Dumpster Desk Reveal!

This week I hope to redeem myself as a blogger by posting not one, but two reveals! Today, I will share the dumpster desk, and Thursday, you’ll get the first look at the finished feature wall, which is the result of a surprise collaboration. I cannot wait to tell you all about it. Until then, enjoy the few glimpses that this post offers.

You’ve all been so patient, so I’m going to test your patience for a few more minutes and take you down memory lane. If you don’t want to wait, you should watch this video first.

All the Details

In a previous post, I talked about where my daughter and I found the desk. It had plenty of problems, but we had nothing to lose by trying to make it better.

I removed the paint from the hardware using the crockpot method. Then, I gave each piece about three coats of spray paint. Once I rebuilt the feet and repaired the veneer with Abatron, I finally got to start priming and painting.

M. had her heart set on a gold pedicure for this piece, so that’s what we did. Before I painted the feet, I covered the casters with pieces of plastic bag.

Things were moving right along until I began painting the body of the desk and the drawers. My daughter chose the same green as the wall in her room, but the enamel formula made it look totally different. Instead of a deep, rich hue, it was a bright Kelly green.

I soldiered through a couple of coats, but it just wasn’t the look we were aiming for.

So, I took the quart back to the Sherwin-Williams store and asked them to add more black to deepen the shade.

Winner, winner!

After three coats of paint on the body and the drawers, we let everything dry thoroughly. Finally, I reinstalled the hardware, and it was ready to go.

I’m not going to lie. This desk is still one of those pieces best viewed at a bit of a distance, but it has sure come a long way.

We are all about embracing character around here, and M. is thrilled with the outcome.

Before this week, I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to finish anything ever again. (drama!) After a few weeks, the project progress is finally snowballing into something noticeable and rewarding.

I’ll leave you with this parting shot that includes the sneakiest peek of the wall behind me. I am smiling because it is finally all coming together.

See you on Thursday!

PS: The green is Isle of Pines by Sherwin-Williams, and the gold is Champagne Mist by Rust-Oleum.

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