It has been a while since a piece of furniture has tried my patience like my current project. The litany of problems seemed never ending. Re-assembling the top and bottom pieces, peeling veneer, broken drawer fronts, replacing the backer board because of warping, and finally reinforcing the legs so it will not wobble (thanks to my husband). I was getting to the point of wanting to call it a day and start another project. But invariably, I would look at it and see how cute it could be and keep going. It is probably the same reasoning behind my catching spiders in my house and letting them go outside. I am giving them another chance at life!
In last week’s blog, I reglued the veneer, fixed the drawer fronts and doors.
I knew I wanted black for the desk, but when I saw this, I knew I wanted gold as an accent color.
After painting the plywood for the back with Annie Sloan Athenian Black chalk paint I decided to add some gold.
Using a stencil, I filled the spaces with Rub N Buff and created this pattern.
I attached it to the back with nails and filled in the gaps with Drydek spackle. After it dried, I sanded it smooth then painted it to match the desk.
To give it some more flair, I highlighted the raised trim on all the drawers and the hardware with Rub n Buff antique gold metallic wax.
And here it is! It has been a struggle, but I think I accomplished the goal of bringing this old, needy piece back to life.
I can’t say I will take on another project like this anytime soon but am glad I was able to save this one!