The vintage desk on the site was, it has to be said, much bigger than I expected when I went to collect it, it came from a local university who were having a clear out and I was told to go round to the loading bay with my little Suzuki Jimny to collect it. Well!
If you saw the desk now you wouldn't believe that we had gotten it home in the Jimny but we did, I'm not entirely sure how, I think it was something to do with prayer - and taking the top of the desk off....
I then drove home with one of the legs lying across the back of my seat literally across my back, the top of the desk slid down the side, obviously two of the seats were folded down and Lisa my accomplice was sitting somewhere in her seat belted up but surrounded and boxed in by the desk. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a good idea and I promised myself I would get my spatial awareness checked at the first opportunity. We passed three Police cars on the way home, it felt like fate and I fully expected to be waved over to explain what I was attempting to do, but no all went well, mainly because I think we were so tightly packed in nothing had room to move about, it was all very strategic....
The desk itself was a medium brown and had obviously been well used but also had some interesting ink marks on the top in the shape of scissors and paper clips that were very appealing, I was loath to paint over them but in the end decided it was necessary in the whole cause of refurbishing the desk itself. having said that I then had to resist the temptation to paint some sort of landscape on the desk top as faced with a huge expanse of cream blank canvass it was quite tempting. As it is I managed to tell myself that people would think it odd and wouldn't want a desk with a landscape painted on the top and so wouldn't buy it. I had already realised that although I wanted to keep the desk for myself - I want to keep most of the furniture for myself - it was large and unless we wanted to be eating Christmas dinner off it, it would have to go as there was only room for the desk or the dining table in the room but not both.
Its had quite a few coats of paint and was a real learning curve for me but I'm really pleased with the finished effect and that makes it all worth while.
I have painted a fern pattern in a very pale green around the top of the desk which finishes it off well. I know there is a tendency to paint everything white or cream but I try to paint only furniture that needs to be restored, if it's marked or well worn but solid it's worth restoring. With the desk I also painted the insides of the drawers which gives a very light, clean effect.
When furniture first arrives it usually goes into the workshop and is cleaned and sanded down there, I also check for any potential problems and decide how to deal with them then bring the piece into the indoor studio to be painted.
Each item has several coats first of primer then base coat sometimes a coat to seal the colour then a top coat and two coats of varnish to finish. But to be honest each piece is different and it's where experience of painting furniture over the years comes into play as new furniture needs different treatment to vintage furniture and with vintage furniture it can depend on the era of the piece as to how I treat it anyway.
Well that's the story so far of the vintage desk, it's still looking for a 'forever home' so if you think you are the person to provide this you're welcome to contact me.
Love and best wishes until next time,
Jacki x
If you saw the desk now you wouldn't believe that we had gotten it home in the Jimny but we did, I'm not entirely sure how, I think it was something to do with prayer - and taking the top of the desk off....
I then drove home with one of the legs lying across the back of my seat literally across my back, the top of the desk slid down the side, obviously two of the seats were folded down and Lisa my accomplice was sitting somewhere in her seat belted up but surrounded and boxed in by the desk. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a good idea and I promised myself I would get my spatial awareness checked at the first opportunity. We passed three Police cars on the way home, it felt like fate and I fully expected to be waved over to explain what I was attempting to do, but no all went well, mainly because I think we were so tightly packed in nothing had room to move about, it was all very strategic....
The desk itself was a medium brown and had obviously been well used but also had some interesting ink marks on the top in the shape of scissors and paper clips that were very appealing, I was loath to paint over them but in the end decided it was necessary in the whole cause of refurbishing the desk itself. having said that I then had to resist the temptation to paint some sort of landscape on the desk top as faced with a huge expanse of cream blank canvass it was quite tempting. As it is I managed to tell myself that people would think it odd and wouldn't want a desk with a landscape painted on the top and so wouldn't buy it. I had already realised that although I wanted to keep the desk for myself - I want to keep most of the furniture for myself - it was large and unless we wanted to be eating Christmas dinner off it, it would have to go as there was only room for the desk or the dining table in the room but not both.
Its had quite a few coats of paint and was a real learning curve for me but I'm really pleased with the finished effect and that makes it all worth while.
I have painted a fern pattern in a very pale green around the top of the desk which finishes it off well. I know there is a tendency to paint everything white or cream but I try to paint only furniture that needs to be restored, if it's marked or well worn but solid it's worth restoring. With the desk I also painted the insides of the drawers which gives a very light, clean effect.
When furniture first arrives it usually goes into the workshop and is cleaned and sanded down there, I also check for any potential problems and decide how to deal with them then bring the piece into the indoor studio to be painted.
Each item has several coats first of primer then base coat sometimes a coat to seal the colour then a top coat and two coats of varnish to finish. But to be honest each piece is different and it's where experience of painting furniture over the years comes into play as new furniture needs different treatment to vintage furniture and with vintage furniture it can depend on the era of the piece as to how I treat it anyway.
Well that's the story so far of the vintage desk, it's still looking for a 'forever home' so if you think you are the person to provide this you're welcome to contact me.
Love and best wishes until next time,
Jacki x
RSS Feed
