I was born on a farm and I live in farm country, so you can best bet I was tickled to see that our Themed Furniture Makeover Day was going to be all about
FARMHOUSE. Yee Haw! I have had oodles of things going on that should have kept me from joining up this month, but I didn't want to miss out because I had the perfect project I had been aching to work on. Meet my farmhouse desk straight from the farm...literally.
I saw this desk listed by a local lady who owned an antique shop and called to inquire. She told me it had some damage with nicks and such, but it was in good structural shape. So, I sent my hubby to pick it up and he said it had been stored in her barn for quite some time. This is what I found...
Ummm....that's more than the "little bit of damage" she mentioned. There's a crack running full-length, big ol' holes, and major damage overall. The holes and chips could be repaired, but that crack? Yes, I could fill it, but it would crack again over time.
I was annoyed and felt like giving her a call. That is until I had an idea. hee hee hee. You know I love me some rustic goodness, so I went with it.
DIY TIME
First, the chair I found at a local thrift store had damaged caning, so I yanked it out and cut a new seat with my one of my favorite new toys, a cordless jigsaw. eep! Isn't it amazing how the little things can make life so much easier?
This thing is a dream, and even my husband is surprised at how nice it is to use. AND I also bought a cordless circular saw and it is sooo much gentler on my wrists than my hubby's giant one. My motto: "Tools over jewels".
Okay...back to the farmhouse desk. ahem. I covered the chair with new padding and batting and topped it off with a feedsack cover. (I'll show you soon!)
SANDING
Then it was time for the desk. I decided to let those blemishes take center stage and create the character I was after in this piece. I just sanded down the top with my orbital sander and left the raw wood.
Next, I decided to create a graphic to add to the top, and I used
my transfer method to layout the design. Then, I used my woodburner tool to sort of "brand" the desk like a farmer would brand a steer. This is also a fun tool to have and I have used it to make my kids toys as well as
their under-bed bins.
I have your attention now or you think I'm nuts, right? Stay with me.
Now for the hardware. I love rust and really debated on replacing these old batwing pulls because they're so cool!
However, because this set is headed for
my shop, I didn't want to have them breaking on the new owner, so I replaced them with the next best thing - cast iron pulls. Aren't they gorgeous?
To make the switch, I just filled the old drawer pull holes with wood filler and the drilled new holes with my cordless drill.
PAINT TIME
Next is to paint the cabinet and drawers of the farmhouse desk. There was no hesitation for me in my choice because a color called Rust Belt Red is perfect for the farmhouse look I was after.
After a couple of coats of paint, some chippy distressing, and a topcoat of wax, my new creation is complete.
With feedsack upholstery...
...and woodburned saying, "Life is better on the Farm".
I let that rustic flavor roll and I LOVE IT! The red just makes it and those pulls are the perfect accent, don't you think?
Isn't it funny how sometimes those imperfections we find can actually be ways to draw out the true nature of a piece.
I hope you've enjoyed my funky farmhouse creation and if you are interested in purchasing it, you can find it in
my shop. (SOLD)
And...I'd love it if you'd pin and share to inspire others to see the beauty that lies beneath the worn and tattered too. ♥
Up next, I'm giving a
kitchen update. Woot! Then, I'll show you what I do with this one-legged wonder I found lying on the curb. I'm a sucker for a makeover, eh? See the after
HERE.
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WAIT! Before you head off, check out my blogger friends FARMHOUSE makeovers.
Also, more of my furniture makeovers like my farmhouse desk:
WAIT! Before you head off, check out my blogger friends FARMHOUSE makeovers.
