Fancy new desk: $10

Yeah yeah, I know I'm supposed to be showing you finished dining room pics, and if I didn't have DIYADD, that's what I might be showing you right now.  But instead I'm going to show you my new desk and you're just going to have to deal with it.

I have not one but two very interesting jobs in the general field of non-profit communications, project & event coordination, etc. I work from home for both of them, which is a lifestyle best described by the Oatmeal. In any case, I spend a lot of time in my office.  It'll get gutted eventually - it got some bad renovations at some point probably in 1940's, giving it some nasty cardboardish wallboard and taking from it the original trim. But after last fall's paint job, further renovations to this room have been pushed down to the bottom of the very long list.  So I keep finding myself improving a room that'll eventually get torn out, and I'm ok with that. It's sort of liberating knowing that nothing is permanent.

For the true horror of the before pics, see last fall's post, Couldn't take the brown rose wallpaper anymore. For the purposes of this post, let's start here.

Much better than before, but still, that's a plastic folding table and two mismatched kids' desks.  I was pretty excited about the one on the left, which I intended to use as a sewing table, but in practice it was far too small.   The one on the right was Gabe's when he was a kid.  That surface combined with the table just made for too much room for clutter collection, something I suffer from.  So both of the kids' desks went back in the attic to wait for some kids to show up.

In the meantime, I acquired a small scuffed old filing cabinet, and a piece of laminate counter top that my dad scavenged from his office.  It had a horrendous faux wood grain.  Both of those things sat in the basement for awhile until one day I had a brainstorm.  Yes!  A tape measure confirmed that the counter top was the exact right length to fit in this space.  It only took a few more months for me to buy a couple of cans of spray paint and make the magic happen.

I scootched myself over to the left so I can have room to the right for writing on actual paper, when necessary, or plunking down a sewing machine.

Here are some nuts and bolts - I used a scrap board for the front left leg, and the back left corner is supported by a scrap 2x4 screwed to the wall.  This way the backsplash can be right against the wall. That's my 2002 vintage subwoofer on the floor in case I need to have an emergency dance party.

Here's an idea I expect will be stolen any minute now.  While rummaging through our extensive paint collection, I discovered a can of chalkboard paint.  So I put it on the drawer fronts.  And then I drew on them, which was fun.

Now let's take a tour of my accessories.  An old, small, unusual blue crock with lid hides all those ugly chargers and usb cords that you almost never use but probably shouldn't throw away...

Source: came with the house

A super-awesome skier mug for my writing implements, 1970s-80s perhaps?

Source:  one of dozens of possible northern New England Goodwills

My most excellent old Dirigo Beverages crate. "Dirigo" is Maine's state motto, meaning "I lead."  A great name for soda, and now that I think about it, pretty motivational for a home-office recycling bin.

Source: mind-blowingly awesome auction in Andover.

Now let's zoom out a bit so you can see my shelves which I installed awhile ago.  They are solid wood with a molding around the edge, and they are supposed to be narrow counter tops, but my aunt the kitchen designer gave them to me and said I could do whatever I wanted to with them.  They look a little funny in an L shape now that the small desk that was on the right is now gone...I may decide to put them one on top of the other on the same wall over the right side of the desk.  This will be right around the time I find something other than cardboard boxes to put everything in.

Shelf source: Kitchen designer's display reject pile

And while I'm at it, I might as well show you the curtains I also made awhile ago.  A heavy navy blue cotton with primary polka dots.  They're just so me.  And not a bad view either. This room also often serves as a guest room so I'm sure our guests now appreciate being able to sleep past sunrise.

Source:  All fabric that doesn't come from a yard sale automatically comes from Marden's (duh).

Altogether, I'd say those are some pretty good improvements, without being so precious that I can't rip it all out someday.  Total expenditure for the new desk: $10 for two cans of semi-gloss black spray paint.  Not bad, not bad.  I think I'll splurge and paint my desk chair next!