Desk Do-Over

One upon a time there was an ugly desk that had not been well cared for ~ at least for a number of years.  With passing time, neglect had taken its toll on it.  However, upon closer inspection, it was easy to discern that at one point in its lifetime it stood sturdy and strong.  But alas, in it's grimy state, it was in desperate need of rescuing from its dire circumstances.  

One day a kindhearted damsel spotted it on Craigslist and without hesitation, she scooped it up and delivered it to her new office space ~ where amidst all the other castoffs it was given hope.  It was cleaned and sanded and scraped and scrubbed.  It was beginning to feel like its days of despair were over and that there was finally a glimmer of hope for its future.

Okay enough of the tale ~ let's get on with the good stuff.  The desk top was in really bad shape.  So after much thought, I decided to camouflage the ugly by decoupaging it.  I envisioned the desk surface with layers and layers of wonderful old book pages on top.  I found a charming, tattered old book (used also on the Book Page Window Treatment) at a used bookstore and nabbed it.  At the clients request, I also picked up a book with beautiful pictures of Catholic saints to be used as an accent feature atop the other pages.  I tore the pages out of the book and applied them randomly to the top of the desk with good ole Mod Podge ~ found at your local craft store.  

Chapters later ~ literally ~ in my opinion, I ended up with the most unique desk top.   

The additional colorful pictures from the book of saints clearly made the whole project come together.  They gave the desk top a beautiful punch of color (be sure to notice the bright orange desk chair below ~ the two work wonderfully with each other).

 

They also represented a very personalized feature for the client.  To customize a similar project like this, simply add pictures of whatever interests you.

The decoupage treatment on the desk top gave this old retro desk a much needed face lift.

It's now serves as the focal point of the room.

 

Honestly, the first time I saw the condition of the desk, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it work.  My first inclination was to scrap the desk entirely.  I communicated to my client (Michele) that I would sleep on it and get back with her the next morning.  Thankfully, I did and now a once dingy and forgotten desk has a new lease on life.  

The desk not only provides a generous work surface but also happens to be thought provoking and inspirational at the same time ~ thanks to the choices of book pages applied to the top.  This really was a group effort ~ thanks to Michele, Tolbert, Miles, Rachael and Marty on this project for their help and input.  I have to say ~ I love this desk!

On another note, thanks to an amazing blogger and graphic designer, Emma, for featuring Tattered Style on a recent post ~ see it here.  And lastly, *note* my most recently added "Follow me on Pinterest" button.  Be sure to click on it to see Tattered Style's Pinterest picks. :)  The End!

Book Page Window Treatment

I recently was in a quandary and was trying to figure out a solution for a decorating dilemma. I had pretty much exhausted my budget for a design job, meaning I was really going to have to be resourceful and utilize any leftover materials I had on hand. I was laying in bed late one night and the wheels started turning.  I recalled I had some remnants of an old book I had used from another project and also some random pieces of wood.  I ended up coming up with a unique book page window treatment ~ I gotta tell you that it turned out pretty cool ~ I hope you'll take a closer look. :)   

The supplies for this project included:  Book pages, a scrap piece of wood, jump rings, two "L" brackets and some screw eyes.  I had previously purchased an old book with wonderfully worn and yellowed pages, ($1.98) from Half Price Books. All I did was tear out pages from the book and had them laminated (thanks Michele and Miles).  Next, I punched holes at the top and bottom of each page at the center point and attached jump rings through each hole.  I strung the pages together to equal the desired length.  Then, I cut a board the width of the window and attached screw eyes to the underside.  Following, I affixed the wood piece to the outside of the window frame using "L" brackets.  Finally, I attached the sections of pages with additional jump rings, through the screw eyes.  The number of pages, jump rings and screw eyes will vary depending on the size of window you have.  I think the end result is fantastic. 

I wish you could see how the sunlight filters through the hanging book pages ~ it gives such a warm and wonderful ambiance to the room.  A zebra head and some art (created by Miles, Michele's son) hangs proudly next to the window treatment. 

Take note of how the newsprint, used to decoupage the zebra head, beautifully compliments the typed print on the book pages.  Find the zebra head here.

Here's a shot of the window in the secondary office space that I designed for x2VOL.  The book page window treatment ended up being one of my favorite design elements of the entire project.  

It adds so much punch and character to the room.  This same book page project could be modified to serve as a room divider as well.  I'm so thrilled with how it turned out ~ I'm going to be duplicating it on a window in my own home.  How do you think it rates?      

x2VOL ~ Part II

The cardboard/plywood pendant lights are from Anthropologie.

I think one of my favorite things about design is getting to know the client.  This certainly has been the case in working with Michele ~ I was immediately drawn to this job because of Michele and her excitement and enthusiasm for her company.  Over the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to learn more about x2VOL, an innovative company that tracks high school student's volunteer hours and also partners them with non-profits that have volunteer needs. Learn more about x2VOL (powered by IntelliVOL) here.     

As I mentioned in x2VOL Part I, the vision for this space was to provide an environment where a number of people could meet, dream together and bring their ideas to fruition.  So, the space required a good sized table.  I just couldn't envision having a typical conference table fill this need, so I opted for a custom farm style table instead.  Thankfully, Michele was on board 100% and with help from a friend of mine who is a wonderful craftsman (thanks Charley) this beautiful table was built. The top is made from new pine planks ~ unlike the legs and skirting which are made from salvaged wood that Charley obtained from a barn that he tore down. The beam used to make the legs is over 100 years old.  We opted to leave the planks natural, but coated them with numerous coats of polyurethane for protection.  

I think the cardboard/plywood pendants and the natural table top and legs mirror and compliment each other quite nicely. 

  

The chairs ~ what can I say except they are spectacular!

One of my favorite "wow" factors in the room are these vintage school desk chairs on casters. Michele scored these off of Craigslist for a song.  They add a punch of color to the space and are quite comfortable.

There was one requirement for this room that Michele was adamant about ~ that there would be an abundance of writing surfaces for brainstorming sessions.  Another noteworthy feature in the room is this wall of marker boards.  Charley did a beautiful job of framing them out with trim that I found at a local salvage yard.  

Another thought I had for the room was to provide an area that would serve as a snack bar. This little nook provided just the right space for a foodie area.  The surface is an old door with some trim on the facing.  The shelving ~ more salvaged wood added space for snacks and supplies.  I whipped up a burlap curtain to conceal the refrigerator and also serve as extra storage.  I think it turned out quite charming.  

That pretty much sums up this space.  However, there's much more to share ~ I'm excited about posting some special projects I came up with for two of x2VOL's offices.  Be back soon with photos galore!  Speaking of photos, I'm on the quest for a new camera ~ my digital point and shoot is on its last leg.  Any suggestions?