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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Craigslist Desk Makeover

I have been on the hunt for a desk for my daughter's room for months now.  
Currently she uses a parsons table we had in the attic.  It fit great, but it has no storage which was a bit of an issue.  
On my hunt on Craigslist, there were several criteria that  the desk had to meet.  For starters it needed to have drawers.  It also needed to be no wider than 42".  Most desks seem to be 48".  With her current room furniture arrangement, a 48" desk just wouldn't work.
Then last week I came across this desk on Craigslist.  They were asking $40 for this Thomasville desk and chair.  After making a deal to pay $30 over the phone I went to pick it up with my dad (my rule of thumb is never go pick up a Craigslist purchase alone).  When I got there I discovered that it wasn't technically a Thomasville.  It was a Huntley by Thomasville, which apparently is a lower line of furniture that they made twenty years ago.  It still seemed to be well made, and I considered walking away from it, but for $30 how could I go wrong.  So in the end I packed it up into my mini van and away we drove.
When I got home I started the disassembly.  When I flipped the chair over to remove the seat it turned out that it wasn't even screwed on.  It was only glued.  I could remedy that.
Another potential issue was that the top seemed to be made of formica.  If not formica, something that had a tough top coating as there wasn't a scratch or dent on the top and the piece is 21 years old.
 The top desk drawer had a painted floral motif.
Luckily that sanded off very easily.
Now it was time to start painting.  I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White which I had in the house already.  My goal was to not spend anymore than the $30 I purchased the desk for.  I used a regular paint brush for the entire desk.  Then after it dried I could see the brush strokes on the top of the desk, so I sanded it all off and used a sponge brush instead on the top only.  It worked perfectly.  I do love that the chalk paint seems to adhere to any type of surface, including whatever the top of this desk is made of.
For the chair, I had a half a can of spray paint in Heirloom White left over from a past project.  By the way...the Heirloom White spray paint is almost exactly the same color as the Old White chalk paint.  I used the spray paint as a base coat which made it so easy to paint something so curvy.  Then I used the old white as a second coat, but didn't have to be perfect in my painting as the two colors are almost identical.
Then I finished the desk off using the clear wax.  I applied it to the desk with the wax brush and then buffed it using a cloth. I also used the cloth to apply the wax to the top of the desk to avoid anymore brush strokes.
I updated the knobs using a silver sharpie pen.  
I used the sharpie to highlight the details of the knobs and handles.
Finally I reupholstered the chair using fabric I had on hand, just waiting to be used on a project like this.  I used screws to attach the cushion.

Here is the finished product:
I love how it came out.
Now my daughter has a beautiful desk with plenty of storage, which will leave the top more available for work to be done.

One more look at the before and after:
I can't wait to hear what you think of this.  I always love and appreciate your comments.

-Judy

39 comments:

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Great transformation and love the idea of using a silver Sharpie for accenting the hardware! I love Rub 'n Buff, but sometimes you need more control and using the Sharpie is inspired!

mtashie said...

I love this makeover and thanks for all the tips with the paint and markers! I'm new to this and loved the use of the Sharpie!!

http://mtashie-theplace.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

This looks fabulous, Judy. I loved that you used what you had on hand. I often find some of my best ideas when I force myself to use what I have. I'm sure your daughter is happy to have it!

Jenny @ Simcoe Street said...

Looks fantastic!

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Judy you did real good!! Great find and great transformation! Your daughter must love it! Martina

PS-- LOVE that fabric on the chair too!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I love it, Judy! It's got great lines and I just love the swag looking hardware. I try to do that, too, use what paint I have here and if it's Heirloom White and AS Old White, so be it! When I did that dresser I found at the curb, it had what sounds like a similar top {and the feet turned out to be plastic!} and everything covered great with the AS paint. I'm glad the original design sanded off, mine was in the actual wood so I wound up covering it. Love the fabric you chose for the chair, too. I can't believe they glued the seat down!

Debbiedoos said...

I think it is perfect Judy. I love the detail on it. Pretty how simple and functional it is now.

Gina said...

Oh it's so pretty! I love it.

Carol-Anne said...

Love the whole thing, especially the fabric choice for the chair! Can I ask you: What happened to the chair that used to be there? Do you have others? Are they all painted?

I have those chairs in my dining room (4 of them) and am about to paint them white, so I'd love to see yours.

Barbara Rosenzweig said...

This is a fabulous transformation! I love how you clearly describe each step!

rachel @ Just a Touch of Gray said...

It looks fabulous! And for only $30 and a little elbow grease... you can't beat that! Awesome job!

Rhonda said...

Love this desk and the fabric is beautiful!

Jordan G. said...

It looks great! I'm sure your daughter loves it.

Neha@ All things beautiful said...

It looks fabulous. Very nice made over. Love the fabric too. I'm sure your daughter loves it.

Wendy@Once upon a rose haven said...

Looks beautiful! I love it! You did a great job!
Blessings,
~Wendy

Brooke @ Inside-Out Design said...

What a great makeover! I love the fabric that you used on the chair.

LoeLaLoep said...

Oh wow, I would die for a desk like this! Awesome!

Unknown said...

Wow, looks lovely!

http://carabossesbedchamber.blogspot.com/2011/09/alphabet-thursday.html

Lisa H. said...

What a beautiful, feminine find for your daughter. Be prepared for her to take it with her when she is grown and moves out.

jen said...

New follower from Jenny Matlock. Wow. A lot of work. Really. Hope she likes it and uses it a lot.

laxsupermom said...

Wow! Great price for both the desk and chair, and a lovely transformation! Love the fabric you used and the Old White is so soft and pretty! Thanks for sharing.

The Single Nester said...

You did a great job!

Anonymous said...

Very pretty! I love these kinds of projects!

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

Oh what an awesome job you did! I know your daughter is so blessed by her beautiful new desk!!

Ames said...

I'm a fan of using what you have and updating pieces. This turned out really nice!~Ames

Wanda said...

It turned out so well. I bet she's one happy camper!

At The Picket Fence said...

It looks absolutely fantastic Judy! You completely freshened it up and gave it new life but it still has so much charm and character. Perfect for a young lady! :-) Thanks so much for sharing it at Inspiration Friday!
Vanessa

lissa said...

love the result. I thought your daughter might want a colored desk but I guess that is not the case. I would have add blue touches but that's me. still great result.

Deborah March said...

Just GORGEOUS! The chair really MAKES the set!

Anonymous said...

I have a desk that I have to paint. I want mine to be like yours. I love your desk. Great job!

Pondside said...

Well done! It's a good-looking piece.

Honey at 2805 said...

What a thrifty find! This desk must be so please that you rescued it and gave it a new life and a new home! The whole project is a beautiful makeover!

I am so pleased that you linked to Potpourri Friday. Your participation certainly makes the party more successful . I appreciate you and hope you will make this one of your regular stops each week!

Michelle @ Sweet Something Design said...

It looks fantastic, you brought it to the 21st century! The fabric is cute too. Great job!

Unknown said...

You did a really good job! Great idea using the sharpie. And I LOVE the fabric you used for your chair.

WhyCuzICan said...

Very sweet desk and the fabric is a lovely pair to it. Do you remember the print of the fab's name? It's just the right one for this project :D

Visiting from Miss Mustard Seed's linky party today,
~Suzanne in NW Illinois

Ellen said...

Judy...what a beautiful piece for $30.00. Glad to hear that you won't go to a craigs list seller without someone with you....whew....I bet your daughter is in her glory with her new desk and Justin..... you did a wonderful job giving this piece a new lease on life.
Hugs,
Ellen

Aggie said...

Great project, I absolutely love the look and the soft colours! Charming!

Jenny said...

Another unbelievably cool make over by you!

This is lovely.

Your choice of paint and fabric is always impressive!

I bet your daughter is over the moon with this addition to her room!

Thanks for sharing.

A+

Kathy said...

Amazing images.Thank you for sharing with us.
Office Desks Under $1,200
homeofficeexecutive.com

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