The Tale of Two Desks

The tale of two desks started a few weeks ago when I saw an ad on Craigslist for a old schoolhouse teacher's desk. I could see she was a beauty and in the picture she looked like a pretty standard size desk. Well in person, she was even more beautiful, but also pretty darn big! I believe my husband's words were something like, "That thing is a monster!" He was thinking in terms of having to lift her, I was looking at how perfect she was. I actually needed just a moment to ponder, but of course you know I wanted her. She's pretty and in perfect condition, what's not to love? And I didn't for a moment even think about painting her!

So while I was pondering, the seller mentioned that he also had a secretary desk that he was about to list on Craigslist and did I want to take a look. Umm, absolutely! This one had some veneer issues and definitely needed some love. The guy had actually started it and decided it was more work than he wanted to tackle. But seriously, how could I say no to this one?

And the seller was actually pretty funny too. He said he was a fan of American Pickers and could be bundle the two desks. I told him I really had not come prepared to buy two desks, but needless to say, we struck a deal! It took an extra trip and a few strong backs, but it was so worth it!

I started out with a thorough cleaning and a light overall sanding. And no matter what type of paint I'm using, I always sand. It's the perfect opportunity to smooth out any rough edges and check for any needed repairs. You don't need to break out the electric sander for every project, a sanding sponge usually works wonders.

I used a very light gray for the inside and a darker blue gray for the outside. They were both oops paint finds, so no exact colors, but they were Behr paint and primer in one. I love using this with my homemade chalk paint recipe. For me, it works perfectly everytime. And after a light distressing and a coat of wax, this desk was perfect too!

I left the inside of the desk natural as a nod to the past.

I am crazy about that top curvy drawer ...

and these awesome pulls!

I think this one has tons of charm and character. She could be used as a traditional desk, as a charging station for a laptop or for great display and storage space in any room of the house. ... Can you tell I kind of want to keep her?

Megan thinks she would look really sweet in a bathroom.

Now that girl is definitely my daughter!

And there you have it, the tale of two desks!

*And if you are a regular here, you might notice that we have a fresh new look on the blog! I absolutely love it!  Thank you to my computer guru Megan for a wonderful blog makeover! There would be no blog without you!

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Liz Marie Blog