I am saddened that I started working on this and forgot to snap before pictures. Ugghh. I get so excited to dive into these projects, that I am midway through and realize..."snap! I forgot to take pictures!"
I did, however, catch the most important parts midway through.
What I love most about this business, is meeting new people who inevitably become friends along the way. I was introduced to my latest client at my bi-monthly MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) meeting. Just like me, Teresa is a wife and mother to two (adorable) little boys.
We got together to discuss the boys' playroom. She has a beautiful, custom home. Nearly every room is finished, but the media room was lacking a little TLC. It was instantly apparent that Teresa has great style - a mix of traditional, and rustic with some modern touches.
The family recently moved into a new home, and there was a desk left by the previous owners. Instead of donating it to Goodwill or discarding it at the curb, she decided to repurpose it into something fab! If we could all just use our imaginations a little bit, we could save so many things from their ultimate peril.
A designer's dream client is someone that will allow you to express your ideas, and ultimately give you creative flexibility. Teresa has given me complete freedom in this project. I bounced my ideas off of her, but ultimately she trusted me to execute my plan. It makes me want to work that much harder, and go above and beyond to deliver a great product.
After searching Pinterest for some inspiration. I searched Miss Mustard Seed for some ideas for paint finishes. I loved this piece from Miss Mustard Seed. She is truly incredible. I can't wait for her new book to hit the shelves. I am sure it will be filled with plenty of eye candy.
The shelves of the desk had veneer, which was slightly damaged en route to my garage. It was fixable, but after examining the remaining drawers, I noticed they were all peeling from the wood surface. It gave me an idea. After slight peeling back the veneer, I noticed that the glue had a wonderful texture. This was an opportunity to really set this piece apart, and give it some texture.
I proceeded to peel back the veneer on each drawer, using a flat screwdriver and a hammer as a chisel. I sanded the surface with an orbital sander to remove any shards of wood, leaving as much texture as possible. You can see these events weren't necessarily in order. I painted one the drawer fronts prior to removing them, deciding only after to chip away all of the veneer.
After removing the veneer from the doors, and sanding them with the orbital, I painted the drawer fronts with a coat of Old White. Once the paint dried, I rubbed the drawer fronts with a coat of clear wax. Then, I mixed one part clear wax with one part dark wax and rubbed it into the drawer fronts to create a beautiful textured appearance.
I painted the entire desk with two coats Annie Sloan's, Old White, and waxed it before sanding to cut down on the chalk dust. I heavily distressed the edges of the desk, allowing the original wood to show through. Since this will be in the playroom of a two, busy boys, this will get a coat or two of Minwax water-based polycrylic in satin finish for added protection.
I updated the hardware - snagging this pull for the middle drawer on the clearance rack at Anthropologie for just $5 - marked down from $18 (yikes!).
The rest of the drawer pulls were purchased from Lowe's for about $3.50 each. We updated all of the hardware for less than $40! I love to mix pulls - don't think you have to go all matchy-matchy with your hardware. It will add more character to your piece.
Here is the finished desk.
I lined the drawer's with some pretty, gender-neutral paper for an added touch.
And here is the matching chair, with a new finish of Old White.
What a happy pair... They will be right at home in Teresa's playroom.
Oh, and one last thing....
Thank you, Teresa, for giving me a great subject. I am so looking forward to working with you!
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