Lawyers Office - Vintage Desk - Receives a Superior Makeover!
In our refinishing shop we love seeing pieces that were handed down from generations, have a story and sentimental value. Here's the perfect example!
This vintage desk once belonged to our clients father that was passed down to his daughter who is now a lawyer and uses this desk in her professional office.
Her office moved to a new modern space and needed an update to suit their new space... come see how we updated this treasure for her!
Here's the before photo in our shop.
The plan:
1. Prep Clean, De-gloss and Repair damage
2. Chemically strip the top and stain the top using Saman Whole Wheat
3. Prime & Paint the base using Superior Paint Co. Little White
4. Seal the entire desk using Saman Satin Varnish
Here's a close up of the top. As you can see its made of veneer and over time the veneer cracked and started to bubble.
Our plan is to chemically strip the top and fill and repair the damaged veneer with a two part epoxy for wood.
We removed the top and repaired the base. Now comes the fun part... Prepping and Refinishing!
When it comes to prepping furniture these 300 grit sanding pads + Saman TSP ECO are a MUST! The nano smart bubbles will remove the dirt/grime... and the 300 grit sanding pad will lightly etch the surface while you are cleaning so there is no need for sanding afterwards!!!
***unless you need to do filling and repair work***
HOT TIP: I use this for cleaning scum from dirty shop sinks, at home bathtubs and toilets - it's eco friendly!
We primed the base using Superior Paint Co. Base Coat
As you can see this piece has "tannins" aka blead though
To block the tannins we use Kilz Original in a spray can.
And here's the "After" we painted the base using Superior Paint Co. Little White chalk paint, stained the top with Saman Whole Wheat and sealed the entire piece with 3 coats of Saman Water Based Varnish.
The piece will need to sit and cure in our shop for 7 days and then it will be ready to be delivered to the lawyers office.
We're really happy with this stain colour - "Whole Wheat": Its a medium beige/brown with a light hint of grey undertone. We hvlp sprayed 3 light even coats of stain to achieve this colour - mix: 2 parts distilled water to 1 part stain.
Here's a hand full of products and tools we used for this project. The only things missing is Drop Cloths, Varnish, HVLP Sprayer and the respirator. We hope you liked this home talk makeover :)
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
You said you covered the whole piece with Saman water based varnish. This obviously is a clear varnish. Does it make everything shiny or just dry clear and why on the bottom part? Interested as I refinished a table in much the same way and onlyv arnished the top, and am wondering if I should also do the rest, as well. Thanks for your help and you did a great job.
I am more interested in how you patched and repaired the veneer. My tabletop looks just like the desktop and I don't know how to fix it.
Just wondering why you didn't fill in the gaps in the moulding with wood putty before painting? (pictures 6 and 10)