Thursday, January 30, 2014

FRILLY VINTAGE DESK

Found in a thrift store...
she was a broken down relic from long ago...
but she had class, floral carvings...so feminine and sweet, 
deep drawers, dove-tailed finishes, 
original handles and knobs...



Well, 
the truth is, she had me at "relic"
..she was covered in an unsightly dark brown finish...
I just knew she could be saved....
or at least that's what I was hoping for... 
I am always hoping they can be saved.
I couldn't leave her behind...so naturally I brought her home.

I cleaned her up...
I decided I would leave the top a natural wood, 
finished with wax and painted the rest.

I think she turned out quite lovely.  
She graces the front room of our home...
still waiting for someone (ahem, me... I suppose)
 to sit down and write some letters... 
I think I should get to that right away!
For this project I used:
Elmer's Wood Filler from Lowe's/HomeDepot
CitrisStrip-to remove the varnish/stain on the top only
SherwinWilliams paint: Color: Creamy
Brown Glaze: chocolate color from Lowe's
Minwax Stain: Walnut and Provincial...
I think I mixed the colors to get the 
tone I wanted.
MinWax and Briwax  finishing wax
200 grit sandpaper
Some of my favorite little people, 
as photographed by my very talented sister-in-law.

time to get writing....











8 comments:

  1. LOVE your little desk! The finishes you decided on for her are just perfect! I'm looking for how to follow your blog, but I don't see anything anywhere? xo Jen

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    1. Jen, thank you! at the top of the page is a "follow by e-mail" button and a subscribe option... I can see it here, but again, I am very new to this. If there is another way that is better or easier for readers to follow along, do let me know. ~thanks again for the compliment...I'm thrilled you like it.

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  2. I love the desk! And again, your photos! I am going to refer to your pics before I take my next set. I think I set up to follow you through my google blog account.

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    1. Wonderful!! Thank you and I think that's so great that you plan to follow the blog. I hope you enjoy it...I'm having fun sharing.

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  3. Love it. I have an old desk and now l know what to do with it. Thanks

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    1. Thank you Lorraine, So happy to read you liked it! Best of luck on your project!!

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  4. How do you deal with the water damage on the legs. You've done a wonderful job!

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    1. Hi Diane, The water damage was ugly... the damaged lower area was wood veneer that had lifted away from the sides. I took off the veneer that I knew was a lost cause, and since I planned to paint it, my main concern was getting a nice surface to paint. I used wood filler from the local hardware store. It's a lot like a thick paste or putty. I filled in all the low spots, let it dry and then sanded it smooth. Some areas may have needed a little extra attention...so I repeated the wood filler. I would only use wood filler if I was planning to cover a piece with paint...or the area was small enough I could blend it with paint/stain. The legs had a chunk missing... I just left it and painted it...and it looks ok... gives it a little character!!

      I did another makeover on a dresser, I painted it blue...it had some missing woodwork, I was able to mimic the missing wood with wood filler...It's in the "Before and After" section at the top of the blog if you would like to see that project too. Thanks for writing. :)Karri

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