Monday, January 27, 2014

Antique Cherry Desk Redo


My client said she had picked up this desk a while back for $20!  It's cherry, solid wood, and has dovetailed drawers.  What a steal!!  She wanted it for her daughter's room and said she would like it white and pink.  I think I've said before that I don't do pink very often so this one was so fun!  I really enjoyed it and thought it turned out so darned cute!


 Before

It was still solid but the finish was horrible.  It had deep scratches all over it and the top was the worst.  I sanded it down to the bare wood so I had a smooth finish to start with (that sounds funny but you know what I mean ;) ).

From dark and a little dreary to this....

 After

I love the soft pink drawers with the dark wood peeking out paired with the crisp white.  Girly, but not too young. 

Ok, for anyone who has not painted cherry or mahogany the bleed through can be awful!  Especially if you're doing white.  This one was no exception.  I started with one coat of shellac, letting it dry for an hour before I did the first coat of white.  Within 30 seconds I could see that #@!* pink coming through.  Seriously hate that--it's my worst pet peeve!  So, I waited for it to dry and then did another coat of Shellac (you can do it right over oil, latex, milk, or chalk paint).  I then did another coat of white and waited until it dried completely.  There were just a few pesky spots where it still bled through so I just did those areas with another coat of shellac and then did another coat of white over the whole thing.  It's a good thing I refuse to let  a piece of furniture get the best of me (knock on wood!). :) 



I had these glass knobs from an "ooops" and they are perfect for this little desk.  BUT, I wanted something a little more eye catching for the middle drawer so I chose this awesome knob with the metal overlay.  
Don't be scared to mix and match your knobs.  It can look eclectic, fun, or sophisticated-they don't have to be match-y match-y to look pulled together. 




 I used two different colors on the drawers so when I distressed the darker pink would show but I didn't have to go all the way to the bare wood to get some contrast. 




 It was so cold in the garage (and I didn't want to use any more propane than I had to) so I brought the drawers inside to paint.  I had one huge mess on my counter from all the sanding I did!  There looked like there was pink fairy dust all over everything! :)  Then I took the drawers in the living room where my hubby was watching TV and made him run his hand over all of them! lol!  Yes, I'm nuts, but he's used to it.  





 This drawer had a big, ugly ink stain in the middle so I lined it with some left over fabric I had.  I get asked all the time what I line my drawers with and how I attach it.  I almost always use fabric and I use a spray adhesive to attach it.  That way, if for some reason they need to be removed, they can be with no trouble. 






Oh yeah, Ania and I made the tissue wreath today while she was home from school.  It's an easy project and fairly quick!  Just leave me a comment if you're interested in a tutorial.  :)


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13 comments:

  1. Love this desk, Lisa! I love a desk with a lot of drawers like this, yet it is not a monster piece. The colors look great. I was wondering about bleed through. I think I tend to shy away from this type of piece for that reason. It sounds like you took care of it though. I'd love to see how you did the wreath!

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  2. Oh my word - you did a remarkable job with that awesome desk. What a good value for the lucky ones who now own that work of art!

    What a gorgeous desk! Very well done, indeed.

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  3. That desk is really darling in pink and white! And the sparkly hardware is perfect! I'm sure your client and her daughter are just thrilled!

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  4. You are seriously the best! I love this desk! And, yes please, I would love a tutorial on the wreath!

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  5. This is seriously gorgeous! I'm not even a pink kind of gal but I LOVE this!!

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  6. LOVE! and I love the wreath. Tutorial? yes, please. :)

    -andi

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  7. How cute is this. Great transformation. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  8. The dresser turned out so pretty. Love the white with the pink. Thank you for sharing it at What We Accomplished Wednesdays. Have a great weekend!

    Deborah

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  9. That turned out very pretty. I've been crushing on pink for quite sometime now...LOVE THIS! Thank you for sharing it with us on Twirl and Take a Bow on Tuesdays...Hope to see you again this week! ~Tammy

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  10. I love the desk! It looks great. I hopped over from Boogieboard Cottage.

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