Can you solve our desk dilemma?
by
Suzanne
+6
My husband loves his older '60's desk. I hate the dark wood. It's solid wood but stripping it sounds like too much work. I have thought about painting it - primer first. It sits in a lightly painted tropical room. My most recent idea was to paint the "bones" or frame with a cream color but cover the sides and drawer fronts with mod podge and apply burlap. Has anyone ever done that? I think it would look more tropical with a not-too-regular aged appearance. Maybe like something that would have been in Earnest Hemmingways home. Can anyone tell me what you think? Thanks!
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Can you post a photo?
Chalk paint / wax it (and if you still want to use burlap (perhaps just on the sides) - it would look lovely with the chalk paint (antique cream)
Instead of making the desk match the room,
how' boutreverse it find a way to renovate the desk first then paint the room to comlement it
Since burlap is so coarse this might be hard to work with.
if you're thinking Hemingway ,try rattan accents ceiling fans,made to look like leave ,cool colors pleas post a picture ,it will help inspire our creative energy
Love your Hemingway idea. You can do a burlap or grass cloth square in the center of the drawer front,as you said, then trim the edge of the square with split bamboo. Or just glue split bamboo in strips to the drawer fronts in stacks. Ultimately, if it's your husband's office, he should get the final say. Men often get testy when we women change their stuff.
That's an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. I'm trying for simple though, but it's worth thinking about. Thanks
A compromise might be to strip sand and stain the top only, which, as stripping and staining goes, is the easiest to do. For the tropical front, there are woven wallpapers that would be easy to apply (and remove if you need to). My advice is to keep in mind that the desk might live in a different room one day and not go overboard on a "theme." Accent pieces might be all you need to get the look you want. A tropical lamp? Palm tree cabinet knobs? I actually did something like that in my bedroom, and kept the furniture basic so that I could change the style if I wanted to. Good luck!
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I would use the chalk paint with antiquing wax. change knobs out if you want but keep the burlap etc for a few accessories instead, then you can always easily use in a different room or paint another color.
I was in Hemingway's home in Florida. This is a photo of his writing desk. Sorry, no burlap anywhere.
What wood is this, oak or mahogany ? I would not use paint stripper instead a piece of glass with a straight edge and simple lightly scrape varnish off. Then use some fine wire wool, use a satin varnish that show's the wood at it's best & serviceable too