Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Love the Second Time Around

I've been busy, busy, busy lately...but still managed to find some time to fall in love all over again with furniture rehabbing. My first project at 16 was an old painted desk that had been painted and wallpapered (yes, wallpapered) that I stripped and stained and was oh so proud of. No pictures, sorry! This was waaaaaayyy before my blogging started.

Since that project, there have been a few furniture projects off and on over the years. Recently, some curbside finds have re-sparked my love of refurbishing and reinventing furniture. Here is a look at some of the before-and-afters, with links to the full posts. (Warning - photo heavy post!)

These curbside finds were fun to play with:

a set of cheap drawers and a nightstand remade into a sofa table,


a poor, neglected table remade into a fun table for my hubs,


 and a cheap lamp table all gussied up with ORB and vintage sheet music.



Now that I was in the groove, I bought three pieces and rehabbed them. The first was a dresser for my brother:




Then came a dresser for myself:



And my latest was a not-so-awesome desk that turned out to be my absolute favorite. Here's what I started with:


A desk that had been sitting in a wet, moldy basement for probably 30 years and had something sitting on it that caused some damage to the top:



Lots of detail, a curvy top, and pretty feet hooked me immediately. The even better news was the missing handles were in one of the drawers, if I chose to use them. There was some veneer damage to the top, but a little wood putty took care of that. This desk was going to be black, and Martha Stewart's Francesca turned out to be the perfect choice. It's a soft black/darkest gray that's sooooo pretty! It's so pretty, the desk is now known as Francesca :)

After tons of sanding, the paint was rolled on with a foam roller and brushed out. A little distressing on the edges was all it needed. Then Francesca sat in the garage while I pondered the hardware issue. I just had to try to use this hardware but didn't want to spray paint it. That would look too new and perfect, and perfectly new doesn't work for Francesca. So I took some steel wool and baking soda to the hardware.


The photo above shows some of the detail this brought out. Well, since steel wool worked a little, what would a wire brush do?


Check out that hardware!! I'm in love and so glad I took the time to scrub them down! The original finish was so tarnished that none of the original silver showed through...and to think it almost got replaced.

Ok, Francesca's looking good...too good to go into this bedroom:


Hooooo-weeee! Look at that color! This room's color was a boo-boo that's been like this for 4 years :| The decision was instantly made to change all that in order to make my newly refurbished desk look spectacular. The color was one I had already tried out...in my office that is STILL in Gator colors:

It's the color on the right and left covering up the white/blue/orange. I have a remodel project holding up the repainting of this room...such a tease ;)
I used a primer/paint all-in-one, and since I knew it would cover that blue already, one gallon was all it took for the whole room - YAY!

Much better - even with the horrible light in this room.
NOW, my beautiful little Francesca could come into the house. The room is in-progress, but it's looking much, much better:


The light is so horrible in this room, no matter how many lights were turned on, lamps were lit, windows were opened, a good picture was nearly impossible...but every time I look at this desk, it makes me smile.





This has been a fun few months giving this furniture (and me) a chance at love the second time around. There are a few more furniture rehab projects in the works, but with the days getting shorter and colder, we'll see if any of them get done before winter.

What do you do when it's too cold to spray paint/paint outside??

Linking up here:


Junker Newbie's Would You Buy It Party
Knick of Time Tuesday Party

Boogieboard Cottage http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/Transformation ThursdaySomewhat SimpleHookingupwithHoHPhotobucketStuff and NonsenseThe Girl CreativeFurniture Feature Fridaysbutton+FTF.jpgPhotobucketFunky Junk's Saturday Nite SpecialUndertheTableandDreaming



34 comments:

  1. These are some awesome thrifty makeovers...love that hubs table and your desk. Thanks so much for coming to my party:)

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  2. Wow what amazing finds! I love the sofa table you made out of the nightstand and drawers! Very clever!

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  3. You are so productive, it's very inspiring! The desk is beautiful and painting the room to honor it was a great move! I've been known to do the same. ;p Found you on Soleil Selene. Your blog is adorable!

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  4. Jill, when it's too cold to spray paint outside, you 'bus out your Annie Sloan Chalk Paint or any other water based paint that is safe to use indoors. Plug in a portable heater, the kind that looks like an old fashioned radiator; they have a very slow but steady heat that will keep a small space warm. I bought mine at Walmart and it's safe enough to let run overnight as long as you keep it 3' away from anything.

    I had a small section of our garage framed out earlier this spring to extend the limited paint days here in Michigan.

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  5. You have been one busy lady! I am in love with the table you made for your husband. Great stuff!

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  6. Jill,
    I have a very similar desk that I painted white and left the top stained wood, now you've got me itching to repaint it black! It has the same hardware, which I love. You did an amazing job with it!

    Thanks for linking up to Knick of Ti
    makeover!!

    Angie @ Knick of Time Interiors
    http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com

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  7. Those are ALL amazing makeovers!!! Great job to you! Thanks also for following my blog, I'm your newest follower too :)

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  8. Love your furniture makeovers! Gives me much inspiration!

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  9. Great pics!! New follower through the Soleil Selene link up!

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  10. So impressed! I'm excited to get to know you here on your blog. I'm your newest follower from soleil selene.
    xo
    Andee

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  11. Awesome! The end results on all of them are BEAUTIFUL!

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  12. love your makeovers I also found a lamp table and you have given me some inspiration for it

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  13. I have that same desk & hardware, painted white in my daughter's room (as a dressing table). It looks stunning in black - you've done a wonderful job!

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  14. oh, boy, is this a great showcase of your fab design eye! i LOVE that desk!

    as for the dropping temps, i stick to water-based paints and have even dragged pieces up to our family room so i could cozy up to the family. drop cloths are your friends!!

    amy

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  15. That desk is amazing! Love what you did with the hardware. I'm a new follower.

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  16. ohhh my goodness. I am so so so inspired. I adore each of your projects and I have to say that the desk is AMAZING! I love the color that you used---I am going to have to go and pick up some of that one! And I think you did such a great job with cleaning up the hardware, good call! Goodness I just love it so so so much---I have been really wanting to paint something a dark black-ish color and now thanks to you I think I have the paint picked out! Thank you so so much for linking up at Crafty Scrappy Happy! I am your newest follower and friend!
    Jaime from crafty scrappy happy

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  17. I absolutely love these -- especially Francesca!

    Jenny
    www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

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  18. This is amazing! You did a great job!

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  19. That desk is lovely! Great job on repairing, painting and distressing it!

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  20. you've been a busy busy girl lately

    i adore your makeovers and am
    so glad you decided to link up to
    fridays unfolded!

    alison

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  21. New follower from Soleil Selene :) "Warning photo heavy post" Haha! I always warn them when I'm too wordy...which is most the time ;)

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  22. Girl, you have been busy! I love everything!
    Debbie

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  23. Wow you have put the "b" in the word busy :) I love your restyles. I plan on doing very small paint projects in the winter. I've been stashing away mirrors, frames, flower pots and old vases to restyle in the dreaded winter months, I plan on doing a little more sewing too. I'm your newest follower :)

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  24. That desk looks great! You sound like me when it comes to painting the room. I have had this school bus yellow in my living room & office area for at least 7 years--it is changing very, very soon. :) My hubby just found a vanity type desk that has the same hardware as your desk. It has mildew on it, so I was thrilled to hear that you cleaned the hardware with steel wool and baking soda--thanks for the tip! I am your newest follower. Hope you can visit me sometime too :)

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  25. Wow that was awesome redo overload! Great job! My favorite is the first desk with the numbers down the sides. It looks like something from Anthropology!

    PS I have a $50 cash giveaway going on at my blog till Monday. Come by when you have a chance! :)

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  26. Those drawers in your top project were a great find. You have been a furniture makeover machine!

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  27. Those are some great before and after photos! It's so rewarding to finish those projects, don't you think? And just think of the space we are saving in the landfills!

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  28. How fun you found those little drawers on the side of the road! They look awesome now! And I love your refinished desk! The hardware really pops off the black and it looks wonderful in your room!

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  29. Great projects, I love the hardware on the desk, it is so beautiful!

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  30. Love the desk makeover. It is so chic in black...and the hardware is awesome!

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  31. Great saves. Love the # desk. Thanks for sharing at Bacon Time :)

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  32. Hi Jill, what a beautiful job you have done with the desk. Hard to believe that it is the same one. Great job. I found and am following you through Bloggeritaville and hope to visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you could follow me also. I would love that. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris

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