A project for a friend

A friend of mine saw the desk I had made from the old door and asked if it would be possible to make a dining table in a similar way for her.   I jumped at the chance to create something unique.  I managed to again pick up a door via eBay that was taken from an old workers cottage.  It was made with tongue and groove and in good solid condition.  The door was a nice light latte colour which I though would look nice if a little was left after sanding to add character.  What I discovered when I started sanding was that there was at least three different layers and colours of paint underneath.  

The bottom layer was a dark teal blue which after hours of sanding still left the timber blue.  Hmmm.... I think I need a belt sander.  I could now see some of the lovely grain in the timber however when I wet it to see what it would look like with a clear varnish, it came up a peachy pink.  Not quite what I had envisioned.
So I decided to pay a visit to the hardware store and pick up some stain.  I chose a walnut stain as I think it was nice rich colour.  I used a similar method to what I did with the bookshelves utilising some white and grey water based paint with a dry brush to create the aged affect. 

I finally finished sanding the door and although it looked a little blue I thought it would come up ok one I added the stain and paint.

I now needed to select some legs.  To continue with the industrial feel to the table I thought metal legs would suit best.  We toyed with the idea of using galvanised piping for the legs however some of the parts proved difficult to source and the cost was building up quickly.   In the end we went with some square brushed steel legs which looked good and were simple to fit and nice and strong.

This how the table looked in my friend's home.  I think it looks great with the Tolix chairs.

The study nook

Ok.. so with the desk completed I needed to sort out some storage. Hmmm... shelving was the answer but having never fitted shelves before I didn't want to over complicate things. I discovered some shelving in a hardware store that seemed simple to fit.  I needed some timber for the shelving and after hunting a couple of demolition stores, gumtree, ebay and kerb side pick up I ended up settling with some pine from a hardware store. This was a bit disappointing but at this stage I don't have the tools to cut hardwood or the skills.  To add character to the timber I stained it with a walnut stain and using some grey and white water based paint gave it an aged look.  A couple of hours with a tape measure, spirit level and a brand new drill I managed to fit the shelving ...and it was level!  I also fitted some little wire baskets for my jars of stationary supplies and notepads. All that remained was giving my vintage metal filing cabinet a new coat of paint.  I chose a teal colour for the cabinet which worked really nicely with the coffee coloured drawers.

Now for the fun part, putting it all together.  After adding all of my storage containers, in-trays, red headlight lamp, my mother's old typewriter and other stationary suppliers,  it was complete. Yay!!!

New Projects

Well it's been a while since I've taken the time to dive into another project. Over the past few months though I have had the opportunity to finish a couple of things. I picked up some old school desks and have given new life to one of them.  As it had a laminex top I decided to use chalkboard paint on the top which I thought would add a fun element. I then spray painted the legs a spunky red to give it some colour. Finally I also added a little bit of stenciling to give it some more personality.

I have two more little desks to so so I might do a little more experimenting with the other tow.  This little desk has now gone to a new home to be cherished.

Another project for the house I am working on is our study nook.  We have two alcoves next to each other in the house which I'm not really sure were designed for.  I think they would make a perfect study nook and built-in bookcase.  So that the filing cabinet fits in the nook as well I decided to make a new desk.  I really liked what I have been seeing on Pinterest in regards to upcycling an old door and re-purposing it into a desk/table.  I managed to pick up an old door taken from a Queenslander that someone was selling on line.  It was covered in a dark brown paint and when I started to sand it back I discovered lots of character underneath.  I kept some of the metal work, including a hinge and a keyhole plate which I placed on the top when I had finished.  I had to cut the door down so it would fit perfectly into the nook.  Once I had sanded enough of the paint I polished up the timber with some cabinet maker's wax.  I love hairpin legs however wasn't able to find any second hand on line or at a reasonable price new.  I ended up getting these hairpin style legs with castors, which were relatively easy to fit. Here is what I ended up with.

I am really happy with the result.