Studio Desk Makeover – Half 1

That meant that the desk wanted a makeover. With it’s black base and thick brown high, it regarded approach too darkish and heavy for the room. So my plan is to reconfigure the bottom, paint it a light-weight coloration (I nonetheless haven’t determined if it is going to be white or gold), after which paint the desktop white. I additionally wished so as to add an ornamental element to the edges, and add two drawers.

I began this makeover by eradicating the boards that created the “V” element on the entrance. These had been connected with nails and wooden glue, so I eliminated them very simply with just a few good, swift hits with a rubber mallet.

Then I eliminated the underside horizontal brace board. This was connected with 4 screws by pocket holes, so it as quite simple to take away utilizing my drill with a screwdriver bit.

I turned the bottom in order that it was mendacity with the entrance dealing with up, and I reattached that board in the direction of the highest. I’ll finally add some plywood inside in order that this part isn’t see-through, and that can present the duvet wanted to cover the brand new drawers.

After that was connected, I sat the bottom again upright, and that is what it regarded like…

Subsequent, I repeated that very same course of on the facet…

After which I wished to determine the best way to connect these ornamental leaf cutouts that I discovered at Interest Foyer. I began by reducing some 1″ x 4″ lumber to kind a tough body across the leaf design, and to determine precisely how I wished the leaf sample to take a seat contained in the body. I made a decision on this, with the leaf design touching the body on 4 factors — one on both sides of the body. At this level, my most important purpose was to determine the tough dimensions of the within of the body.

As soon as I obtained the within dimensions found out, I ran these boards by my planer 3 times every to aircraft them all the way down to 1/2-inch thickness to match the leaf cutout.

Subsequent, I wanted to determine simply how huge these boards wanted to be for the body. The area they wanted to fill on the desk is 29 inches huge, so I measured the general width of the cutout with the body, subtracted 29 inches from that width, after which divided that quantity by two to get the quantity of width I wanted to chop off of every board in order that the completed product can be 29 inches huge. I used my desk noticed to chop the boards all the way down to the right width.

I began by assembling the highest and the facet items utilizing wooden glue and 1.5-inch 18-gauge nails shot by the perimeters of the facet items into the ends of the highest piece.

With these items assembled, I positioned the leaf cutout into the body, after which I might precisely decide the place the underside piece wanted to be. I connected the underside piece utilizing wooden glue and nails similar to the opposite items.

After which I nailed the leaf cutout into place by capturing the nails by the skin fringe of the body and into the 4 factors the place the cutout touched the body. So this nail went by the body and into the sting of the leaf.

And this one went by the body and into the sting of the stem.

You get the purpose. Because of this I wanted to be sure that the leaf cutout made contact with the body on all 4 sides.

On this facet, I had a misfire earlier than getting a nail to enter the leaf. However that’s nothing that my Dremel Multi-Max and just a little wooden filler and sanding gained’t repair. I usually don’t pull out misfired nails (though it is determined by the precise situation) as a result of it dangers tearing and splitting the wooden. I usually use my Dremel Multi-Max with a blade that can minimize by nails, and I simply minimize off the protruding portion of the nail. If the blade cuts into the wooden a bit, I repair it with wooden filler.

As soon as I obtained this a lot accomplished, it was too late to make use of my miter noticed to chop off the additional items on the body. (Matt had a HORRIBLE day yesterday, so most of my time was spent caring for him, and I didn’t get practically as a lot work accomplished as I had hoped.) However I did set the leaf design in place in order that we might get a preview of what it should appear like.

However once more, you’ll simply must think about it with these further bits minimize off, and a brand new 2″ x 2″ piece connected under the body. After which, you’ll must think about the entire base painted one strong coloration.