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.
Laura says
The desk looks great! What if you added some color or wallpaper to the side of the desk that faces the door? That way when you walk in, you see a pop of fun color right there. Just an idea. Congrats on the Target line. That’s fantastic! :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! I think once we layer in things like art, curtains, and a rug we’ll see if we want more color/pattern in other places. Ack, I can’t wait for that stage. Finishing touches = my jam.
xo
s
rachel says
I’m a big fan of white, and I’m not overly sentimental about wood, so I give you a thumbs up for your decision to paint the desk!
Last week you posted a picture of a fiddle leaf fig that was much, much shorter, but in the same planter. (In the post about painting the office.) Did it shoot up three feet in one week, or do you have three fiddle leaf figs? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! That’s my little guy from Ikea. He moved to the corner of the kitchen for now, and the big daddies from HD took over the office…
xo
s
Deborah Mickler says
Hi Sherry and John,
A quick comment..just my take on the desk…And I have to say that I did not read all comments so this may have been addressed.
Since the front of the desk is what could and should add a layer of interest to the room it is a shame that it cannot be seen from the foyer. My thought is that as it is set up now the most interesting part of the piece can only been seen if one walks on the right side of the room when entering from the foyer. (That is, if I understand the layout.) Honestly, some things just weren’t meant to be and I am thinking that this desk in the middle of the room is one of those. Please forgive my frank opinion. Have you thought about a larger table top with the piece de resistance being fabulous interesting legs (not heavy, just fab) that would anchor the room and be seen from any angle? Just a though.
Love your blog. And I am older than your average fan. I see myself a few years ago. Well, more than a few. And I see my son and daughter-in-law wrestling with the same design decisions that you two are making. For those of us who were born loving home design, it is truly a satisfying way to spend time. I do think it is so interesting how decorating is cyclic. A few years ago everyone thought their neighbors would talk about them if they did not banish all brass/gold from their homes. Now it is back…and beautiful. As is wallpaper, pineapples, etc., etc. Such fun.
Deborah
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the thoughts, Deborah! We’re definitely still percolating other options and ideas – so we’ll keep you posted as the room comes together!
xo
s
Erin says
I think you guys got the 2 best fiddle lea figs at Home Depot! I was just there yesterday (at the one by Skyzone), and there were only 2 left, and both looked kinda sad :-(. Been looking for one for our den for awhile now – good to know about the warranty though!
Cherise says
Well look at that. That EBay desk is sitting in our garage collecting dust. Husband nabbed it from the trash pile from the office next door to his. Nice refinishing job!
Giordi Y. says
Oh! How I love it! We also found an old 50’s dresser on the side of the road when I was pregnant that I love. In fact, my crazy hormonal pregnant state may be why I have such an attachment to it still.
I was coming back from a retirement party with friends when I saw it. We weren’t going to get it into my friends convertible so I rushed home and practically dragged my husband way out in the country to get it. There was no sign but it was out from any houses and the legs were broken. I tried knocking on doors to see if it was available. But since no one answered, I took it as a message from the heavens that it should be mine. I figure anyone who would leave such a great piece out in the rain doesn’t deserve it anyway.
Lucinda says
I’m surprised to not see an option with two desks parallel to the back wall but facing out to the windows/rest of the room…that way you could both look out all windows and watch the kid(s) color/play/hang out.
YoungHouseLove says
We did a bunch of taping/floor plans with two things floating in the room and they just felt like a lot (we seem to gravitate towards one large item, whether it was that initial meeting table or the double desk that we’re leaning towards now). I think we have seen how Clara likes some floor space to play, and with another kiddo coming we hope to use that area for the little guy as well.
xo
s
Joanna says
I was so suprised that you didn’t cut the panel off on the other side. A partners’ desk is a wonderful solution for the office.
YoungHouseLove says
We mentioned that plan in the bottom few paragraphs of the post :)
xo
s
Ashley says
So glad you guys decided on a floating desk for your office! I opted for a floating desk in my home office about a year ago, with a wall of storage cubbies on the only wall without windows/doors. You’re going to love it!
Jessica says
I was so excited when I read this post because I have (almost) the same desk. Then I read through the comments and I feel less special because a bunch of other people have it too. =(
But yours is backwards…haha. My drawers are on the left and typewriter thingy is on the right. Mine was also free–it was given to me by an old boss.
Its much deeper than the typical modern desk, so I can totally see the two of you using it at the same time.
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! Desk twins. Or maybe we’re all Desk Sextuplets?
xo
s
Kathleen says
That desk made me totally nostalgic – my parents had one with that pull-out shelf – it popped up so that you could use a typewriter that was on it.
Try explaining that to Clara…..
YoungHouseLove says
Ours had that feature (we can still see the springs) but it doesn’t seem to be operational anymore. Sounds like fun!
xo
s
kim says
the desk looks great, who would have thought. BUT I still like the wall to wall office better.
caroline [the diy nurse] says
No freakin way! I can’t believe someone would throw out a perfectly good WOODEN desk!!! We found one while thrifting that was pretty similar this weekend. It even had the slide out part to write on and I couldn’t believe it was only $100- and I thought that was a steal!
I love the bright and airy look in here. It will really help with photoshoots [especially having that white desk as a backdrop for small projects]. Can’t wait to see a paint color!
Dana Sheridan says
Love the find! I wonder, with the desk in the center of the floor, are you going to embed some floor outlets for your laptops?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’d love to add those! Will share all the details when we get there.
xo
s
Lee Ann says
Ok, seriously? I think y’all could take a brown paper bag and make it look amazing! J.E.A.L.O.U.S.
Lori Reed says
Thanks to you (and inspiration from the twin cabinets in Baby Barnee’s room )I scored at the thrift store…two narrow matching cabinets now flank my twin trundle bed. Because that meant losing my little night stand I had nowhere to put my phone and charger or set down a glass of water or something. I needed to keep my eyes open for a tiny narrow bench to fit in the tiny narrow “slot”
Flash forward to Sunday and a trip to the Farmer’s Market for cool organic doggie treats…the market is in a very fancy area so I was surprised to see a huge pile of UNfancy junk in front of a lovely house…and voila…there was my sweet little narrow HANDMADE bench!! After hearing in today’s post about self leveling paint I am itching to get out the “painting dress” I have (a good match for your painting socks, Sherry??) the sander and a whole lot of enthusiasm to get to the getting it DONE! P.S. want some organic doggie treats? The are good for peoples too!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Lori! Happy painting in that stunning painting dress of yours ;)
xo
s
Jenna S says
You may have already said this at some point, but what program do you use to make those floor plans? Do you free hand all the furniture? The office is looking great!
YoungHouseLove says
We use floorplanner.com for the layouts but John tried some apps for room measuring and blogged about those last week for you if you’d like more info :)
xo
s
Brittany says
I think the desk looks fantastic, I love the legs. What wood putty do you guys use? I’m not crazy about the one we’ve been using to fill in divots/nail holes in my house lately.
YoungHouseLove says
We have some in a plastic tub by Elmer’s (Elmer’s Pro Bond is what it says on the label) from Home Depot. Seems to work pretty well as long as you let it fully dry before sanding.
xo
s
Summer says
This is such amazing timing! We just painted an oak desk white, and it turned out terribly. Everyone told us not to, and almost all the desks we could find online had stained tops, and so we started to wonder if we just couldn’t pull this off. But, reading through all your comments here, I’m realizing our issue is probably the primer we used (the one our local BM retailer recommended, but we’re starting to figure out that we can trust them over there).
We’re actually doing all this to match the desk to IKEA white Hemnes bookcases, and are wondering now whether we go back and re-do with Kilz and Advance, or Kilz and some chalk paint, as we found a shade if Annie Sloan that is a perfect match, and think it might get us closer to the factory soft/matte finish of the Hemnes. I know you guys tried chalk paint once on a chair. Any thoughts on using it for a desk (that’ll get LOTS of use) based on that experience?
And… I can’t help but commend you, again, on how patient and kind you are in response to attack-y comments. I felt for you every time I read one bashing you for painting the desk; there is a part of me that feels insecure about the choices we make with our when we’re still in the middle of a project, and it isn’t clear whether it was definitely the right choice (nervous about the potentially wasted time/money in particular), so I don’t know if you guys are more confident, or just more gracious when people are saying, “it won’t work; you’ve FAILED! (and, ps. you’re a terrible person because of it)”… but, man, I don’t envy you having your work critiqued that rudely. (Or have a sweet clue why some people are so mean!)
YoungHouseLove says
Bummer about the desk issue, Summer! I would definitely try chalk paint since it sounds like it might give you the finish you want and it can go right over stuff without much prep. Hoping that the second time’s the charm for you!
xo
s
Maja says
Step one: cut a hole in the back… ;)
(Sorry, couldn’t help it!)
YoungHouseLove says
Bahah!
xo
s
Lindsey says
LOVE this transformation. You did a great job. I think the hardware is my favorite part. I never would have thought of making them two toned, even with the old silver metal part staring me right in the face.
I’m also super jealous about your fiddle leaf figs. I’m a sucker for houseplants and they are beautiful. Can’t wait to see the rest of the office evolve. Great job you guys!
Lindsey says
Oh, I wanted to say congrats on your huge announcement yesterday! You bet I will be keeping an eye out for your line :)
Julie says
Omg I love what you did with that desk!!! I should be more adventurous and follow your lead by getting old furniture to restore them! I have enough Ikea furniture in the house and you guys are really inspiring!
Claire says
Love this desk! Quick question about sanding. My boyfriend and I are relatively new DIY-ers and recently sanded and refinished a Craigslist table. And the sanding took FOREVER, even with two of us and an electric palm sander. It seems like you guys are able to sand furniture pretty quickly—is that true or are you just leaving out the boring details in your posts? How thorough do you need to be? Maybe we were just going overboard because of our first-time DIY jitters, but gosh that table made me hate sanding…
YoungHouseLove says
We like to do one round of sanding with low grit paper (like 100 grit) to really rough stuff up (if you sand only with high grit stuff it can take a while and not get very deep, so it’s more like buffing). Then after the roughing up round we’ll go back over everything with 250 grit paper, just to smooth things out and make sure it’s all covered (sort of like a buff coat after the deep sanding). This desk probably took John 20 minutes of rough-coat sanding and 20 minutes of that higher grit pass.
xo
s
Megan @ The Brick Bungalow says
Great find!!! I have actually put a few of our own pieces out for free and our neighbors always take them. I sometimes lose patience and when I get in “get out of my house” type mood, I want it gone now! But nothing that exciting… Anyway, I think I have that exact desk at my job. It’s very similar and the thing is a beast! I’m not fond of the shelf on the left but mine doesn’t pull out like yours. I’m an art teacher, so it typically just gets shoved full of crap. :) Can’t wait to see the rest of the room come together!
Erin says
Love this! Are you planning to keep the same chairs or are you looking for a change?
YoungHouseLove says
New chairs! We’re both leaning towards some real ergonomic ones meant for offices, but maybe some pretty versions, like the white leather ones we’ve seen.
xo
s
Jamie D says
Aeron chairs by Herman Miller are fabulous if you want something ergonomic AND pretty! There is a place called Office Products in Harrisonburg, VA (Go Dukes!) that sells secondhand/refurbished versions of the chairs (and other office furniture) for much less than retail. Maybe there’s even a similar place in Richmond or Cville?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Jamie!
xo
s
Kelly says
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and I so love how the internet allows those perfect matches to be made. This desk – what a great find. Where I live in Seattle, we have a very active Freecycle community. I have found and given homes for many great items thanks to our 25,000+ member Freecycle group. Pretty crazy, huh?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo
s
heather says
Another great find! Good job!
Also this is totally random, but I don’t know if you guys already made an announcement about if either (or both) of you are going to take time off after the baby is born, but I wanted to let you know that whatever you decide; your readers will completely understand and support you! Having a newborn is hard work and if you need/want to take time off…you deserve it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Heather!
xo
s
Riara says
What about building the desk out so that it is a little bit longer? So that it extends out slightly more towards the door – and then the second person could sit there (facing the windows). Might look more spacious and be more proportion with the overall room. You would only have to extend it the length so that one person could sit comfortably, and the two of you/and your laptops would be diagonal.
Also: how one EARTH do you get everything done, that the two of you manage to get done? I’m in total awe. It’s inspirational! And, I also hope that your new baby is a great sleeper for the totally selfish reason that I love your blog and want to keep reading it each day :) :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Riara! We thought about making the desk longer instead of wider (and sitting side by side) so that’s definitely another option. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Riara says
Lol. I read the comment above mine about how we would all be understanding about you taking time off, and then I go and write about how I want to keep reading…. She is a better person than me, that is all I can say :) But I wrote my comment with love and not with pressure :)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Laurel Hutchison says
Absolutely LOVE the desk. What a phenomenal transformation! It instantly makes the room so cozy and chic! It’s such a great find! I agree too, that painting it was the best decision, especially if you’re floating it in the middle of the room.
The new layout you’re leaning towards intrigues me. I can see that there are clear advantages to this new desk layout. I had a thought on the design though.
Have you considered doing a large wall to ceiling custom build-in storage on the craft wall, but only centered on the wall with 2-3 feet of empty space between it and the corner (rather than the slightly awkward L shape?)? You could keep the fiddle leaf tree where it is and, on the other side of the storage unit, the chair. You could keep it relatively thin in depth, but still have plenty of space to craft or photograph projects. I thought maybe half-depth of typical kitchen cabinets? That way there would be plenty of room for your floating desk.
If you did cabinets or open bookshelves on the top part of the wall and then a counter (at normal standing counter height) with closed storage below you could either continue the sides of the upper storage down to hit the counter or have it float (well fastened to the studs like kitchen cabinets) and add brackets similar to the ones supporting your old kitchen shelves to visually connect the upper storage to the bottom. I think an old media cabinet/center or possibly even one of those semi-outdated massive dining room china storage cabinet things could be redone/reworked for this idea with bookshelves added to the sides or something.
The tippy top storage might be hard to reach, but you could always keep things you rarely use up there or keep a fun colorful step stool in the room as well.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Laurel! That sounds cool too! We have a lot to mull over (and tape out on the floor, and debate). Will share the details as we go for sure!
xo
s
Sondra says
I luurvvve the desk, and the champagne paint on the legs and drawer pulls are a nice touch!
I know you guys are very good at planning and thinking things through, so I have no worries about your process and I can’t wait to watch the room evolve.
I also like the idea of you both being able to look out the windows and enjoy the light and the view. However, because the light in that room seems to stretch quite a ways across, as evidenced in photos from previous posts, is/will there be a glare on the computer screen of the one with their backs to the windows?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re hoping once we add curtains/blinds we can just draw them if there are certain high-glare hours (we have white faux wood blinds in each room upstairs and it’s really nice for controlling the light). Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Krissy says
I LOVE the finish, the white with champagne. It looks super super classy. And the laptops-for-scale picture definitely helped. What an awesome find! We’ve never gotten anything good off the curb, we always miss out. Maybe this summer? Fingers crossed.
Sharon Brown says
You both are amazing in your passion for design and DIY! I admire all the things you do, but what really draws me is all the planning, thinking, and rethinking. You seem to enjoy doing it together and then come back with even better ideas, and they are yours. We are in a different season of our lives, going from three daughters to three families plus eight grandchildren all out of town. We are having to plan for different needs. Your process and patience inspires me. Do rest before your little blessing comes.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Sharon, you’re so sweet!
xo
s
Men at says
Great find and a really great transformation, but even better is your response to all your critics… Firstly, the desk was not old enough to need ‘preserving’ as an antique…. Secondly, maybe people don’t understand a relaxed work from home ethic where you can play footsie under the desk and are not chained to your desk for eight hours each day, but up and down, making this space more than shareable…. But do hope you can find a lovely old Partners desk…. Just for the romance of it:-)
Beth says
The desk looks great! I’ve bought several wood pieces second hand from a reputable shop and still worry about bed bugs. Did you think about that possibility before you brought the desk inside?
YoungHouseLove says
Heck yeah, I’m a stickler for looking things over because my apartment in NYC had bedbugs and it stunk. Thankfully I now know what to look for. Before we put anything in the car I give it a scan (there are usually signs of them in cracks of upholstery or wood seams if they’re there – plus bedbugs themselves are visible to the naked eye). We also tend to leave things outside (this desk lived in the garage for a few days while we sanded and primed, etc). Thankfully we have purchased a bunch of secondhand furniture and have never encountered any bedbugs – or signs of them – in Richmond since moving here 8 years ago, so I think they were more prevalent in NYC.
-John
Melissa F. says
We actually went looking for one of these desks because we love them so much! We come from a family of teachers – this reminds me of my mom, sitting at hers in her classroom. Found one in a nearby town (not free!). Love it so much, we bought a second one and a matching chair (you know, the kind that swivels). We opted for refinishing and are thrilled with them! The only negative is the typewriter door side. It is an enormous amount of awkward space. I always feel like I’m missing out on valuable storage space because I can’t figure out how to creatively adapt it. Ideas?? What are you planning to use that side for? Right now, I have it filled with a large plastic storage container filled with stationery. Yes, I like to lovingly rub my face against boxes of stationery!!!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that you hunted two down along with one of those awesome swivel chairs! As for that typewriter side, maybe some baskets of things could help? That way you can pull each basket out to get things instead of having unorganized piles of stuff that gets pushed (or falls) deeper into the cabinet?
xo
s
Serena says
Omigawd, I just picked up a huge, broad, wooden desk almost exactly like yours about three weeks ago. Got it free from a family member who had too many unfinished DIY projects and needed to make some room. All it cost me was gas to go pick it up. I was going to use it as a double desk too… Lol, but not to share with my hubby… Hoping to have my sewing machine on one side and office comp on the other. So glad you posted your desk makeover so I can see what products you choose to spruce your desk up! Thanks!
Kate says
Very nice find! I got a big, L-shaped desk at Goodwill for $47. After I bought it, I did some googling and found that it’s $6,100 new (which seems absolutely crazy to me). It’s built really well but has some dings, scratches, dents, etc. I was debating on sanding it and refinishing it, but now I might have to think about painting it instead. Yours turned out so well!
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow!!
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Tracie says
Wow. Just wow…. Have you ever thought of emailing the free curb alert people back to show them the goodness?? That would be fun….unless they get irritated with how awesome it looks now…then that wouldn’t be fun. Love the pulls too!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we’d love to! Sadly since it was a curb alert there wasn’t an email address (just a location to go pick it up). Maybe we should leave a love note in the flag on the mailbox?
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Steph Nelson says
I can’t stand sitting with my back to a door so I see your point on that one! I like the new layout, looks good! Can’t wait to see what color you put on the walls, light and airy hints to something hmmm…..light and airy? I never commented yesterday on your Target post, so Congrats! I have wishlisted bee hooks!
Jennifer says
You know, I wonder if it is possible to switch out one of the sides so that it opens from the current back? That way, you both of have some storage next to you. I’m thinking about your kitchen cabinets that have fronts on both sides. Switching out the 3-drawer side would be difficult, but rehanging the door with the two larger shelves might be doable. Love the transformation!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that idea!
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MonW says
Nice results! I did a bunch of “bachelor handme downs” and thrifted finds last year. The HD foam rollers- better, not good for cabinets really helped. Also, the appropriate Floetril/Penetrol paint additive helps with unwanted texture.
One thing I learned from my painting, be careful how many total coats you apply to doors and door areas on the furniture- stain-sealing primer + color+ topcoat layers made some doors a tricky challenge.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips MonW!
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Nicole F. says
Have you guys seen this? http://shine.yahoo.com/photos/6-uses-ikea-expedit-slideshow/-photo-2771598-205400255.html
You guys are everywhere. So awesome to have followed you guys from the beginning. Love your work and so happy for you all. You work hard and deserve it. :) Nicole
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Nicole!
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Wendy T says
I’ll vouch for the surface hugeness of the desk. My similar one hosted a printer, old-school monitor and puppy in his towel-nest during grad school.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so cute! Every desk needs a puppy.
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Vivi says
I really like this version of your office better. I like working with a view (having a window in front/or to the side of me).
The desk is amazing!!!!! I scored a really cool old rocking loveseat. I hope to change the fabric sometime in the future, but I haven’t done any upholstery myself, so the project seems a little daunting.
Toni says
Maybe you could cut a knee hole out on the other side and trim it out….the desk is plenty deep enough.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we mentioned that in the last few paragraphs of the post. We’re definitely debating that option.
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Christie Bieber says
I have a Pottery Barn wall org thingy that I’d be happy to see go to a good home if you’re interested!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re so sweet Christie! We’re brainstorming a system that we think we’ll try this weekend, but if it’s a bust we might just email you!
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NatalieS says
In Australia some towns have a thing called hard rubbish once a year where we put out unwanted furniture and rubbish and the concil takes it away for free. Anything that is intact never makes it to concil pick up time though because everyone is out grabbing the free stuff for themselves. This year we scored a beautiful grey swede couch for my sisters house and an awesome antique desk for myself. I’m currently in the process of sanding it back and repainting it white with ombre’ green draws. I’m loving every minute of it.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds like my dream! We need to institute Hard Rubbish here!
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thedogsma says
I didn’t read thru all the comments–500+ is a bit daunting–but you could easily mock up a larger top with lightweight plywood or even cardboard to see what size/shape overhang suits how you work, & then go from there to modify the desk so you’d get it right first time. A top that was just screwed on & could be removed would give you a lot more options down the line.
Good score.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that idea!
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Koliti says
Definitely love your latest new floor plan. It’ll be interesting to see how your creative solutions all come together. And I like your idea of utilizing your dining room space for meetings when needed.
How about a “partner desk” that is “his & hers” – meaning John gets the “beefy” side with all the drawers and Sherry’s side is a glass(?) desk top held up with scroll-y (and weight-y) reclaimed brackets attached to the front of the desk with a stylish cart of drawers that roll under the desk top? (Using whatever materials would balance out both sides.)
YoungHouseLove says
Love all the ideas guys! Thanks so much for sounding off. We’ll definitely keep you posted!
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