something Old something new.. some used.. something BLUE

Hey all..
sorry I didnt get my post out at rest time but I was held up with kiddos and a DIY project..
for those of you wondering what todays Declutter/organize challenge was you can find it here

DAY 4- How to Apply contact paper to drawers

now.. just so you know.. I did read todays tip on Kellys Blog.. however I have that stuff oh man my  brain is fried.. whats it called.. the rubbery mat stuff you put in so your plates and utensils dont slide around.. anyways.. you know what Im talking about..
so I did not need to do this challenge today.. I did however read it because Im working on refinishing a dresser for my daughter and some cute contact paper in her drawers might be kinda special for her.. we shall see.
Anyways.. task at hand..

The BLUE DESK

heres the back story.. we bought our house december of 2011.. we moved in 2 days after christmas.. the home was purchased from someone who flips homes.. turns out we knew the guy.. he goes to my church.. how funny.. well.. our house used to be VERY 70's decor.. it was NOT pretty from the pics I have seen.. so our house is now very updated thanks to this flipper.. well in his flipping he left behind cans of paint (labeled for what room the color was used in) not a ton of paint in the cans but enough that I could go to home depot and get a perfect match if I ever needed to touch up around our home.. he also left a washing machine that looks like its from the 80's , this is in addition to the washer and dryer that came with our home.. he also left behind a desk.. This desk to be exact



The picture above is a pic with the drawers taken out.. its a very OLD sturdy desk.. def not like the  40$ special from Target black desk I am currently using in the sun room for our home computer.

So the use I have had for it is a folding table near the washer and drying.. well at Tax time in addition to some minor updates in the bathroom i.e stripping wallpaper and repainting.. Hubby is going to build me a laundry room.. so i wont need this desk/ folding table anymore..

so began the refinishing work..
This past week I took my Behr paint app on my iPhone.. PS its a free app..
I took a picture of the nice carpet i have in my sun room and pulled out a bluish color from the rug.. then matched it up to the behr paint.. well I didn't match it up.. the app did all the work..
so I headed to Home depot with paint color in hand.. I did not need a WHOLE gallon or even a quart of paint. so for $2.94 you can buy and 8oz can of sample paint. for under 3 bucks they will mix ANY color on the pallet list and you can go home and test a nice area on your wall.. well for a new DIY'er like myself this was a perfect way to not spend much money..

Got my paint.. i also picked up a can of Rustoleum Oil Brushed Bronze spray paint. i used this to refinish the hardware on the drawers.. however I really just wanted to test it out as part of the bathroom updates involved spray painting all our fixtures with this stuff.. now I have a whole can.. woo hoo..

I had a bottle of de-glosser from a previous project so I got to work this morning buy just doing one coat of de-glosser.. if you are unaware of this product you are wasting away your precious time and money without it.. that's fo sho.. you can get this at home depot where they sell the paint stripper.. its a HUGE bottle for around 7$.. you put a good amount on a clean rag and rub it in circles on your wood project.. it will basically take that top shiny layer off that you can not really paint over.. it also add kind of a grit.. but not one that changes the appearance.. you can skip the WHOLE entire sanding down process when refinishing furniture..

so i got to work on that.. i did a coat on the WHOLE thing including the drawers.
it dries very quickly.. say 10 minutes.. so i then got to painting..

here's after the first rough coat without me using a brush.. just a roller

 
no matter how many times I took the pic.. light no light.. flash no flash it still looks sky blue.. but I swear the color is much more gray french blue.. very nice color..
 
so while the first coat did its thing it happened to be lunch and rest time for the kiddos.. so i took a break.. made some lunch for me and the kiddos.. then snuggled and rocked my lil guy for a bit and tucked in my daughter while she watched a movie in her room.. BACK TO WORK..
 
I did the second coat.. the drawers.. then got on my dirty basement floor with a paint brush and got all those random areas you need a brush for..
 
then.. kiddos were up.. so I figured, they had been very patient with me today.. I would finish later.. hung out with the kiddos.. then had an appt at 6..
NOW.. blue desk is wonderful.. I like Mr. Blue desk.. its about twice as big as my current desk.. I will now be able to get rid of all the office stuff and paper work and what not in my guest room and have it all in one place.. also making room for 2 new projects.. command center.. and guest room..
HOWEVER.. blue desk was boring.. no offense.. one of my Good friends who is a DIY pro had suggested using fabric or wrapping paper and mod podging or polying it to the top and drawer front.. HOW FUN.. adds some style.. some flair.. makes it stand out more..
 
I hit the craft store on my way home and was searching for wrapping paper.. could not find ANYTHING I wanted or that wowed me.. or that would tie the carpet and desk and whole room together.. so I went to the scrap booking section.. BINGO.. paper was on sale.. for the same cost of a tube of wrapping paper I was able to get enough super stylish matching paper for the top and drawer fronts.
 
by the time I got home kiddos were in bed and hubby was waiting to leave to go play video games with his brother.. PERFECT..
 
so.. because I'm on a tight budget and this project is basically supposed to be NO COST.. i whipped up a recipe for Mod Podge i found on pinterest.. here is the link if your interested
 
 
 
which I will post about another time because this is turning into a novel..
 
SOOOO whipped up some of that fabulousness in a jar and headed back to the basement..
I measured, cut and laid out my paper first so I knew what I had to work with.. then got to gluing..
 
now I will say this about the homemade mod podge.its not very glossy.. no sheen at all.. i always thought mod podge even the Matte kind had kind of a sheen.. anyways.. i think if you add more oil to the homemade stuff it can be glossier.. oh well I will get some spray poly or glossy when I have extra money and go over it again..
 
ITS DONE.. woo hoo.. finished a project basically in one day.. probably would have taken half a day with drying time but I'm a stay at home mom.. and I had an appt.. soooo not bad for refinishing a WHOLE DESK.. the last coat of MP needs to dry over night since its 11:38.. no way I'm waiting up for it..lol.. and the desk will come upstairs and take over the not so nice target one.. WOO HOO.. super pumped..
 
SOOO here it is..
 
 
the finished product.. again I state.. the color of the paint is so much more Gray in person.. which is what I wanted.. just bummed that no matter what I did the pic wouldn't not come out that way.. oh well.. can only expect so much from an IPhone right??lol
 
hope you all enjoyed this novel and photos..if you have any questions on anything please email me..
 
Much Love and Blessings and have a wonderful weekend
 
Shanun
 
 
 
 
 
Oh and Last but not least a Cost Break down for those who are wondering..
while this stuff is fun.. it is about $$ these days.. and how we can save as much as possible
 
Desk- FREE
2 Behr Paint Sample cans - 5.88
Rustoleum Spray - 4.98
12x12 patterned paper -4.80
DIY Mod Podge -FREE
 
TOTAL- 15.66   I ROCK
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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