Before and After

People sometimes ask me how I take an old piece of furniture that someone else has thrown out and turn it into something wonderful. I think they're really wondering "How hard can it be?" I laugh a lot. Some pieces do only require paint and design. Those pieces are rare. Most need structural work, a good sanding, sometimes a good stripper, then I get to paint. That's the part I love.

I found this piece at an auction. No one wanted it. Well, I understood why. It was kind of pathetic looking. It needed a back. That was the easy part. It also had a drawer that didn't fit right. My Dad -- God bless him -- made a new drawer for it. I attached a back, then gave the entire desk a good sanding. I'm forever amazed at how beat up something can get over time. Then I primed the desk and sanded again. It's important to sand between coats of paint, using different grades of sandpaper. I loved this shade of purple. The stripes along the drawers are a soft green. They don't show up well in the photo. The silver knobs were a nice touch and a much better choice than the old plastic knobs.

This is the final desk. It's small, suitable for a child of around 7 or 8. It always depends on the child's size. I don't have a chair to fit it. Sometimes I make one but I don't think I'm going to do that with this one. Honestly, it's just been too hot to do much work in the shop.

So that's how I get from one to the other. Lots of work and lots of fun. Oh, and this one is for sale!