Dirty Little Secret

September 17, 2013

Dirty Little Secret

This little secret of mine won’t be very interesting for my Facebook friends, but to my writing buddies and Book Nerd Herd it may be. I’m not exactly sure how to explain it but I am a DIY lunatic.

Yup.

I just can’t help myself.

This sick obsession of mine took an especially firm grip of me this summer. In the midst of working on my second novel and while I was debating self-publishing, waiting to hear back from literary agents and a publisher, I decided I needed a repose. So I spent every waking moment thinking up projects to keep me busy every day off, and sometimes after work, doing furniture refinishing and reno projects around the house.

Sounds relaxing…doesn’t it?? >_<

To recap my summer projects I thought I’d share them with you peeps. I’m kinda proud with how they turned out. :D

It all started one day as I was slugging away at my new manuscript. I had this huge desk in my library that I rarely used. I found I prefer to write while sitting on a chair with my feet up on an ottoman and my laptop, well, on my lap.

I needed to get rid of the monstrosity of a desk and down size to something more reasonable, and admittedly, with more personality.

I can’t remember how I came upon the idea but one day on the Google machine I discovered vintage steel tanker desks from the 50s and 60s. I found a few websites for businesses that specialized in restoring these iconic desks. Said desks were beautiful but I experienced a bit of sticker shock. They could go for $1000-$2800 and that’s before shipping. :O

The inspiration:

Source

So I figured “If some other monkey can fix up these desks, why can’t this monkey?”

I found me a steel tanker desk on Kijiji (my new love) and brought her home. I decided to send it off to get the paint soda-blasted off, which took forever. It took longer than a Wal-Mart checkout. :S

So in the mean time I started the search for a new chair to go with the desk. Finding a vintage metal chair to go with the desk at a decent price was impossible. So I then looked to wooden chairs.

I love the barrel backed banker’s chair from the 30s-40s. Restoration Hardware had a beautiful replica, but again I suffered some serious sticker shock at $500.

Source

Kijiji came through for me yet again and I scored this lovely vintage piece for a song. It was over 70 years old and in great shape. Yoga works wonders. ;)

It needed some work. Don’t we all? ;)

I sanded it.

Filled it.

And stained it with a white oak stain to look like a white wash. I like that one can still see the wood. I love that white distressed furniture look, but I confess that I like my wood naked. Wow! That is some serious innuendo. LMFAO!! I’m a bit of a wood exhibitionist! ROTFL! Hahahahahaaaa!