the DIY bug...

So apparently the work and stress of refinishing my chest of drawers just wasn't enough. Meet my next project:

I bought this desk through Craigslist last week for $30. It's actually a really solid piece of furniture, with a lot of surface space for books and papers, and plenty of drawer space as well. When I bought it, I kind of talked myself out of redoing any of it since it's in fair shape. But I haven't been able to get the idea of turning "fair" into "gorgeous" out of my head. So here's what I'm thinking...

Green!!

Seriously though, I've been thinking about green on this desk so much, that I'm pretty sure I'll just have to go for it. The first desk has similar design elements to mine, particularly the scalloped edges along the bottom. Both the first and third desks have the traditional round knobs that mine does, but I'm thinking of replacing them with something more like this:

I found these knobs at myknobs.com, and both are less than $5 a piece. With only 5 knobs to replace, adding this finishing touch could be well within the budget.

While I am anticipating some serious sanding would have to take place, I think I'll be able to get away with a less involved paint job. I'll probably sand it all down, prime it all, particularly the drawers, then paint a couple of coats in either a satin or semi-gloss finish. 

I definitely caught something...what have I gotten myself into??

Shabbin up the Chic

Well, I've officially completed (almost) my first major DIY project. After finding this little beauty at the DAV for $28, I've now refinished her into something cute and functional, yet without breaking my very small piggy bank.  

The most difficult part of this project was definitely the sanding. I spent about 5 hours sanding down the entire thing, and got some serious back and shoulder pain in the process. And the end result hardly looked promising...

After sanding came priming...

Then painting it brown. It was during this part of the process that I wondered if I had, truly, lost my mind. I had just primed the whole thing white after sanding down the dark brown stain, only to paint it brown again. You'll see how ironic this becomes after this step...

There she is...dark brown again. Get ready for some massive irony...

Yes, I painted it white. Again. Bear in mind, this piece started brown. Then was sanded down. Then primed white. Painted brown. Painted white. Oh, it gets better...

I sanded it...again.

I must say, even though this process involved multiple steps that required some serious elbow grease, I'm really pleased with the end result. It's not quite finished though. I plan to put a sealant on since it will be used in my new place. And I need to put the hardware back on. Which, as it turns out, looks great on the "new" piece.