Wednesday, January 29, 2014

taking it old school


I have had this lovely vintage school desk sitting in my garage since last summer, when a friend of mine let me rescue it from her parent's yard, where it was just begging to be given some TLC.
Yes.
Since last Summer.
Give me a break, okay? I've been lazy busy.
But, finally, FINALLY, I decided I couldn't stand it taking up room in our garage anymore and I had to get it finished before this little baby girl makes her appearance.


The first step was obviously all the prep work, you know, the "unfun" part: first, I had to sand all the wood down; then I cleaned everything with diluted vinegar; lastly I had to tape all the wood off so I could spray paint all the metal. That part probably took the longest, but once that was all finished I was able to give it three light coats of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover in Seaside.
After letting the paint dry overnight, I could get started on re-staining the wood table top and seat. I picked Minwax Polyshades Honey in Gloss, which I already had leftover from another project. I love the Polyshades stain because you don't have to completely sand or strip the wood down before you use it. 

I am in love with the contrast of the bright, new looking aqua metal base against the antique, natural wood tone. I could have sanded all the wood down more, treated it with a wood conditioner before staining it, tried to erase all the imperfections; but I think that's what's so great about it. I love all the scratches and dents that stand out even more now that the stain has settled down into them.

11 comments:

  1. Love it! The new color totally pops! :)
    ~MB
    www.ArtandSoulLiving.com

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  2. What a cool project! I love how it turned out and that color blue is gorgeous!!

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  3. That is adorable--I love old school stuff, and this desk is just awesome. The blue is gorgeous!

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    Replies
    1. I ADORE old desks and it looks just perfect in his room!

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  4. I love the color! I've been wanting to find a vintage school desk like this for my daughter.

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    1. Just keep looking, you'll find them in the oddest places!

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  5. Yes!!! I have a desk I need to re-do, pinning!

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  6. This is cute! I love how you kept the original top and did NOT paint over it! Love it!

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