Thursday, June 21, 2012

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!

I'm linking to...
Primitive and Proper
Photobucket Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special
A Little Knick Knack

Furniture Feature Fridays Photobucket























18 comments:

Sarah @ Imperfect Patina said...

Beautiful! I love the two tone grays : )

Allison@FabRehab said...

Love the new blog look and SUPER love the secretary! i heart gray!

Chrissie said...

Beautiful! I need to give your homemade chalk paint a try. I like that you still sand anyway, I think it makes all the difference in look and long term durability. I love when you run across surprise deals like that.

Anonymous said...

What a great desk and even better story! Love it when things like that work out.

Our Pinteresting Family said...

What beautiful desks! I can see they are getting read for the tag sale ;) Enjoy your weekend, Sharon!

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

Beautiful desks, and beautiful blog!

Hetty said...

Love your secretary, colors are great!So funny, we were both working on secretary desks!

pam {simple details} said...

So pretty, I agree with your daughter, it would be gorgeous in a bathroom!

Ali Richardson said...

PRETTY!!! I love the way it turned out and that teacher desk is beuaitful as is. Happy Summer!

Cyndi ✪ Blue Star said...

Lovely, lovely job on the secretary! And I'm with you - no paint needed on the old teacher's desk. I've got one in my office. Wish it were in as good a shape as yours!

Danielle said...

This is gorgeous! I love it.

Debra said...

Been using your Homemade chalk recipe for months. Love it!
And by the way gorgeous secretary!

Rebecca said...

I think your daughter is right, it would be great in a bathroom! It's sooooo pretty!

oops! said...

I Love a good Tale - and this was a good one! I love this piece and it would be fun in a bathroom!

Megan Gunyan said...

So pretty! I love that gray and want it for a project I'm doing. Ah....! Great job.

Megan Gunyan said...

So pretty! I love that gray and want it for a project I'm doing. Ah....! Great job.

Cassie Bustamante said...

that secretary is GORGEOUS! and i love its original and unique hardware.... perfect color choice, too!

Holly Lefevre said...

The secretary is gorgeous. How come I never run into people like that when I shop! BUT I ADORE that original desk! Gorgeous!