Heavily Distressed Desk

Ever since I saw this gorgeous piece that Miss Mustard Seed did a while back, I have been dying to create a super distressed piece myself.  When I found this antique desk on ksl the other day for $25, I didn't feel so bad about experimenting on it and not being terribly sad if it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.

 The desk had certainly seen better days but was just pleading for some TLC.  That is just what I gave it.

 Let me tell you, the experiment worked.  I am absolutely 100% smitten with this piece.  My intention of course was to sell this to help fund the living room makeover I am working on, but I just don't know if I can let it go.  Wouldn't this be the perfect desk for me in a craft room someday?  Hopefully sooner than later... ahem...My Sweets are you listening? 

In terms of speed, this was the fastest transformation I have done yet.  I picked up the piece in the afternoon, got home around 2 pm with it and was completely finished with it that evening.  You can totally do this yourself, my friends.

Soooo, here's how I very quickly achieved this look. 

First, I sanded the surfaces with a coarse paper on my ryobi corner cat sander.  I intentionally didn't sand all of the previous stain off.  I wanted it to look splotchy and aged.

 

Next, I painted the whole thing with one coat of very watered down Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (the same combo of Old White and Paris Gray that I used on my dining room table)

The key here is to let the wood still shine through with a very light coat.  Don't spend a lot of time trying to achieve a perfect coverage. In this case, less is more.

Then I went over the full piece again with my sander, focusing on the high points.

I followed this with Annie Sloan dark wax on all the areas where the wood was exposed and then covered the full piece in Annie Sloan clear wax.

I cleaned off the hardware using my wedding ring cleaner, and replaced the top two pulls with little glass knobs.  I would have used all the original hardware, but as you may have noticed the piece was missing one pull so I opted to replace the center drawer and am very pleased with the touch of feminism this added. 

I also lined the drawers with some leftover wallpaper I had from the cute little antique dresser I did back HERE.

What do ya think?

Sigh... pure love over here.  I think I'll just keep this little photo shoot in my living room for the next month or so just so that I can stare. 

In case you haven't picked up yet on my number one message that I hope to convey by writing this blog, that is to remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home look good and reflect your style... not your neighbors or your moms or sisters, yours.  Have fun, be creative, and go into a project with an open mind.  For me each piece is like an artist's blank canvas when I begin.  I have an idea in mind of how I would like the piece to end up but it evolves into its own beautiful piece as I begin "painting".  You may even end up with something you absolutely love in the end.

Thanks so much to all who read and continue to leave such sweet comments about my work.  I appreciate each and every one more than I can say.

Sending so much love from Penny Wenny.

Xo