This wood desk was $7 at EcoStore. They had it priced at $10 and came down to $7. (Every little bit helps!)
I loved the shape and the handles. Had it been in better condition, I may have stripped and restained it. However, the wood was pretty beat up in places. I decided to paint it white.
I cleaned it with TSP and found a lovely surprise in the bottom behind the drawers.
I ran screaming into the house. Mice probably lived back there at one time - sick sick sick! What if there were dead ones caught up in there?! Thank goodness for my husband who cleaned it out for me (and then decided to chase me around with it).
Once I regained my composure, I hosed the rest of the piece down and waited for it to dry. I wish I would have sanded first because as I was priming I noticed some bumps. Oh well. Luckily, I'm not a huge perfectionist. I used Zinsser BIN for the primer.
After priming, I tried spray painting it because I had 4 cans of white Rust-Oleum on hand. It wasn't covering as well as I hoped. You may think I have it together and know what I'm doing, but it's really just trial and error!
I grabbed a gallon of antique white from the basement and started to brush the regular paint on. Much better results. This gallon was brand new and was free from EcoStore. Free paint days there will save you $$$! The next one should be in May.
After:
The desk didn't come with a chair, but I found a free one on the curb the same week. It was fate! Here it is with the pad already taken off.
I reupholstered the pad with discounted fabric from Hancock Fabric.
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| Safety first! |
Having an indoor cat has helped me understand where the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" comes from. He's always so intrigued with anything new - and of course it's when I'm trying to take pictures.
This project cost $12 ($7 for the desk, $5 for the yard of fabric, and the paint and chair were free). Check back tomorrow to see how and why I incorporated old shutters into this piece.
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