Office Makeover

When my husband went into business for himself he needed a desk. I found this one at a local antique store. It's made of quarter sawn oak, has dozens of compartments, and is as sturdy as an Army tank.

After ten years of wear and tear, it was still looking pretty good but the color of the oak didn't fit with the finish of my new dark walnut buffet (which I love). Heavy sigh...another project. It's called the "snowball effect" people....refinishing one thing always leads to another in this house!

I've been dragging my feet on this one because refinishing oak can be tricky! I always struggle to get the stain dark enough for my liking. This time I think I may have figured out a way around the problem, not a solution mind you...but a BandAid at least. First I stripped and sanded down the surface.

 
Then to get the oak dark enough I stained it with dark walnut followed by a mixture of Tudor and Bombay Mahogony from the Minwax Polyshades line. Polyshades are a one-step wood stain and polyurethane finish that essentially sit on the surface rather than absorbing into the wood (thus the ability to make the oak appear darker). I finished the process by giving the desk top two coats of Spar urethane. After the fact I found this post on staining stubborn oak and may just have to try it out in the future if I can find the brand. Until then, I will use my BandAid.

With to the top finished, I decided to paint the bottom of the desk with ASCP Graphite and clear wax as well as the cupboard above it. I simply didn't have the time, patience, or will power to strip, stain, and varnish both pieces. I had one weekend, no more.

Here are pictures of the final products.

Better, don't you think?

Wait, don't answer that! LOL!

 

I know there are a lot of wood lovers out there who think 

painting quarter sawn oak is a crime. 

Please don't fret! I have plenty of unpainted wood in my house;) Plenty!

Besides, I love the contrast between the finished oak and paint. 

We'll just have to agree to disagree. K?

I had picked up a ladder shelf at a second hand store recently with the sheer intention 

of refinishing and reselling it. Then I realized it would go great with the new desk. Score!

 I kept the original hardware. Love the wooden shell handles;)

They go with that 'South Carolina' feel I am going for in our sunroom/office.

I had my husband add a piece of galvanized sheet metal 

to the back of the cabinet that sits above the desk.

We actually found the cupboard in one of Herb's barns after we first moved to the farm.

It will always have a place in our house.

I love the modern element the magnet board and metal chairs bring to the room.

The colors of my house are progressively leaning toward shades of brown, grey, and blue with a pop of green here and there. Why? Because collectively they make a very neutral, subdued pallet. My husband needs neutral. Apparently I'm not the minority here because these are the tones I see repeatedly in magazines. Go figure!

 

As always thanks for reading 13CCF. I hope you've found some inspiration!

~Wendy