Before we dive into our recent office progress, we just wanted to send out a heartfelt thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments on yesterday’s announcement. To say that it has been completely surreal and that we’re so grateful are two of the biggest understatements we could make. But back to the office.
You might remember on our initial planning post, we left off saying “We’re still letting the concept simmer in our heads, but we’re fairly confident that we’ll start heading in that last layout’s direction since it feels like it makes the most sense for the way we work.”
We still wanted to tape things off on the floor to really get a feel for things, and after 700+ comments rolled in with ideas and suggestions, we had fun mulling over every last alternative. After a whole lot of thinking (and debating, and sketching, and standing in the room with tape lines all over the floor) we decided:
- an optimal layout would be some sort of floating double desk so we could both be in the middle of the room, instead of sitting right against the wall (we both would have window views, and would prefer to orient it so nobody has their back to the door)
- a meeting table in the office would make that the third room on our first level with a table in the middle of it, so although there was some initial embarrassment at the thought of holding meetings in our blue-trimmed dining room, we’re planning to redo that shortly, so it makes sense to let it multitask. It honestly might get more use for meetings than formal dinners anyway – plus we won’t have to worry if our office is a mess before meetings
- a craft/photography zone would still be most useful right in the office – and would most likely work best against the back wall of the room since the sunlight can’t stretch that far (that’s where John has been sitting/working for the last nine months)
So with those three slow realizations (sometimes it takes us a while to get there…) we determined this layout might give us more function (and less wall-staring time) than the one we were initially leaning towards in our last office planning post.
We even dragged the comically small desk into the middle of the room just to picture things a little better. We both LOVED being sort of cradled by the bay window, and sitting in the middle of the room, so it confirmed that we were finally on the right path. Psst- the plants are fiddle leaf figs from Home Depot (on sale for $59 with a 1 year warranty) so here’s hoping I can keep them among the living…
Ever since we’ve been keeping an eye out for something to use as a double desk that could float in the room. We assumed we’d need to adapt it in some way to make it wider or longer to accommodate two people, but we knew a good solid piece would be just the “bones” we’d need to begin, so we’ve been hitting up thrift stores, checking out craigslist and freecycle, and even the occasional yard sale (theeeeeey’re staaaaarting up again guys! hooray spring!). After at least eight failed missions/searches, this nice big, packed with storage, solid wood desk popped up on craigslist as a curb alert.
It was sheer luck that I saw it about twenty minuntes after it was initially posted (free curb alert items don’t usually last long) and it was even better luck that it happened to be a Wednesday, because on a weekend I think it would have been gone in a minute. We dropped Clara off with John’s parents so we could fold down the seats to make room for something big, and raced over to the curb… hoping to see something on it.
Oh happy day, we made it! And it fit into the car by about two inches (if the legs weren’t removable it would have been too tall).
There might have been happy tears from this highly emotional pregnant lady. I also cry during commercials and the occasional youtube video about puppies.
Anyway, once at home we set it up on a dropcloth with four small pieces of wood under it to lift it up a few inches off the ground. The drawers were still out from our travels, and the other side was a cabinet with a faux-drawer front. There was even a pull-out thing on the right.
It was pretty beat up, so we were glad we were both sold on painting it white from the start.
We’ve been craving a clean/light/airy office from day one (we have dark walls in our bedroom, and more planned for the dining room across the hall from the office – but we always envisioned a light and bright work space). So although we LOVE a good old piece of furniture that’s unpainted, like our media cabinet, which we just cleaned up and brought back to its original beauty with a combination of this method and this method; and Clara’s dresser, which we just stained with a painted top; and this hand-me-down dresser from John’s dad that now lives in our closet…
… painting the desk a no-brainer thanks to the combination of more wear and tear along with our desire for a clean and light office.
We also removed all the hardware, drawers, and doors to prep it. That’s when we saw this tag with the maker’s info. Doesn’t “Administrator TM” sound official? I loved squinting at the old drawer lock that said 1968 (it kinda looks like 1999 in in this picture, but up close it’s definitely ’68). In fact in googling around for “Alma Administrator Desk 1968” I found one (albeit in a lot better shape) on eBay for $1000! Is that crazy or what?
How cool is this world we live in, where people leave things they no longer want on the curb and they just might happen to be exactly what someone else is looking for.
I’m sentimental these days, huh? It’s just a desk.
Anyway, next up was the “remove all the other random stuff” stage. This included using a straight razor to scrape off some paint blobs, weird raised areas of glue, and some old tape that had been stuck to the surface.
Then it was sanding time, so John donned a mask (sanding old wood can be particularly dusty) and used our hand sander to really rough things up.
Once it had all been sanded down, we applied wood putty in a few spots, just to fill in the divots and low points. We sanded those areas again when they were fully dry, and we were good to go.
Next I wiped it down with liquid deglosser, just to remove any leftover sawdust or grease/build-up that might be lurking. Then John broke out the Kilz Premium primer and applied one thin and even coat with a small foam roller. It’s what we used to paint our kitchen cabinets, which didn’t give us any issues with bleed.
One coat only took about an hour, and we did the back and fronts of the cabinet door, and the fronts of the drawers (so we left the interior of the cabinets and the drawers wood, which we did in our last office as well).
Before painting it, we decided it was probably smart to bring it into the house so we didn’t risk dinging up our paint job by moving it afterwards. We used the same dolly that came in handy for getting the fridge on the back porch a few weeks ago but this time John and I got ‘er done. The dolly did all the heavy lifting, so John pulled and I just sort of steered it, opened various doors, and made sure we weren’t hitting anything or falling off the front pathway while we pulled it along.
Once inside, we set up the same drop cloth + four scrap pieces of wood system to slightly lift the desk off the floor and used the same BM Simply White Advance paint that we used for the upper cabinets in the kitchen (it’s self leveling and specifically made for painting cabinetry or furniture). Once again we applied it with a small foam roller – using a small angled brush to get into some of the areas a roller wouldn’t reach, and then rolling over them as much as we could to blend everything together.
John did the first coat, and tagged me to do the second one the next day. If you can imagine, I looked even less graceful doing this part. Thankfully there is zero photographic evidence.
It just took those two coats to get it covered, and the following day I applied some satin Safecoat Acrylacq to the desktop just to seal everything and give it added protection – once again with a small foam roller (I did two thin coats).
We also decided to have some fun with the legs and the handles by painting the wood parts the same Simply White color as the desk itself, but once that dried we taped off the freshly painted parts (or disassembled the handles) so the old silver metal could get a subtle metallic-champagne color (I used Champagne Mist by Rustoleum).
It definitely has that light/airy office vibe going on now.
You can catch a glimpse of the legs in this photo.
Overall, we’re really happy with how it came out. Especially since it was a free secondhand find, which means we can put more money towards other things we want to do in here – like window treatments, an awesome overhead light, storage systems, nice new office chairs, etc.
So here’s how the room is looking now:
With more of a handle on our layout, we’re excited to move on to other steps, like painting the office (so far we’ve only done the trim) and working out how we’re going to make a wall of organization (we’re planning to use the wall behind this shot, since it’s hidden from the foyer (that way the room won’t look messy even if our command center gets chaotic).
As for adapting the desk to work for two people, we think it’ll be a pretty simple cut-a-hole-in-the-back-and-trim-it-out process, and we might add a wider top down the line (wouldn’t soapstone be cool?). But we didn’t want to rush into that just in case over the next few weeks as this room comes together we change our mind and want a single desk for some reason (with another desk area somewhere else). So we’re resisting the urge to rush into any decisions that we can’t undo, like cutting this baby open.
Update: Apparently using laptops for scale would have been helpful to show how two people can easily fit at this desk (it’s 34″ wide and would be 38″ if we added some sort of counter with a 2″ overhang) so here’s that pic for you guys! Our first house’s double desk was 18″ deep, and we each had ample rooms for legs and computers, so we think this plan should work well – but of course we’ll keep you posted!
What secondhand finds have you guys been hunting down lately? Have you ever actually gotten in on a curb alert before someone beat you to it? This was our very first time. Gotta say, I liked it. I liked it a lot.
PS: Wanna see another desk makeover? Check out the DIY herringbone pattern we painted on another thrift store desk.
grace says
love the desk. have you guys thought about doing another budget/saving post? I would love to hear about your goals/purchases, especially with the new baby on the way. Are you still aiming to own your house free & clear by 40? Did you buy this car in cash too? How are you saving for your second phase projects? I find your budgeting posts so motivating :)
YoungHouseLove says
That would be a fun post! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo
s
Jamie D says
I second this request!
Diana says
I second this post idea…love budgeting ideas!
Crystal says
i’m sorry i haven’t been able to forget reading this comment from a few days back – i love your budget posts too – for the little tips that could be manageable for your whole audience – but please don’t tell us in post that you’re going to pay your house off by the time your 40 or if you bought your 30k plus car in cash. who wouldn’t want to do that if they could? but lots of us can’t for whatever reason in life that is how things roll and we do the best we can with what we got and being reminded that someone who seems just like us has been so much smarter, luckier, etc in life just stinks (i mean i feel a personal connection to you guys and think of you as friends not financial advisors and i draw the line on what i know about my friends financial situations).
i’m really happy for your successes and you’ve certainly been smart about life but can we just keep some secrets too?
Olivia says
Wow what a transformation!!!
Lindsay says
I love this! The dipped legs look! And the color!
Jean (@notSupermum) says
Green with envy. That is all.
Sara says
Looks so awesome!
Meghan Lopus says
What app do you use to get free curb alerts? That is such a nice feature. I have the Craig’s List app? Thanks! Awesome desk by the way!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s called something like cPro or something. Will have to look it up and share more info – maybe in a post about favorite home apps I use.
xo
s
janice says
you had me at ‘curb alert’. How do I sign up????
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a term I search on Craigslist (people leave stuff outside they don’t want).
xo
s
Brooke says
Cutting a hole in the back would be a great fix, and you may also look and see if you could remove the backing on the cabinet to make it two-way as well. I love the idea of soapstone, I’ve craved it for years myself. Have you seen the “diy” soapstone tutorials out there? It seems that waxed chalkboard paint mimics the look pretty well, so you could always try that out on the top to see how you feel about it.
Curbside finds are the best. I hate when towns make it illegal to go “curb shopping”. My old town did, but basically everyone flouted the law, and a friend of mine had quite a little side gig selling her free, fixed up curb finds!
YoungHouseLove says
Will have to check out those soapstone posts! Thanks!
xo
s
Reshma Sanjeev says
Desk looks so good in white paint. I have my finds from Craigslist and Thrift stores but you guys finish the work that your finds look brand new.
Beth says
Can I tell how awesome it is that yesterday you posted that you are going to be selling products at TARGET and today you are almost equally thrilled about getting a free desk. I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true! We are an excitable bunch.
xo
s
Natalie says
I think the office needs to be Knoxville gray now. All that glorious light and the white furniture…. It’s be fabulous!
Reshma Sanjeev says
Alexis, You stole my thought….playing footsies while working and when doing some serious work.
Alexis says
If you guys cut out the back, you can play footsies under the desk while you work ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Bow chicka bow wow ;)
xo
s
maureensimpson29 says
ha ha ha nice
sally G says
This layout feels great. I’m excited to see how it shapes up. :)
Kimbre B says
Where do you guys buy your Safecoat Acrylacq??? I couldn’t find it at Home Depot. Is that an online purchase or somewhere local to you? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We used to get it from a local shop but they closed so now we order it online. The container lasts forever so it’s not too bad.
xo
s
Jasmine says
I haven’t read all of the comments so I’m not sure if it was already suggested, but have you guys thought about making the craft/storage area against the wall counter height? So you could stand while brainstorming things or if there is some project spread out & the kids are in the room no ones ‘sticky’ fingers can pull things off:) I have a 1 & 3 year old so anything within grabbing reach is fair game with them!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s another great possibility! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo
s
kathyg says
THIS is a very interesting idea! At least the way it’s being pictured in my mind it is …
AND that the other craft corner table be at counter/standing height. That could look really cool in that corner.
Cynthia in Delaware says
Love how you have salvaged this aging beauty. Just thinking that it could be fun and modern to add a round or oval standing desk on casters that would skim above the surface/overlap the other desk a bit. It’d subtly mimic your bay window and you could always add a barstool if standing’s not your thing. It’s going to be a gorgeous room!
YoungHouseLove says
Never even thought of that!
xo
s
Annie T says
That’s gorgeous! You really can repurpose so much with surface refinishing and detail upgrades. You guys always inspire me to take a second look at what I have and find a way to update it rather spend money on something new.
The layout of the room seems perfect and I’m itching for plants with a one year return policy! Not very green thumb-ish myself…
P.S. Yay for the Target line! It’s amazing!
P.S.S. Awww you posted the striped wall pic I sent! I actually think I like the lighter wallpaper the best. That room just looks so pretty with texture and pattern.
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Annie!
xo
s
Val says
I love the desk, the deal and the transformation! Great work and lovely choice of champagne for the metal accents.
Your fiddle leaf figs are beautiful. You might find it useful to place rolling stands on the bottom of each pot. That way you can easily turn the plants or switch their positions for even growing in the sunny room. Also, if Clara wants her own fiddle leaf fig, I got a six inch plant for $3.99 on Amazon.
YoungHouseLove says
Such great tips! Thanks Val!
xo
s
GreenInOC says
@Val, could you post a link to the 6″ fiddle leaf fig on Amazon? I can’t find it and now I want one!
pam in illinois says
Love the desk. Have you considered opening up a space in the back for another chair to fit in? Probably wouldn’t take much.
I still like the whole wall option the best. But, you guys know best what you need.
pam
YoungHouseLove says
That’s the plan! Will definitely keep you posted!
xo
s
Janette@ The 2 Seasons says
We had that very desk but gave it away. Heads up on the possibility of soapstone for the top. Although it would look awesome, you have to oil it about every two weeks so it won’t turn a dingey gray. We had it in our master bath in our last house, and it was great there. It might not work in an office where you’ll have papers lying around. The oil residue (you can’t get it all wiped off) would soak into the papers/books, etc. Black honed granite, which we have in this house, works better. It’s a similar look without the upkeep.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo
s
Alix says
One of my favourite updates from you guys to date. Amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Akix!
xo
s
Jennie says
Love this! I’m curious, what’s your plan for charging computers, etc. aka getting power to the middle of the room without tripping hazards?
YoungHouseLove says
We want to add a floor outlet like we have seen in newer offices. Apparently it’s pretty simple and inexpensive. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Jil says
I love it. But being so handy, I thought you were going to do more to it. Like open the back so both of you could seat without adding more surface to it (if there is leg room) and switching the left side drawers to the back so both of you have a set of drawers. I love all your decorating style.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out the last few paragraphs of the post for that info :)
xo
s
Lori says
If anyone in Portland, OR, wants that exact desk, I have one sitting in my garage! It’s been waiting for garage sale season since it doesn’t fit in our tiny office…
Mikki says
I LOVE IT! You know, don’t cut a hole in the back, what if you added a larger top width wise that hung over the back by a foot or more and then added the longer version of the same legs to the front corners of the new top? This would create an open space underneath, sort of like in a kitchen with stools effect. This way you can avoid permanent change to the desk but still provide legroom on the opposite side and a bit more work space. You could relly use whatever type of top you’d like.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s definitely an alternate possibility we’ve been debating! Didn’t want to rush into cutting in case we go that way ;)
xo
s
Maggie @ Maggie Overby Studios says
I thought the same thing Mikki
Holly says
Nothing like the first Craigslist deal… I’ve gotten some free stuff and some really expensive stuff for dirt cheap. Super exciting :) I have to say after the white paint looks amazing on it!
Richelle B says
Awesome find, I love the way the handles turned out.
Kaitlyn says
GAH! It turned out so beautiful! I am dying over the legs. They’re gorgeous!
Amber says
It looks great! And free is pretty sweet! I wonder if you could cut the backside out so it’s open from both sides?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s one thing we’re debating (check out the last few paragraphs of the post :)
xo
s
Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says
Love it. Love it, love it, love it. And I love that you put it in the middle. I just wasn’t happy thinking about you guys staring at the wall all day.
Amber says
haha oops, I realized you are already planning to cut the backside out.
Jenny says
You guys, it looks amazing!! Free CL finds are the BEST. We just got a campaign dresser for free, initially because we wanted the hardware for our kitchen. Then we realized we needed more storage in our daughters room in the meantime, so I painted it with a gallon if robins egg blue “oops” paint I got at HD for about $7. It looks amazing! Also have a free CL pair of vintage night stands in our garage with a leftover wood shelf spanning them as a work surface. Love Craigslist! xox
Sayward says
Yes!!!!!! This is awesome. I just picked up some champagne mist to coat an old brassy thrift store lamp. May the weather be ever in my favor…
Sam F says
Totally love where this is heading….the bright white, the big green plants, and champagne metal accents–so pretty!
Ashley says
This is so so good- so so so so fabulous!!! I love curb alerts! I’m pretty excited to see the desk with the other side cut out. Love it!
Jill says
If it’s comfortable to work at, I’d say the desk looks the perfect width as is, bec it looks the same width as the flat part of your bay window.
Laurie says
I love the desk. It looks amazing and I can’t believe you got it for free! I like the white paint, it makes the room feel so airy and bright. My latest score: An armoire with louvered doors and two drawers. I got it on 50% off Saturday at Goodwill for $20. I painted it white, then applied a black glaze on the tops of the louvers and the rims of the drawers and the crown molding top. I wiped it off to leave a faint trace of the glaze to make it look aged. I already had the paint and glaze so it was a cheap project. While I was working on it in my driveway, several people stopped and asked if I would sell it. My best offer was $300 but I said no. I saw the very same armoire in the “after reveal” on an episode of Buying and Selling With the Property Brothers. For $20 and a couple hours of elbow grease, I have a gorgeous piece.I put it in my guest room that I am in the process of re-decorating. It is one of my favorite things in my house.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Nichole K says
I love this transformation! I wasn’t sold on the wall-to-wall desk option because I thought you’d get tired of staring at a wall (and I hate having my back to a door too). This is a great solution! Can’t wait to see how you modify it for two people. And I agree that playing footsie while working is a bonus ;)
Danielle says
I bought a fiddle leaf fig from HD last year and sadly killed it. I returned it to HD with my receipt under the 1 year warranty and they would only give me store credit since it was over 90 days.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! I’m sure we could spend a credit there like cash though, so it’s no too bad. Mainly I don’t want to murder these guys. I’m skeered, but so far they seem happy in the sunny corner. Just have to remember to water them.
xo
s
GumTreeGirl says
That is a great find. I was wondering what app you used to get alerts like this. Is there an app or is that just the smartphone version of craigslist?
YoungHouseLove says
The name is something weird like cPro. I’ve been planning to write a post about the home apps I use, so I’ll have to get on that!
xo
s
Katie says
Hi!
I cannot find my post or you response lol…I was just inquiring about the brand of paint used…I know it is Adavance paint, just would like to know where it is from as well!!! Thx so much! Love the desk!! Looks wonderful…the champagne accents are my fav!
Katie
YoungHouseLove says
I think that’s on the first or second page of comments for ya, but it’s Advance paint by Ben Moore (usually sold anywhere they sell BM paint – here in RVA we go to a local place called Virginia Paint).
xo
s
Maggie says
I so need you guys to come help me with my house! I live in Louisiana, will bribing you with good food help??? Seriously though, LOVE YOU GUYS! Thanks for all the inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Good food? I’m in.
xo
s
Heather says
The champagne details are blowing my mind…I didn’t even know that existed. It totally MAKES the desk. Love!
Marianne in Mo. says
Lucky you! That desk came out awesome! A suggestion for your floor outlet – you may ask the guys at the homearama if they are interested in a side job. (Don’t ask the boss man though!) We do that often, and get the quality work at a lower price. Got our patio poured for less than $100 (minus the concrete), and our neighbor got roofers to clean out his three story gutters for $50. (The offer of beer was sometimes injected too) Also have had plumbing and drywall work done too. Told ya, my DH is squeaky-cheap! When we built our house, we had floor outlets added, and they charged us $100 each, to give you a reference. The fixture is obviously more pricy than a standard outlet. But they are the best with our open floor plan house!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, you got the hookup! All this snow is slowing down showhouse progress so it’s all hands on deck these days.
xo
s
Sally G. says
Awesome! I might have to travel south for a furniture thrifting excursion – I never find anything this good in NoVA!
Susan Z.F. says
The desk looks great and I love the new layout which should be more conducive to your work habits/lifestyle.
Question — did you do anything to freshen up/clean up the inside of the drawers? Have seen many an old desk that could be rescued with sanding/painting but the interiors of the drawers are always so beat up that I just pass them by. Is there any way to spruce them up without replacing all the drawer bottoms?
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m a fan of wiping them down with vinegar and putting some baking soda in a bowl in them to absorb any odors.
xo
s
Jackie says
Hi,
I’m a little confused as to how you’ll add to the top of the desk – not good at imagining this stuff! Do you mind elaborating on this idea? Would it remain one piece or be two pieces?
Given John’s height, I think it would be cool if the addition to the desk you add is taller (as in, make levels) so that his legs fit under it more comfortably – or maybe it’d be stool height for Sherry. Some tall people use a standing desk since it’s more comfortable. It would also make a seam or addition to the desk look a bit more deliberate. Sort of like combining a traditional double desk plan with the this desk:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fkUrZDqOjzs/S_wC9wTseDI/AAAAAAAACsc/HRBAZewbc0o/s1600/PBdesk1.jpg
You could then add some kind of shelves for the other person on their side?
Best,
Jackie
YoungHouseLove says
That’s definitely a possibility! Thanks for the ideas, guys. We are still percolating a bunch of ways we could extend the desk (and add legs or storage, etc) so when we research/plan things more and settle on a workable plan we’ll share every detail.
xo
s
Meredith says
Another idea for the desk, in lieu of cutting the backside – maybe a drop leaf extension attached to the backside, so that you could collapse it down when not in use? I guess that would only really make sense if you’re not both working simultaneously. You could always add a little cubby or shelf at the end of the desk facing the window for a little extra hidden storage for the person who doesn’t get the drawers. I love the white and champagne combo!
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else said that too! Such a fun option!
xo
s
GreenInOC says
I would do the drop leaf extension but on the sides so that it doesn’t interfere with leg room and the cabinet but can easily be pulled up for meetings, when more space is needed or when the kiddos want to “work” with Mom and Dad!
Trisha Purdon says
Sherry, I was wondering if you are still using your old bottle of NEXT Deglosser for the desk? I tried to buy some and it turns out it is discontinued by the manufacturer. I am pregnant too, and plan on painting the real wood paneling on the walls of the soon to be nursery, but am having trouble finding any option that is low VOC and safe for this preggo woman to use. Either way, heads up about the NEXT deglosser. I about cried.. it might have been hormones…
YoungHouseLove says
I heard that too! So sad! I found an old remnant bottle while cleaning the garage but once it’s gone I have no idea what I’m going to do.
xo
s