Saturday, October 24, 2009

Vintage Desk to Modern Beauty

When I was 10 my grandmother gave me my grandfather's old desk. He passed away before I was even born, so to own something that was his made me feel very close to him- although I never knew him. Over the years the desk traveled with me from town to town (my family moved a lot), ending up in the guest bedroom in my parent's house in Wyoming. Last month they surprised me by bringing it to my new home. It had seen better days, many of them in fact:



I knew that a beautiful piece of furniture was hiding beneath all of those scratches and orangy stain. After sanding it down, I stained it with two coats of an espresso finish and then covered it with two coats of polyurethane. For a complete tutorial on sanding and refinishing wood furniture, visit one of my very first posts as the How-To Gal HERE.


Final touches of crystal knobs and floral drawer liners completed the project- a true Cinderella story.

Isn't she a beauty!?! I can't stop looking at my fabulous "new" desk.

Now all I need is some great art to hang above it!

Posting to: Transformation Thursday, Metamorphosis Monday, and Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land


DIY Day @ ASPTL
Posted by Unknown at 1:00 PM
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24 comments:

  1. KyOctober 24, 2009 at 3:08 PM

    I love your desk! The crystal knobs are great, and the drawer liner is like a secret little surprise. This is so great.

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  2. CherOctober 24, 2009 at 3:40 PM

    Good Work! Looks terrific!

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  3. DisneyOctober 24, 2009 at 4:09 PM

    Oh that is beautiful!! I'm a sucker for crystal knobs :o)
    And of course you may link back to my cape tutorial, I would love that! Thank you!
    God bless!

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  4. Tater Tot MomOctober 24, 2009 at 9:17 PM

    That looks great and I just love the espresso finish! My favorite part though is the new knobs. They add a great touch!

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  5. karaOctober 24, 2009 at 9:58 PM

    this is gorgeous! My favorite thing that you've done so far!

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  6. sarah { abeachcottage }October 25, 2009 at 11:30 PM

    wow, she truly is a beauty

    great job and inspiration, enjoyed my visit

    sarah

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  7. Phyllis AROUND THE HOUSEOctober 25, 2009 at 11:34 PM

    The dark finish makes such a difference Love the knobs..

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  8. NMOctober 26, 2009 at 5:26 AM

    Those crystal knobs just finish the whole thing off beautifully. What a stunning heirloom you have created!
    Best wishes, NM.

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  9. REbekahOctober 26, 2009 at 8:54 AM

    Looks beautiful! Love the knobs!!!

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  10. ImagineCozyOctober 26, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    Wonderful look. The glass knobs really do add a touch of class.

    I could use a little piece like that at my house!
    -Angela

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  11. DaykaOctober 26, 2009 at 9:19 PM

    Of course I found you through A Soft Place to Land, and I love what you did to the desk! The stain looks great, especially with the knobs. The contact paper in the drawers is a cute touch, too. Great job!

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  12. Linda@Coastal CharmOctober 26, 2009 at 9:19 PM

    You did a outstanding job on this piece...love the hardware!! Hope you have a FUN week.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  13. tales from an oc cottageOctober 26, 2009 at 9:25 PM

    Awesome!!

    m ^..^

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  14. shannonOctober 26, 2009 at 9:40 PM

    It looks so pretty. I love the hardware you chose too. adds a nice touch!

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  15. deborahOctober 26, 2009 at 9:54 PM

    she is more than a beauty, she is a FABULOUS beauty! That it belonged to your Grandfather and is fabulous just makes my heart sing! You will love this forever! Thanks for sharing! Deborah

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  16. Kristi @ Addicted 2 DecoratingOctober 26, 2009 at 10:03 PM

    You did a great job on the desk!! It looks so pretty with the darker color, and the crystal knobs just "make" the desk.

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  17. onegirliegirlOctober 26, 2009 at 10:29 PM

    You did a wonderful job!! The crystal knobs really make it!

    xoxo ~Lisa

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  18. Gina @ The Shabby Chic CottageOctober 27, 2009 at 6:07 AM

    It looks beautiful! I love the dark color and the glass knob... be still my heart!

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  19. CindyOctober 27, 2009 at 11:23 AM

    Very awesome. Love that dark with the crystal. Good on ya :o)

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  20. Kathy @ Creative Home ExpressionsOctober 27, 2009 at 11:33 AM

    It looks great with it's new color and crystal knobs!

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  21. Magic BrushOctober 27, 2009 at 11:41 AM

    Winner winner chicken dinner!!!!! That is right up my alley!!!!

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  22. MandyOctober 27, 2009 at 12:17 PM

    GORGEOUS!
    I know how much more work it is to stain than to paint - it really paid off here! The desk is beautiful. You did a great job - your grandparents would both be proud!

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  23. Kasey at Thrifty Little BlogOctober 27, 2009 at 3:54 PM

    Great! The knobs and liner were the perfect girly touches to go along with the sleek black.

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  24. Maryann @ Domestically-SpeakingOctober 27, 2009 at 10:56 PM

    I love the knobs - they just accent the beautiful work that you did. I'm new to your blog from Kimba's party & love your work... I'll be following you.

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