...on the creative and colorful makeover.
TOOLS:
Citrus Strip
Paint stripping tool
Fine grain sandpaper
Medium size paintbrush
Paint
Screen
Screen Ink
Squeegee (for applying ink)
Scissors
Hot glue gun (to apply fabric)
Small-Bit Drill (to apply hardware)
Lacquer spray
Drop cloth
STEP BY STEP:
1. The process began by first removing the existing hardware and the chipped detail on the middle drawer.
2. Then, I stripped the topcoat paint using a truly amazing product called Citrus Strip. This biodegradable, non-toxic paint stripper sprays on bright orange, and after only 30 minutes, has turned the paint into a goopy, orange mush that is super-easy to clear away with a stripping tool.
3. Once the paint was stripped, revealing a deep walnut wood, I sanded down all the surfaces of the wood, removing any excess paint or Citrus strip still remaining.
4. The drawer frame and legs had become warped and slightly disjointed. To re-set the drawer frame, I wrapped the wood in wet towels, and then used heavy weights to effectively warp the wood back to its original shape. Using Gorilla Glue, I was able to re-joint the dovetails on the legs and main frame. Once the glue was dried, I sanded the excess down to create a seamless surface.
5. I wiped down the surface and began to paint with a flat acrylic latex wall paint, Benjamin Moore color Slate Blue. This is a bright, sky color, which looked great in a sample, but once applied to the entire surface of the desk appeared much to bright and pastel for my taste. So after careful consideration at the paint store, I returned with Benjamin Moore Philipsburg Blue (available in Color Sample size) and began to apply this color with light brush strokes across the entire surface. Another original idea I had was to paint the beveled edges of the desk with a metallic silver. After applying the trim, I decided it wasn't "popping out" as much as I had hoped, so I began to add more and more metallic silver to the entire surface. Before I knew it, the desk was entirely covered in metallic paint. So, using a fine grain sand paper, I began to sand down the surface, which revealed all three layers of paint, and leaving me with the entirely accidental final "pearlized" finish.
6. I had fallen in love with the image of the two gentleman in club chairs after discovering a great little book called "How to be Plump." The book is filled with many great Victorian etchings, and deals with our once-customary preference for being plump and eating well-rounded meals. The image on the top surface was then applied using basic silkscreening techniques (burning the image to a screen, applying ink, and screening directly onto the surface.) I also mixed some of the metallic paint in with the ink to achieve a matching pearl effect.
7. The office supply rack on the top-center of the desk is an old spice rack I found at a thrift store for about three dollars. I repainted the surface in black and slate blue. The drawer pulls are made from old typewriter keys. Each of the spice jars contains office supplies like paper clips, rubber bands, pens, and push pins.
8. The drawer hardware was purchased at Anthropology for about $20 (nearly the cost of the desk itself!) I also lined all the drawers with a blue, black, and gray plaid fabric I purchased from a fabric store.
9. The entire desk was finished with a lacquer spray to achieve it's reflective shine.
TOTAL COST:
Desk $20
Citrus Strip $11
Paint $25
Screen $18
Photo Emulsion FREE (supplied by local art center) Screen Ink $24 "How to be Plump" $3 Hardware $18 Fabric $2 per yard Lacquer $10
TOTAL COST: $131
TOTAL TIME SPENT: About two weeks
Thanks for sharing your project, Andrew!
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Comments (10)
Great job. The finished product is really nice. Love the images.
Just an FYI for new DIYers:
Since the desk was to be painted (rather than stained) it could have been sanded instead of stripped. Much easier and no chemicals! Because the desk is simple (no tiny crevices or fancy carving), an electric palm sander can often get the job done much faster and with much less work.
Also, wood will NEVER look the same after it has been chemically stripped. The chemicals alter the wood somehow, and it is just not the same. Obviously if you're painting, it doesn't matter. But if you plan to stain the item, it is something to consider. Sometimes it is better to sand, if possible.
beautiful refinish!! one Q: you said :
burning the image to a screen, applying ink, and screening directly onto the surface.
could you explain a bit further?? how do you burn the image to a screen? what kind of screen?
sorry i sense it's a basic Q, but i've never done it.
if i learn this, there's all kinds of things i can do around here.......
I'm interested in learning more about the screen printing process as well...
Ashley
rainycitystyle.blogspot.com
I really liked the aged character of the before desk, and thought the white would have worked better with the (really great) blue chair. nice printing, though.
wait, wait, wait....so he took that perfectly knocked-around white desk and painted it some weird blue color and then screenprinted it??? AND he removed the fantastic original hardware and replaced it with ugly drawer pulls from Home Depot?
i seriously don't get it.
also, why is there an armchair in front of it? it's seriously dwarfing the desk.
The end product is nice, but I liked it better before... more to taste, I guess. In fact, I liked it the most when it was all stripped down. Different strokes, as they say.
I liked it before too, but if it works better with his decor in it's new incarnation then more power to him. :)
i think it looks beautiful and stately. and i love the slight contrast of the chair's darker blue with the light blue of the desk, and the screenprint is wonderful!
i would have been very uncomfortable with the desk in its before phase; i need a nice smooth writing surface without bumps, chips or imperfections. i have a great deal of wood furniture in my home; about half is painted and half is not. in the end, it was whatever worked best for the piece, for the space, and for me - which is what makeovers of personal property should be about.
bromelia, can you explain your outrage over his choice to strip and paint? i would understand if he had been going around tagging furniture in museums with spray painted graffiti, but this seems like a marker of personal taste. i don't understand why that might be threatening.
STOP with the nastiness. If you haven't touched a piece, you can't really tell whether it can remain as is. A surface can look acceptable from afar or in a photo, but then ghave residue, or goop, or a rough bumpy surface that makes it impractible in its current state.
It's a shame. The before looked cool, and had a lot of character you can't buy. I like the thought of old shape mixed with something fun and more modern/eclectic (what i'm assuming you were going for with the unexpected screenprinting). However, I think the piece and you're end product would have been better served by maintaining the look of the original white desk. Then adding a more modern desk chair with it, like a 60's black and chrome chair. As well as a modern or eclectic lamp for the desk. Now that the desk has been changed, I would urge you to find another chair to go with it. Chair looks great, just not with that desk. The scale is way off, and not in a good/interesting way. It looks like a mistake. Good luck. You clearly have the energy and willingness for hard work. Maybe thinking more about the big picture of end product (look/accessories/placement/what goes with it) vs. what do i do with this single piece might save some work and have a more designed vibe.