Hello again friends!
I am often asked where I find the furniture I refinish. Most of my pieces come from thrift shops and Craigslist. Occasionally I find something at an estate sale, but the prices there are often more than I am willing to pay and scoring the best merch can be a pretty competitive endeavor. I also find a few pieces from an email listserv for moms in my neighborhood. It’s a great resource for many reasons, one being regular posts for items to sell or give away for free. When a mom posted this desk for free, I jumped on it. The hardware is what really caught my eye.
It was a couple of days before Christmas, and my husband and I drove over to pick it up in the dark and pouring rain. It sat in my garage for a few months, but here it is finally done!
I gave it a good cleaning and then a light sanding. I painted it with two coats of General Finishes milk paint in Coastal Blue. I love this blue – it is simply the perfect navy blue. I sealed the entire piece with a couple of coats of General Finishes High Performance topcoat.
When I picked up the dresser, one of the pulls had come off and was placed inside the drawer. Like a complete idiot, I put it somewhere I knew it wouldn’t get lost. Big mistake. By the time I was ready to refinish the desk a few months later, I completely forgot what I had done with the pull. I searched everywhere. I mean, the FBI probably doesn’t even do this thorough of a search. But, I could not find that pull. I normally place hardware in one of the drawers so it stays with the piece, but for some stupid reason I didn’t do it this time. Ugh. There was no way I was going to find a replacement, either. So, on to Plan B. I filled the top middle drawer with wood filler and then sanded it smooth. I decided that a simple brass knob would coordinate well with the existing pulls. I actually like the final result. Oh, and guess what I found the very day after I filled the drawer with wood filler? Yep, that missing pull.
Aren’t these pulls just the prettiest? And now I have an extra one. . .
Thanks for stopping by.
Susan
Linking with The Painted Drawer and Seeking Lavender Lane
Beautiful! Forty years ago I bought a desk just like the one you refinished. That may be my original desk. I bought it in the Midwest and left it in California over 20 years ago. I now live in Puerto Rico and plan to return to the states. Hopefully, I can find a similar desk or buy one from you when I return. I enjoy your posts and creativity. Blessings
Hi Nancy! I often wonder about the past history of the vintage pieces I refinish. Wouldn’t that be something if this were your old desk? You never know! Thanks so much for following along with my blog.
That’s a beauty!
Absolutely, beyond BEAUTIFUL!!!! What a great job you did Susan!!!!
Thank you so much, Karen. I appreciate it.
What a great find and I love that you painted it navy blue. The brass hardware shows up so nicely against the dark color. Nice work
Hi Vicki! Thanks so much. When I saw that gorgeous brass hardware, I just had to paint it navy. You are right, it really makes the brass stand out.
LOVE it!! I am fond of Navy Blue myself and have to fight the urge to paint everything I find in navy. This is wonderful with the brass as contrast. Beautifully staged, as well (like always)
Hi Janine! It’s hard not to paint everything navy, isn’t it? Haha. I love blue, and navy is right up there as a favorite. Thanks for stopping by.
Oh Susan! I looooove the navy with the gold! You did a stunning transformation on this piece! Well done!
I hope you have a great week!
Smiles!
Terry
The Curator’s Collection & Making Broken Beautiful (Thursdays)
Thank you Terry! I appreciate your kind comments.
So Beautiful! What a great job you did Susan! Love the Color of navy with the gold!
Thank you so much! Navy with gold is one of my favorite combos!
A beautiful design as usual. Kudos! So, now we know where you find your fantastic projects, my question is – where do you sell them or are they completed by commission? I just so love your work. You are truly are an artist.
Thank you so much for your kind comments! I sell most of my pieces locally through Craigslist, but I also do a few custom projects as my time permits.
Wow….it’s beautiful!! I love that blue and I love General Finish paint and stains! I never see anything for free…what a lucky find.
Thanks, Vivian. General Finishes Coastal Blue is one of my favorite blues. Keep your eyes open for those free finds – you just might get lucky! Susan
What is the wall color behind the desk?