Two coats of polyurethane and she is’a done! I would have have applied another coat but let me tell you that applying a clear coat with a brush is scary. I know that streaking is common if not applied properly and using a good brush is essential.  I was very careful not to go over the same spots twice and made sure that it was completely dry before attempting a 2nd coat. If you can do this confidently I applaud you. I hope to get to that stage someday soon. For now you can call me Nervous Nelly.

Because painting is a waiting game and I was getting antsy I determined I’d make better use of my time by heading out to look for accessories. First stop, Walmart. I needed to replace the black and gray stand that I used to hold my printer/scanner and I also wanted to stay away from the typical printer cart.

I came across this Parsons Desk which was on clearance for $29 and it was already a bright white! Personally I thought it was a steal at $29 and apparently others did too because when I went back to Walmart today to get another and they were gone.

The cute little floral shade is part of the Better Homes and Garden Collection, which I love and was around $9. It fit my existing lamp base perfectly. Here’s a closer look at the pattern. Cute right?

The curtains, also part of the Better Homes and Garden Collection were only $4.97 a panel! I love these curtains. They’re light and airy and they allow a lot of natural light in. I was so happy with them until I came across these gorgeous curtains on etsy:

It is almost identical to my lamp shade but I just can’t spend a $150 on them. I must find an alternative…these are stunning.

If you read yesterday’s post you may remember I mentioned wanting to paint my bookcase as well. I only applied 2 coats of Zinsser’s Cover-Stain versus the 3 used on my desk top to test Valspars coverage and I have to say the only coverage problem I ran into was the back panel of the bookcase. It seemed to absorb every layer of primer & paint. I ended up having to apply 3 coats of Valspars Premium. So would I buy Valspars Premium again? Yep. I feel confident that the issue lied with the material I was painting and not the paint itself. Just my 2 cents!

Tomorrow I put a few things back in their place, work on a few craft projects and put together a small Ikea shopping list.

The post Home Office Makeover: Progress appeared first on weheartDIY.

After posting my first installment of my Home Office Makeover project last night I decided to jot down & prioritize all my needs and wants. I would love a new desk but honestly there is nothing wrong with the desk I have other than the drab gray color. It’s the perfect length and depth and I’d rather save the money for accessories. So off to Lowes I go to pick up degreaser, primer, paint and rollers. After giving her a proper cleaning and masking off the edges I applied the first coat of Zinsser Cover-Stain.

Can I just stress how important it is to work in a dust free environment? Well it is. I vacuum daily (yes, it’s a sickness) and I did vacuum prior to degreasing the desk top. I should have removed everything off the walls and wiped them down as well. After applying the first coat I started to notice these:

?@#&%!

Thankfully we have sandpaper handy and I was able to remove those pesky fibers. Another quick run with the vacuum and a wipe down of all surfaces (walls and desktop) I was applying coat #2.

I was more than happy with the result after just 2 coats of primer but I really wanted to seal the surface so 1 more coat of primer for good measure.

Before & After w/ 3 Coats of Primer

Can I just say I hate waiting. Let’s fast forward a little.

She’s looks brand spankin’ new!

Here she is with 2 coats of Valspar’s Ultra Premium Interior Satin in Ultra White. This particular brand didn’t have the best reviews and I did not read any prior to purchasing the Valspars. Personally I did not have any trouble with coverage. I’m going to guess that had a lot to do with the 3 coats of Zinsser I used earlier. This is my first paint project and I’m ridiculously happy with the result so far.

Yesterday was a busy day and I’m super excited to put a clear coat on her today. Sadly I have to wait until later to do it. For now I’m off to shop for a few accessories!

Ciao!

The post Home Office Makeover: Desk Renewal appeared first on weheartDIY.

conquer v.
1. To overcome; defeat.

I have to say ever since I discovered Pinterest I’ve had an overwhelming urge to purge, organize & makeover every part of our house. Of course deciding which areas to hit first has been the hardest part. So first things first, I devised a “to-do list” and did what any other person would do…I wrote them all down on sticky notes and tossed them into a baseball cap.

And voila…winner winner chicken dinner…home office makeover it is!

Inspiring workspace? I think not.

Now, I consider myself extremely lucky to have dedicated home office space even if I have to share it with my husband *pouts*. At the end of the day when the kids are in bed and the house is in order I’ll head into the office to work on unfinished design projects, review the next days events and ultimately unwind by popping into my favorite blogs, reading or watching a movie. For a long time this was my nightly routine but over the past month or so that ritual has ended. I don’t find myself wanting to work in that space, it’s not inviting and it doesn’t inspire me. When I walk in I see clutter, disorganization and in all honesty it’s depressing and distracting. Did I mention I share this office with my husband? His workspace is the true definition of organized chaos.

How that man finds anything is a mystery.

I want a space that is bright, fresh and organized. I’m a web/graphic designer; I need to be creative and I need inspiration! Most importantly I need to utilize this office during the day now that my oldest has started school and in its current state that’s just not possible. With that said this is what I want to work on during the upcoming weeks:

1. Declutter: Purge & organize
2. Desk: Refinish or buy new?
3. Printer Cart: Ditch the 90′s looking black and silver stand
4. Storage:  Totes, Bins etc
5. Shelving: Ikea Lack and/or Expedit Series
6. Bookcase: Refinish
7. Accessories: Extra Lighting, office supplies, wall art

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Commence Operation: Divide & Conquer!

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