ‘after’. And I guess it goes to show that we don’t always appreciate the things which are often under our feet. For those of us who don’t live in NY, or even in the States, and don’t see these everywhere, it seems very quirky and collectable. Just a new cushion would have been great!

I agree that the bench was far better before with the logo – the after looks like some sort of baby changing table with that pastel.

agreed the bench was better before, but the box is fantastic great color choice.

What a shame that the very part of what made turning the NYT paper rack into a bench ‘cool’ is that it WAS a NYT newsrack…now totally obliterated.
With so much discussion about the end of the newspaper, that object may be…could have been an artificact of days gone by.
People are too eager ‘here’ to paint over the best part of something, then put the same geometric fabric on it…over and over!

Oh, the HORROR of painting over the newspaper logo! Someone commented earlier about the newspaper becoming extinct and I agree that you had QUITE a collectable (cha-ching!) before the redo.

As a former journalist, I cringed as well at this NYT “bench makeover.” They may well be at every bodega in the city, but print news lovers in other areas of the country would love to have one. I agree with an earlier poster than turning it into a unique book, magazine or even plant rack would have been a better idea. Or even a front-porch reading bench, with typography intact.

Ahhh… I wish they did not cover up the original “New York Times” text. That’s what makes it so unique…

Grace, as a graphic designer, I don’t think I would ever need a break from seeing that logo. And I think from the amount of comments, your readers would agree. I don’t think people are necessarily saying the end project is bad or ugly, I think the response lies more with the idea of needing to cover over, or fix something that’s not really broken. Like some readers pointed out, in a few years when such icons will surely not be around, will we question why we painted over something with so much history? I commend you for posting this project, as a frequent visiter to this site, I have never seen such (important) debate towards a ’simple’ craft project. The issues that have been touched upon in this message board has actually had me coming back to see what people are saying. Despite people’s subjective aesthetic preferences, as a graphic designer I thoroughly enjoy the general public’s respect for such a (graphic) design icon. In my opinion this has been the most successful before in after, not in its physical outcome, but in the ideas and opinions its generated!

You painted over the iconic New York Times logo?! Are you mad?1 Less is more…a funky cushion would have been plenty!!

i lke the before too… its lost its unique-ness…

glad im not the only one that thinks so….

I want a “before”. Where should I look for one?

The best before pieces I found came from the trash bin. I have found stools and shelves, coat racks and nightstands on trash day. I usually ask permission to take the item, if possible, but people seem happy when something they were throwing out can be reused. My favorite price is FREE!
Happy Hunting!

This before and after (and all the comments) is so entertaining for me, because when I was living in New York, I had a friend whose roommate found one of those New York Times racks and mounted in their little bathroom above the toilet to use as a storage rack. We called it the “shelf of death” because while we trusted his carpentry skills, it was kind of unnerving to have that big rack hanging over your head. It was also rather ugly just mounted on the wall like that.

So anyway, I can appreciate all sides of this as a former New Yorker: on the one hand wanting to completely transform something that seems so mundane and everyday, but on the other hand — because I don’t live there anymore — just seeing that rack makes me so nostalgic that the last thing I’d do is paint over that logo!

But anyway, I think the real lesson here is – there’s a market for NY Times benches outside of NY! New Yorkers, go find those racks, put a padded cushion on them and put them up on eBay or your etsy store! :)

Hi Everyone! Who loves Design*Sponge?! Looks like we all do. There were a few questions about the blue box. The “answer” is… it’s whatever you want it to be! Use your imagination (that’s the beauty of it). My thought was to use it as a side table to hold wine bottles, magazines, blankets, etc.

p.s. The next time I find one of these NY Times benches (probably next week at Goodwill… JACKPOT!) I will be selling it to the highest bidder, completely untouched. Then, even YOU can enjoy this mass produced piece and call it your own. Seriously, I appreciate reading all of your comments and thank you for keeping them constructive! Now, go out and create something you can enjoy!

Sorry to say, but where is the TALENT and CREATIVITY in what they have done to the bench? Any one can easily paint and upholster a piece of furniture.

It makes me angry that nowadays anyone who gets a smart idea just goes ahead and do it.

There is a beauty about the OLD and should be left alone..

I honestly think they SHOULD turn the NYT bench back to its original look and give it some respect.

Dear Grace

I certainly do appreciate the “before and after” column. Its amoung my favorites on your site and admit you have put up many wonderful ideas but I can not agree on the NYT bench.

The NYT bench is not just a piece of furniture. Its an old piece of furniture.

From my understanding designers are talented and trained to execute wth an artistic ability than an oridenary person.

Their main business is to create.

The Meriam Webster explains ‘Create’ as:-

intransitive verb
1: to make or bring into existence something new

In my humble opinion I believe that anyone can “create” something for others to enjoy. I don’t think you need the title of “designer” to prove that you know more than someone else as far as art is concerned. As far as this piece being old, I am pretty sure these newspaper stands are still being mass produced on a regular basis. I can appreciate the nostalgia of a logo like the NY Times paper can bring, but thankfully everyone has different takes on what is asthetically pleasing. It’s impossible to say that design is right or wrong as it is a subjective thing. What do you have to measure it to? Is restoring an old house not creative because it’s already in exsistance? No matter the argument, art and design will always come down to a matter of opinion and thankfully we are all entitled to one.