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.
Julia says
be careful not to over water the ficus lyrata! If the leaves start to go brown, you’re over watering them. They need very little water for such large tropical plants… prob only 3/4 a litter a wk at the most. The soil can dry between waterings too :)
Don’t give up if you kill them, I have gone through a couple while trying to get the watering right. I’m good now!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Julia!
xo
s
lisa says
I can’t believe it, but I found the exact desk on the curb a year ago. The feet and the drawer pulls with the overall clean shape was what caught my eye. It was from a neighbor four doors down, so we walked it down the street and into the house. That was a little awkward, but hey- worth it. I’ve been using it as a craft table in a spare room. Maybe with a little love it can have another life as a desk again…
Ami says
Really?! Wow.
Lynne says
In response to the people who are dismayed that you painted this desk, I’d just like to point out that this is, lets face it, mass-produced office furniture. It’s not like you just painted a Knoll original or something. I seriously doubt that this desk will end up on Antiques Roadshow years from now and the appraiser will say ‘such a shame it was painted, in original condition it would be worth $100,000’.
Don’t get me wrong, I love good vintage and antiques, and had a healthy respect for them beaten into me by a friend who studied restoration at Winterthur. But sometimes a coat of paint or new stain isn’t so bad if it gives the furniture new life and saves it from the landfill!
Autumn Beach says
Oooohhhh…she’s beautiful! Painted or not, I LOVE this desk. Those legs, the hardware, the way the drawers are flush with the frame. Fabulous mid-century piece. Then add your flawless paint job and it’s just amazing! LOVE.
Jenna says
What a surprise, you have painted another beautiful piece of wooden furniture white.
I can’t tell you how sad it is that one of my favorite design blogs has turned into such a repetitive story. It’s your house, so by all means do what you enjoy, but it seems to me and so many other readers that you are yet again taking the easy way out. After all, why spend time doing the sort of DIY project that got you where you are, right? Just slap some “crisp white” paint on it and call it a day!
karen @ Paper Fancy says
Hi there!
Love, love, love the desk find! What a difference a coat of white paint makes too.
Off to Home Depot today for those awesome trees.
Although I’ll probably be cashing in on that warranty because I don’t just have a black thumb I have a black arm!
Mackenzie says
Funny story about picking things off a curb…I spotted a really beautiful end table sitting by a trash heap. I shamelessly (okay, I was a bit ashamed;) loaded into my car. It would look adorable painted a whimsical color. Well, a few months later my neighbors saw it in my garage and said it used to be theirs!!!!! They sold it in a garage sale years ago!!!!!! So funny! (And sort of embarrassing!) Thanks for your paint tips:)) -ps. How psyched is Clara about ‘frozen’ being out?! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Love that story. What a small world! And Clara = so psyched. Like beyond.
xo
s
Paula in the UP says
Love what you have come up with for your office. I prefer this layout with the desk in the middle of the room, especially with the nice light from all those big windows. What a great find with the desk.
I have also been working on our office/ craft room, I cleared out the room and gave it a fresh coat of paint, but have been at a loss as to how to move forward with some of the details. Your office posts could not have come at a better time. My Mom is downsizing, and has a large all wood desk, very similar to the one you found, and with some love, would work great in my room. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m not sure what direction to go with color and storage ideas so I look forward to more posts on the details!!
SLG says
What brand of small foam roller do you use? I’ve had bad luck with the small rollers I’ve tried. I’d love to find out what brand I should try next.
YoungHouseLove says
We just use the small foam rollers for flat surfaces from Home Depot (they come in a green plastic bag the word “Better” on the front). I think they’re just the stock Home Depot brand.
xo
s
SLG says
Sweet! I’ll try that one next. Thanks for the tip!
Katie says
This is a totally off-topic question for John (sorry for the random question!) but I was wondering how you liked the subscription you have to the monthly runner’s box – is it Stride Box? Thinking about asking for something like that for my birthday and wanted to get your thoughts/opinions on it. Thanks! Happy running :)
YoungHouseLove says
I got it as a gift for my dad for Christmas. He seemed to like it but so far he has hogged all the goodies for himself, so I haven’t gotten to try them.
-John
Nora says
And outta left field….what about the Christmas tree?
You had mentioned how much you love it in that window. Is there still room &/or at Christmas can the desk be moved over so that the tree is the focal point?
I like previous mentions of a foldable top as an extension, that way the desk could be relocated if necessary and used in another room as a singleton later on. Looks great though, as always.
I think install the top extension to the desk would be a great solo project for John for when the barnacle arrives, no?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nora! We figure we can scoot the desk forward since it’s not built-in or just find another spot for the tree (we’re thankful to have nine months to figure it out).
xo
s
Nikki says
You guys ALWAYS come across the best finds. I never get this lucky! It’s like the DIY gods are looking out for you!
Also, I’m pretty sure my parents had this exact desk in our old study. It makes me nostalgic to see it. I can almost remember the smell!
kim says
As soon as I saw your new layout, I loved it! It has a coziness to it that the long desk against the wall didn’t.
Can’t wait to see the progression in this space – wall colors, whiteboards and rug – oh my! :)
katrina says
I LOVE the fact that you are normal people when it comes to decorating and upgrading your spaces. This post of refurbishing the desk is one of my favorite things about your blog/style. When watching some of the HGTV shows and the designers spend way more money on a single item, than a regular person would have to spend on an entire room…it either seems very helpful or real life. The idea of your mix and match and make it work style is very appealing to the everyday person looking for inspiration. Super great job guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katrina!
xo
s
Kate S. says
Holy before and after, Batman! That change is AMAZING! The drawer handles are especially incredible. Great call on the champagne!
My Crappy House says
How will you decide who gets the drawer side? Did either of you “call it” yet?
This is a similar scenario to how I got my desk. It’s also solid wood, giant and it, too, was free! I discovered mine in the parking lot at ReStore.
Here’s my before and after: My Desk Rescue
YoungHouseLove says
I’m happy to give it to John since he does a lot more paper stuff (accounting, billing). I usually just need a notebook, a planner, and a cup of pens to my right and I’m good to go.
xo
s
kaylin says
I have this same desk, it is reiculously heavy is it not? Anyways I just wanted to suggest maybe building some sort of table/desk extension rather than cutting a hole in it. It’s an expensive desk and if you ever want to sell it cutting a hole will bring the value down significantly, not to mention that it really isnt practical for two people considering that the average person doesnt place thier laptop at the edge of the desk.
It looks great though!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kaylin! We’re definitely weighing all options, so we didn’t want to rush into any cutting :)
xo
s
Sarah Bravo says
I had the very same desk when I was in college! That thing was a beast and may last you forever! I had it in my small bedroom and it took up half the room… Love the white, it’s so classy!
carli says
Stunning refurbish on this one!! So impressed. What a great jumping off point for this layout!
Sarah in Florida says
Free anything is always great in my book but um what the heck are you guys feeding your fig? If I recall he has doubled in size recently or did you get a new one?
YoungHouseLove says
That was a fig switcharoo! We had a small one from Ikea in the office, but he’s in the kitchen now and these two are new from Home Depot (they had a sale on the big ones and I couldn’t resist).
xo
s
Hilary says
okay- another question about the figs:) I bought one at a Home Depot in my town when I saw you post about them on Instagram! (Though I didn’t hear anything about a 1 year warranty- jealous of that.) my question, did you trim leaves off the bottom to make them appear more like trees than bushes? Mine have leaves all the way to the bottom but I love how yours have bare bark closer to the dirt making them appear more like trees. I haven’t been able to find anything about clipping leaves in the internet..if appreciate any insight- I definitely don’t want to hurt the plant since I don’t have the warranty;)
YoungHouseLove says
I was having a hard time watering them, so I gently removed a few leaves right at the stem. They were looking a little droopy before that (probably since I was having such an issue watering them) but after I did that and gave them some water they perked right up! Here’s hoping they stay that way ;)
xo
s
Sue says
it looks grand!
I’d love to see something on the side facing the door (if you decide on that option…)
Something like a chalkboard for the kids or else! :)
greetings from germany!
Annie says
I am looking for a old/MCM desk to redo for my office too and when I saw this desk I LOVED it, a quick search on my local Craigslist and I found the EXACT SAME desk for FREE as well! Sadly it was posted a month ago and was long gone, womp womp, so the search continues!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Hope you find another one!
xo
s
Michele says
That looks like my teacher desk at school!
Shavonda says
Awesome find guys! Cant wait to see what color you paint the room:)
Faith says
Desk beautiful! You may want to get a piece of glass for the top, and cut the other side out for two people?
When you water your plants rotate them a couple inches each time and you will have nice full foliage.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that tip! Thanks Faith!
xo
s
Vanessa says
I have a desk JUST like this I got from an estate sale for 50$. It’s in perfect condition with no scratches. Love it! My husband, however, did not live hauling that beast up a flight of stairs :)
Shannon says
I work at that EXACT SAME DESK every day in my nonprofit office. While I love its old beat-up character, I have to say I’m a little jealous of how pretty she looks with fresh makeup and gold jewelry! :)
YoungHouseLove says
I love how many desk twins there are out there!
xo
s
Emily @ Life on Food says
It blows my mind what you did with the desk. It looks awesome! I wish I could hunt down furniture like that.
Faith says
I think I might cry. My desk is nearly identical to this one. (The only difference is I have five drawers and two pull out ledges.) Mine was also a secondhand freebie, but it’s not even close to the beauty you’ve made this one. It’s got a sickly coat of black oil-based paint that I desperately want to tackle. This post has given me hope that mine will look this amazing one day!
P.S. Before we moved, my husband and I used it as a double desk with no problems.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that Faith! Good luck with your desk!
xo
s
Shari says
Love the re-do on the desk. Is that an app that you can get for curb items on Craigslist?
YoungHouseLove says
I just use an app called cPro and I searched for “desk” and it came up. You can also search “curb alert” and see what comes up.
xo
s
Eva says
I loved this post! Free furniture is the best, isn’t it?
My favorite part of this project are the handles! They look gorgeous.
I don’t think we have a website where you post about free furniture “from the curb” here in Spain. But some neighborhoods, in some cities are wonderful hunting grounds for free second hand furniture like side tables, wicker chairs, and chests of drawers!
ps: Is there a way to share pictures on a comment here?
YoungHouseLove says
If you upload the pics to a free sharing site like Flickr or Pinterest you can link to them in the comments :)
xo
s
thelady says
I was a little worried when you said you would paint the desk but it looks great, like one of those vintage metal tanker desk that get painted white and sold for thousands of dollars.
Whitney says
I can’t believe it! I have this exact same desk and I love it. I’m glad to see it looks amazing in white. Mine is still stained and could also use some attention, especially the top. I think I’ll try the feed n wax and restore a finish first. I’m a little intimidated by them, but hopefully I can get the same results you did with the dresser. My desk is tucked away in my bedroom and is obviously super heavy…. I’ve hesitated to drag it out to the garage to work on it…. Did you use the restore and finish and feed n wax inside without any bad fumes?? You guys are awesome. Can’t wait to see the office come together :)
YoungHouseLove says
That was good to do in the sunroom so we could air things out. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Lily says
Love the plans AND the plants! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
xo Lily
http://whilemyboyfriendsaway.blogspot.com
Candy H says
We moved from AZ to IL and rented a house. Fast forward 2.5 yrs, we now own the house. My husband was cleaning the crawl space out and found two twin head board/foot board (they remind me of mid-century modern?). I REALLY want to paint them for my older two kids, but not sure where to start. When it stays nice for more than one day, I will hopefully tackle them.
The desk looks awesome! Can’t beat free!
Nicole S. says
I’m sure someone’s already mentioned this, but just in case, keep Burger away from the figs as they’re poisonous to dogs and cats.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Nicole!
xo
s
Laurie says
Look what I found down here in NC on a local yard sale FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152069909556559&set=gm.657710200943640&type=1
I hope you can see it – it’s your desk, but in perfect condition. Looks like they haven’t found a home for it yet. I wanted to get it and give it the ole YHL treatment, but I have absolutely no use for it right now.
(I LOVE your blog – grew up in Midlothian and my friends and I all follow closely!!)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, no way! It’s a private link so I can’t see it but I bet it looks so gorgeous in perfect condition!
xo
s
Meghan says
Holy WoW! That desk looks fantabulous!
Ashley says
Crazy! I have that exact desk in my house!!!! It was my grandfathers….it’s huge and still wood but I have been wanting to make it over for years now! This is my inspiration! It’s happening this summer!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck Ashley!
xo
s
Daniella Beattie says
I think the desk makeover looks great, however I don’t think it’s right for the layout you want. From the photos, I think it just looks super heavy for the room, from the angle facing the window, you cant even appreciate all the hard work done of the makeover as you only see the side. If it was up in front of the window, with chair for one person it would look beautiful.
I would say, to definatley go ahead with having a large desk for two, perpendicular to the window as you have planned, but instead of a bulky desk with drawers, just find a massive old rustic dining table that exposes the floor and then you could have the laptops back to back up towards the window end of the table, and still have space at the other end. Also, you are not limited where to put your chair(s) every day.
The desk would look super cute in Clara’s room though.
Val says
@GreenInOC, Sorry I took so long to reply about the fiddle leaf plant. The one I ordered is no longer available (of course) but maybe a local nursery will carry smaller, more affordable options. The plant was in a 4″ pot and was about 6″ tall when I got it in the mail. Three months later and a roomier pot and my plant is twice as tall! Good luck. Here is the link in case the plants become available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GMD1Y6/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Judy says
DO you recommend using some sort of Safecoat Acrylacq or poly to the top of highly used painted surfaces? My mantle was painted 3 months ago and is still a bit sticky and soft after 4 coats of paint. My painter was really thick with the coats…2 of Gripper (primer) and 2 of White semigloss enamel. Help? Clear coat the top maybe?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that would probably help! I would do three thin and even coats of Safecoat Acrylacq (you can order it online). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Brittany O says
I just ran across this desk on our Craigslist and had to show you guys – looks just like yours!
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/fuo/4394014155.html
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Elyse says
Hello,
What finish is your BM Advance paint? I noticed in one of the final pictures that the top is very shiny, which is probably because of the Safecoat Acrylacq, but is the rest of the desk that glossy as well? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s satin. Has a nice sheen everywhere.
xo
s
Tessa says
Can I ask what finish of BM’s Advance paint you used? I see online that it comes in Satin, Semi-Gloss, and High-Gloss?
YoungHouseLove says
We like satin the best (we use it for furniture, cabinets, etc).
xo
s
Leslie says
Need some child-proofing advice for the fiddle leaf figs. I love how they look in your office! And would like get some for our home, however, we have a 1.5 year old who loves to get into everything. Any child-proofing tips for keeping small kiddos from making a giant mess with the plant’s soil?
Thanks so much and congrats on your new addition to the family. I love your blog, and hope you guys are enjoying the slower pace now that Teddy has arrived.
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe putting something over the top like large smooth rocks or moss? Not sure if he’ll get into that too though. Also I think fiddle leaf figs are poison if eaten so be careful if he puts stuff in his mouth.
xo
s
Tee Cee says
Upcycling! Right on…