William has been a hard working member of his family for many years. And the wear has shown. It was time for a face-lift.
William was that kid that everyone liked. It probably didn't hurt that he was the best linebacker his high school has seen in decades. Or that he lead the Debate team. He crossed all those lines; from geeks to jocks.
After attending Clemson and receiving an engineering degree, he worked for the government and retired comfortably at an age where he could enjoy his grandkids. He loves to take them out on his 37 foot sailboat.
It wasn't easy getting William in peak condition. I knew I wanted a wood top, but after carefully checking it out, I could see it was a wood veneer and not in great shape.
There was just too much damage. So I crossed my fingers and scraped it off. Hours and hours of scraping. No need for the gym that day.
I'm super happy what I discovered underneath.
I also saw it fitting to carve in a little inspiration.
Built in the 1940's, he was made to last. But over time, he was covered in paint and polyurethane. Since polyurethane is oil-based, it will yellow the finish over time. And that's what happened to poor William. And since he was about 70 years old, I did a lead paint test, and it proved positive. No fear though. I ordered a special primer that covers lead paint. And off to the races we went.
He came to me missing some hardware and I could not find a suitable replacement. And since these handles were not a standard width for "easy to find" new ones, I decided on rope handles. I love the way they look.
I don't know why I didn't give up on him as he was SO MUCH WORK, but I knew he was worth it. Hope you think so too.
He'll be making his way to Robin's Egg tomorrow. He would love to meet you.
Have a great day,
Debbie
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Love this desk, such a great piece and wow you did an amazing job refinishing it. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteGorgeous makeover. Nice color choices. Love the rope handles; clever problem solving. Really nice work.
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