This week in the studio, we have been working on up-cycling this fabulous, solid pine, vintage office desk. After ‘Planning and Prep‘(click on link to read more) it was decided that this particular piece would look fantastic with its original tops sanded back, so we needed to remove some thick, orangey-coloured varnish. The knobs were in good condition and nice and chunky, which we thought would look great just left (maybe add some dark wax to deepen the colour). We then used ‘Annie Sloan Dark Wax’ on the desk top to deepen the colour, whilst maintaining and enhancing the woodgrain. We then decided to colour of the rest of the desk, a dark grey.
So, the work commenced. The desk was prepared, pine tops were sanded, knobs removed and the painting begun.
The desk needed two coats of paint to give it a nice, even coat and to produce a smooth finish. As the pine was quite dark and heavily varnished, it needed that extra coverage. After the paint was sanded, the edges and corners were distressed slightly. Once distressed, we used ‘Annie Sloan Dark Wax’ and fine wire wool to create the final finish. The wax was applied on to the natural wood and the wire wool was used to stop the wax from clumping and streaking. Once the wax had dried, we gave the desk a good buff with a clean cloth.
Second coat applied and drying
Dried after two coats (created a smoother finish)
This was an experimental drawer waxed and with the knob replaced to see if I liked the look.
Main desk top sanded (ready to be waxed)
Starting to wax. This was applied straight onto the wood without using clear wax. I used fine wire wool to spread evenly.
The base waxed and the top section sanded and ready to wax next.
All finished … and if it would fit into my own house, I would not part with it.
The final result was just how we imagined it would look. The desk oozes rustic charm, with natural, waxed pine tops. They match the blueish grey perfectly. It is lovely and deserved to be refreshed into a bespoke piece. Now it just needs to be wanted and loved.
