Before we dive into our recent office progress, we just wanted to send out a heartfelt thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments on yesterday’s announcement. To say that it has been completely surreal and that we’re so grateful are two of the biggest understatements we could make. But back to the office.
You might remember on our initial planning post, we left off saying “We’re still letting the concept simmer in our heads, but we’re fairly confident that we’ll start heading in that last layout’s direction since it feels like it makes the most sense for the way we work.”
We still wanted to tape things off on the floor to really get a feel for things, and after 700+ comments rolled in with ideas and suggestions, we had fun mulling over every last alternative. After a whole lot of thinking (and debating, and sketching, and standing in the room with tape lines all over the floor) we decided:
- an optimal layout would be some sort of floating double desk so we could both be in the middle of the room, instead of sitting right against the wall (we both would have window views, and would prefer to orient it so nobody has their back to the door)
- a meeting table in the office would make that the third room on our first level with a table in the middle of it, so although there was some initial embarrassment at the thought of holding meetings in our blue-trimmed dining room, we’re planning to redo that shortly, so it makes sense to let it multitask. It honestly might get more use for meetings than formal dinners anyway – plus we won’t have to worry if our office is a mess before meetings
- a craft/photography zone would still be most useful right in the office – and would most likely work best against the back wall of the room since the sunlight can’t stretch that far (that’s where John has been sitting/working for the last nine months)
So with those three slow realizations (sometimes it takes us a while to get there…) we determined this layout might give us more function (and less wall-staring time) than the one we were initially leaning towards in our last office planning post.
We even dragged the comically small desk into the middle of the room just to picture things a little better. We both LOVED being sort of cradled by the bay window, and sitting in the middle of the room, so it confirmed that we were finally on the right path. Psst- the plants are fiddle leaf figs from Home Depot (on sale for $59 with a 1 year warranty) so here’s hoping I can keep them among the living…
Ever since we’ve been keeping an eye out for something to use as a double desk that could float in the room. We assumed we’d need to adapt it in some way to make it wider or longer to accommodate two people, but we knew a good solid piece would be just the “bones” we’d need to begin, so we’ve been hitting up thrift stores, checking out craigslist and freecycle, and even the occasional yard sale (theeeeeey’re staaaaarting up again guys! hooray spring!). After at least eight failed missions/searches, this nice big, packed with storage, solid wood desk popped up on craigslist as a curb alert.
It was sheer luck that I saw it about twenty minuntes after it was initially posted (free curb alert items don’t usually last long) and it was even better luck that it happened to be a Wednesday, because on a weekend I think it would have been gone in a minute. We dropped Clara off with John’s parents so we could fold down the seats to make room for something big, and raced over to the curb… hoping to see something on it.
Oh happy day, we made it! And it fit into the car by about two inches (if the legs weren’t removable it would have been too tall).
There might have been happy tears from this highly emotional pregnant lady. I also cry during commercials and the occasional youtube video about puppies.
Anyway, once at home we set it up on a dropcloth with four small pieces of wood under it to lift it up a few inches off the ground. The drawers were still out from our travels, and the other side was a cabinet with a faux-drawer front. There was even a pull-out thing on the right.
It was pretty beat up, so we were glad we were both sold on painting it white from the start.
We’ve been craving a clean/light/airy office from day one (we have dark walls in our bedroom, and more planned for the dining room across the hall from the office – but we always envisioned a light and bright work space). So although we LOVE a good old piece of furniture that’s unpainted, like our media cabinet, which we just cleaned up and brought back to its original beauty with a combination of this method and this method; and Clara’s dresser, which we just stained with a painted top; and this hand-me-down dresser from John’s dad that now lives in our closet…
… painting the desk a no-brainer thanks to the combination of more wear and tear along with our desire for a clean and light office.
We also removed all the hardware, drawers, and doors to prep it. That’s when we saw this tag with the maker’s info. Doesn’t “Administrator TM” sound official? I loved squinting at the old drawer lock that said 1968 (it kinda looks like 1999 in in this picture, but up close it’s definitely ’68). In fact in googling around for “Alma Administrator Desk 1968” I found one (albeit in a lot better shape) on eBay for $1000! Is that crazy or what?
How cool is this world we live in, where people leave things they no longer want on the curb and they just might happen to be exactly what someone else is looking for.
I’m sentimental these days, huh? It’s just a desk.
Anyway, next up was the “remove all the other random stuff” stage. This included using a straight razor to scrape off some paint blobs, weird raised areas of glue, and some old tape that had been stuck to the surface.
Then it was sanding time, so John donned a mask (sanding old wood can be particularly dusty) and used our hand sander to really rough things up.
Once it had all been sanded down, we applied wood putty in a few spots, just to fill in the divots and low points. We sanded those areas again when they were fully dry, and we were good to go.
Next I wiped it down with liquid deglosser, just to remove any leftover sawdust or grease/build-up that might be lurking. Then John broke out the Kilz Premium primer and applied one thin and even coat with a small foam roller. It’s what we used to paint our kitchen cabinets, which didn’t give us any issues with bleed.
One coat only took about an hour, and we did the back and fronts of the cabinet door, and the fronts of the drawers (so we left the interior of the cabinets and the drawers wood, which we did in our last office as well).
Before painting it, we decided it was probably smart to bring it into the house so we didn’t risk dinging up our paint job by moving it afterwards. We used the same dolly that came in handy for getting the fridge on the back porch a few weeks ago but this time John and I got ‘er done. The dolly did all the heavy lifting, so John pulled and I just sort of steered it, opened various doors, and made sure we weren’t hitting anything or falling off the front pathway while we pulled it along.
Once inside, we set up the same drop cloth + four scrap pieces of wood system to slightly lift the desk off the floor and used the same BM Simply White Advance paint that we used for the upper cabinets in the kitchen (it’s self leveling and specifically made for painting cabinetry or furniture). Once again we applied it with a small foam roller – using a small angled brush to get into some of the areas a roller wouldn’t reach, and then rolling over them as much as we could to blend everything together.
John did the first coat, and tagged me to do the second one the next day. If you can imagine, I looked even less graceful doing this part. Thankfully there is zero photographic evidence.
It just took those two coats to get it covered, and the following day I applied some satin Safecoat Acrylacq to the desktop just to seal everything and give it added protection – once again with a small foam roller (I did two thin coats).
We also decided to have some fun with the legs and the handles by painting the wood parts the same Simply White color as the desk itself, but once that dried we taped off the freshly painted parts (or disassembled the handles) so the old silver metal could get a subtle metallic-champagne color (I used Champagne Mist by Rustoleum).
It definitely has that light/airy office vibe going on now.
You can catch a glimpse of the legs in this photo.
Overall, we’re really happy with how it came out. Especially since it was a free secondhand find, which means we can put more money towards other things we want to do in here – like window treatments, an awesome overhead light, storage systems, nice new office chairs, etc.
So here’s how the room is looking now:
With more of a handle on our layout, we’re excited to move on to other steps, like painting the office (so far we’ve only done the trim) and working out how we’re going to make a wall of organization (we’re planning to use the wall behind this shot, since it’s hidden from the foyer (that way the room won’t look messy even if our command center gets chaotic).
As for adapting the desk to work for two people, we think it’ll be a pretty simple cut-a-hole-in-the-back-and-trim-it-out process, and we might add a wider top down the line (wouldn’t soapstone be cool?). But we didn’t want to rush into that just in case over the next few weeks as this room comes together we change our mind and want a single desk for some reason (with another desk area somewhere else). So we’re resisting the urge to rush into any decisions that we can’t undo, like cutting this baby open.
Update: Apparently using laptops for scale would have been helpful to show how two people can easily fit at this desk (it’s 34″ wide and would be 38″ if we added some sort of counter with a 2″ overhang) so here’s that pic for you guys! Our first house’s double desk was 18″ deep, and we each had ample rooms for legs and computers, so we think this plan should work well – but of course we’ll keep you posted!
What secondhand finds have you guys been hunting down lately? Have you ever actually gotten in on a curb alert before someone beat you to it? This was our very first time. Gotta say, I liked it. I liked it a lot.
PS: Wanna see another desk makeover? Check out the DIY herringbone pattern we painted on another thrift store desk.
Haley says
What a great find! I have a desk like that in an abandoned office room next to mine… maybe I should sneak that out of the building.
Tricia Cartner says
We had a similar situation happen to us. We had just bought our new house but really needed a desk (we still had a clunker of a PC) and really couldn’t afford to spend a lot. We wanted a solid antique one but they were all starting at $200 which we really couldn’t spend at the time. We just happened to be in my husband’s truck one day (which we rarely drove) and made a wrong turn in a neighborhood. As we were driving down the street I noticed a large piece of furniture in somebody’s trash pile. It was a desk exactly like we had been searching for! It needed a little cleaning and a fresh coat of stain/poly on the top but has been perfect for us for 4 years now. It was such a blessing and will be a reminder to me for years of how God can provide when we are patient.
YoungHouseLove says
So awesome!
xo
s
Courtney H says
Oooooh. my. gosh. This has got to be one of the most EPIC things I have ever seen! The way you did the handles on the desk just takes my breath away.. soo pretty and perfect. And the way the end of the desk fits the size of the middle window pane behind it, and the way that the whole size of the desk + its storage looks like it was made JUST for YOUR office is so amazing! YES> YES> and YESSSSSS!
Is this the week of exciting reveals or what? Yesterday you blew us away with the Target reveal, and now today this? I can barely take it.
Ps. The new lay out you mentioned in this most is PER.FECT.ION. Yes!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Courtney, you’re so sweet.
xo
s
Robin M. says
A desk that could fetch $1,000 on eBay and you paint it? I think your place could benefit from some warming up. Why not a stain? And as far as painting an old piece? Why, just why? Here in the desert, cheap finds on good quality stuff is hard to find. Why ruin old pieces with white paint? You can go to anyplace now for a painted piece of furniture.
YoungHouseLove says
I agree that some people would never paint this desk, but it was dinged up, it was free from the curb, and we wanted a light and bright desk, so we went for it. We also shouted out three other secondhand finds that are wood in our house that we haven’t painted right in this post – so we don’t blanketly paint old pieces, just the ones that we think would work better for us that way. Sometimes you just gotta do you in your own home :)
xo
s
Courtney H says
I can tell you why, Robin M. Because it simply looks like PERFECTION painted this way vs. leaving it with the old dinged up/scribbled-on wood. It just looks and FEELS better painted white. And the handles now?!?! You can’t deny how great they look now, compared to before? I certainly disagree with your use of the word “ruin.” Quite contrary, this old piece is clearly sooo enhanced.
Vanessa says
This turned out amazing. It was perfect free find and now you had a big enough car to haul it in- yay Highlander!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It was such good timing to have the new car! Haha! I was petting the dashboard the whole way home.
xo
s
Debbie C says
I love how the desk turned out! In some pics the handles almost look clear, like acrylic! Love white and gold…so glam. I’m loving bright white rooms with pops of color these days, ala Emily Henderson. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the room transform!
haverwench says
Normally I’m not a fan of painting wood, but in this case I think the painted desk looks about a hundred percent better. It is quite a lot of white, though–you’ll definitely want some color on those walls. Maybe even an actual color-color, like a soft blue or green, rather than a neutral.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Haverwench! We’re completely thinking of a soft color on the walls. So so soft – like a wash – but enough to let the trim and all of those window mullions pop!
xo
s
kim says
One word: WOW!
And I think I better go check craigslist… now. :)
Shauna says
I read through all the comments because I was sure that someone already asked the same question I had….. OMG, those fiddle leaf figs!!! You mentioned that you purchased them on sale for $59, but WHEN did you buy them?? Can I drive to Home Depot RIGHT NOW (because I will!!) and buy them for $59, or did you buy them 6 months ago using some coupon you were able to find? Just wondering if I should make the drive….????? I recently found a tiny fiddle leaf fig bush at IKEA for $12.
By the way, LOVE the desk! I did something similar a couple years ago with a desk I scored at the Habitat ReStore. I painted it white and then put a piece of glass over the top with a fun piece of fabric underneath to add color to my office. We recently moved and the movers were unable to fit the desk through the door to my new office and I about cried! My husband got creative and disassembled the top from the desk so we could fit it through the door and I’m so happy he did!! They just don’t make desks (or furniture in general) the way they used to. Nice and solid!
YoungHouseLove says
It was recent! We instagramed them and didn’t get them (fear of killing them) and then later went back. Maybe two weeks ago?
xo
s
Sherri says
Wow! That desk looks EXACTLY like one my brother gave me for free. It had been sitting in his garage/shop for about 25 years. Once I cleaned out the colonies of spiders and old webs, I stained the top, painted the rest black and distressed all the edges. I love it.
Does yours have a heavy-duty pull-out typewriter tray on the left? I just about jacked my own jaw the first time I pulled it out. That thing has some power!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, ours has that too! But the pull out tray doesn’t work. Boo! We sat there messing with it for a while and then gave up. We see the springs though, so we knew it did something once upon a time!
xo
s
Maria says
Amazing, that was an awesome score. Old furniture is the best and specially when it’s free. Love it
abbey says
I love that you guys still pick up old used free things even though you are having these major accomplishments like a target line and a book. It seems like you are very grounded and true to yourselves!
Simonne says
They don’t have a Target Line. They have items that are sold at Target…
I think you should make this clear with your readers.
YoungHouseLove says
Target is exclusively carrying our line, just like we said in the post :)
xo
s
Melissa@TheChicDream says
The desk looks great! I gave away a desk that was almost identical to that when we moved. I am on the hunt for a smaller desk right now. What about your conference/craft table. Are you going to use the desk for that? I am celebrating the six-month anniversary of my blog and have decided to introduce my readers to my family today. I’d love for you and your readers to check it out if you have time. You’ve been a huge inspiration of mine.
http://www.thechicdream.com/2014/03/happy-anniversary.html
YoungHouseLove says
Congrats Melissa! We’re planning to use that smaller desk as a sewing table for me in the guest room. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Kelli says
Have to say high fives for the Highlander. I also have one and have brought many a big and awkward thing home in it. I also cart around four boys and a hubs in it. Beautiful job on the desk and who doesn’t love freeeeeee?!
Carole says
I inherited the EXACT same desk when we bought our house – owners thought it was too big to move out the door and down the hall:) We used it for years and LOVED it – just not the color. Sure wish I had seen your makeover before I gave mine to Goodwill!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny how many desk twins there are out there!
xo
s
Kat says
Looks great! I am also in Richmond, but I never seem to have the same CL luck. What are your plans for the old desk? If you are looking to find a new home for it, please keep me in mind! I’m local and could use a white desk with a smaller footprint for my tiny, shared, home office.
Thanks! Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kat! I’d love to use that up in the guest room as a sewing table. Will keep you posted if it doesn’t work out though!
xo
s
Julianne says
Great find & even better redo!! Looks absolutely fanyastic. Love yiur plan to cut out the back to make it useable for two. You both are too smart! :0)
Megan Clark says
What a find and transformation… love the handles/legs added touch! The trees are also fabulous and should do well in that bright room (just don’t over water tropicals!). I am going on year 5 of an umbrella tree I bought from H.D. for $20. They’re the best!
Question about the Safecoat – do you only recommend using it on areas you need more durability? Not on trim and such?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it’s best for tabletops and wood you want to seal or add durability to. No need for it on trim (I’d just use semi-gloss paint).
xo
s
April S says
I love the big double sided desk idea. It reminds me of an old timey private detectives office.
Katharina says
I think this desk calls for as much congratulations as yesterday’s post! How great is a desk with a pull out tablet/drawer/thing?
Meagan {Green Motherhood} says
Y’all can totally play footsie under that desk ;)
R. Robinson says
Great layout! Where will the Christmas tree go since you’re using its spot for the desk now?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re thinking we’ll either scoot the desk forward into the room for that month or find another spot for it. Grateful to have nine months to figure it out!
xo
s
Amanda B. says
I’m glad I’m not the only weirdo thinking about where the Christmas tree will go… That was seriously my first concern with each of the layout options! Clearly Christmas is a priority in my house’s design! :-P
Alex Smith says
Yes!! I LOVE free furniture! My husband and I were trying to fill our apartment as newlyweds on a tight budget. So I saw this ugly yellow dresser with blue floral knobs on the curb outside my parents’ neighbor’s house. We cleaned it up, primed it, painted it with leftover white paint I had, and stuck new knobs on it. It is now one of my favorite peices in our house! and we didn’t have to fork out a ton of money for a dresser. :)
Elizabeth says
Love the champagne accents – thinking about doing this same look for a an old dresser that will (one day) serve as a changing table.
Did you find the desk using a Craigslist app? If so, which app do you use?
YoungHouseLove says
I forget the name of it, but I love it (it’s something hard to spell like cPro or something)! A few others have asked for a post about the home apps I use so I should do one for you guys with all that info!
xo
s
Miriam says
Say yes to the desk! Love the clean white paint job and the subtle not-quite-brass color you used for the metallic accents… my coffee table might have to get the same treatment (once our 7″ of St. Patrick’s Day snow melts), so thanks for including the name of the spray paint color you used!
chrissie lynn says
love this! had hoped you’d “see the light” and not put yourselves in the corner. this desk is amazing – what a find.
Jen says
I love the desk! Is the chair from Target? I was thinking of getting these chairs for our kitchen table but wasn’t sure of the quality. Thoughts? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from ebay back when I lived in NYC 9 years ago!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Hi John and Sherry! Long time reader here.. :) I’m currently majoring in interior design and want to give you guys a virtual high five for this newer office layout… there are studies that show if you sit closer than eight feet to a wall it actually puts huge strain on your eyes because when you look up they don’t get any real rest from looking at the computer screen! Also people feel more relaxed when there is wall behind them rather than in front of them, which is more of a subconscious thing. Just something interesting I thought I’d share, with a kudos for avoiding a potentially harmful layout! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Jennifer! That’s so interesting!
xo
s
Emily says
Love the desk and how the office is shaping up! Also, congrats on your target line…I cannot wait to get that cute octopus hook:) Here’s a random question for you…what do you usually put on the bottom of your furniture legs to keep it from scratching the hardwood? We have all hardwood, but the little felt pads look funky to me even when I cut them smaller than the chair legs. Any thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
We use small little felt pads from Home Depot. I’m too nervous about scratching my floors to go without them! They also sell tiny rubber clear ones if the felt ones are too big, so maybe try those?
xo
s
Katie says
Love LOVE this makeover!! Quick question…what brand is the Advance paint or is Advance the brand? Also, where do you buy it? I love painting furniture but still don’t get that smooth finish without spraying (which I am not a fan of because it is soo messy and cannot be done indoors!)
Thank you!
Katie
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Advance paint, which is a line by Ben Moore. It’s usually sold wherever BM is sold (ours is a local place called Virginia Paint).
xo
s
Roxanne M says
Looks great! What a wonderful find :)
Sarah says
Oooh, soapstone! If all goes well, we will be moving in 3 weeks and immediately jumping into a partial kitchen remodel (not the original plan, but a botched plumbing job last fall necessitated some remediation). We’re planning for white cabinets and soapstone. Love that look!
Out of curiosity, if you did soapstone (or another solid surface) would you extend the worktop with corbels or something so the overhang would be on the back side of the desk as opposed to interfering with the drawers? Or would the worktop be essentially the same size as the present?
YoungHouseLove says
We’d either just do a slight overhang to give it some presence (like 2″ on each side) or we’d deliberately extend it a bunch on one side to create an overhang like you mentioned, but we don’t want it to get too wide/cramped or to look too unbalanced from the side, so we’re still giving it some thought…
xo
s
Ashley says
This is so awesome. The white was a great choice and how cute are those legs? Quick question — the photo of the curb alert notice…is that an app? An email? Something else? I’ve loaded some craigslist RSS feeds in my aggregator, but emails or a smartphone app would be cooler…. What has worked for you?
YoungHouseLove says
I forget the name of it, but I love it (it’s something hard to spell like cPro or something)! A few others have asked for a post about the home apps I use so I should do one for you guys with all that info!
xo
s
Michelle says
I love it – as usual, you guys did a great job.
I would enjoy seeing a post about how you maximize Craigslist. Tips like how to search, how to word for sale posts, when to use Curb Alert, how to use Craiglist on your smart phone (in the hopes of getting an item before it is gone), etc.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds fun! Thanks for the suggestions Michelle!
xo
s
Naomi says
Hi Guys!
So impressed! I cannot believe you managed to get it, that never happens in the UK I am afraid :-(
It is a fab idea to add a top to the desk and extend it out to accommodate two people. If you extended it by the length aswell as the depth, you could have an extra desk section for meetings. You have the space into the room and could have chairs that can be relocated to become a meeting desk! Multifunctional!
Good luck with everything, your Target items are amazing, I only wish the UK had a target equivalent. I am planning our honeymoon in the US, just so I can stock up! ha ha
Naomi (from across the pond)
Elisheva says
I love the new layout, it looks a lot more open and functional – and this way you can keep an eye on kids at their colouring desk while you work, instead of having your view blocked by that centre table :) The desk looks beautiful too, especially the hardware against the clean white! It looks like it will take some time to figure out the best way to use it as a double desk but you can sort it out by trial and error and see what works.
Did you send off an email to the person who posted the curb alert on Craigslist? They might like to see the transformation!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d love to contact them but since it was a curb alert there was no email or phone number.
xo
s
Erin says
My mother left an old dresser out by the curb once for free pickup. A couple of weeks later, she received a letter in the mail addressed from “her old dresser” with a photo of it all cleaned up and living in its new home. Kinda weird but it does make a good story so I’ve started doing the same with any items I pick up and redo. #crapnowimweird
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute! I love that story.
xo
s
Lindsey says
Awesome!!
I salvaged a remarkably similar desk from the curb when I was in college. It was broken into chunks at the time, but my then-fiancé/now-husband and I have carefully assembled and reassembled it through three moves. Each time he was ready to toss it in the fireplace, but I love it (especially the enormous workspace and sturdy vintage details!) and I’m hoping this post will help him see that I’m not the only one who gets all jazzed for big, old desks like this ;-)
Kelley says
You guys totally inspire me to revamp old things in to something new and wonderful. Last summer, I painted my old childhood dresser a fun, poppy red. We’re now moving to a new apartment and the red just won’t go with everything else. I definitely want to keep the dresser since it’s been with me a long time and, even more important — it was FREE! ;) Do you have a type/brand/method for painting over bright red? I’m thinking of Benjamin Moore’s “Tranquility” for the new color. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/tranquility
Thanks for help and inspiration!
Kelley
YoungHouseLove says
I’d use a good primer (two coats) like Kilz premium and then two coats of semi-gloss paint.
xo
s
Shelley @ Calypso in the Country says
First of all – I was just about to ask about the plants but now I see your answer right above…thanks! I kill every plant I get my hands on but a one year warranty could get me to try again! Love the desk and the way you have floated it. My desk floats in the middle of my home office and I love the feel it gives the room. Your room looks huge too and I can’t wait to see what else you do in there!
-Shelley
Sara says
I love the transformation! The finished product looks so clean and stylish! I am wondering though, where you got the legs for the desk? Was this something you purchased or did you make them yourself?
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
They actually came with the desk – we just took them off to get it into the car!
xo
s
Meredith says
Love the desk update. Beautiful.
Maybe you could run the shelves all the way across the back wall? Might give the room more symmetry. Plus you’d have more storage and the wall with the door would be a bit more symmetrical as well.
Just a thought! Love everything you do!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Meredith!
xo
s
Alexis says
If you cut out the back, you guys could play footsies under the desk while you work ;)
Jen says
One on my hesitations to putting a desk or table in the middle of the room is outlets. We have a room similar to yours and have no upper lighting. Do you just plan to have cords from the computers extend to the side outlets? Desk lamps? My kids often trip over cords if we leave them sticking out. Just wondering if you have plans or solutions for that.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning to add a floor outlet right under/behind the desk so there’s no tripping hazard. Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Naomi says
I love the light, open, airy feel of the office! And the Curb Alert desk!
My husband is a Craigslist Ninja and has an app that sends him alerts for keywords like “free” and anything else we set up that we might be looking for. One evening he got an alert about a free storage cabinet that was about a half-mile from our house. We immediately jumped up and headed out to find it. Also listed in the add was a big box type thing with pegboard as dividers inside. We went for the storage cabinet, but ended up taking both items. As we were loading up, three or four other people drove by in search of the free items. I was so excited that we arrived first and couldn’t believe that so many people appeared so quickly to pick them up. It was such a rush to get there first and quickly load up our free finds!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Suzy says
Did you get the Fiddle Fig leaves this week? Did they have a lot? I’m in RVA and been looking for ones that big. Great price! Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
It was a week or two ago I think! There were a bunch at the CarMia Home Depot.
xo
s
Suzy says
Thanks for the tip! Just bought a huge one at the HD at Horsepen and Broad, it was the last healthy one left:) Just a heads up, they said they only warrenty house plants/trees 90 days and out door trees/plants are 1 yr.
Thx!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Suzy!
xo
s
GreenInOC says
I love it!
I usually inwardly cringe at painted vintage wood furniture but this is one of those cases in which it was a brilliant decision. The detail on the handles looks spectacular.
My only question is about power. My 2-year old MacBook Pro can only go about 2 hours with heavy use before needing to be plugged in again. Are you going to have an electrical outlet put in the floor so you don’t have to have cords running to a wall outlet?
The side with the cabinet – do you think you could turn the opposite side into another door so that you would have access to storage from both sides?
Looks GREAT!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, reach through storage on that side is brilliant!!! Thanks for that idea. As for the outlets, we’d love to add one in the floor so there aren’t any tripping hazards.
xo
s
Ashley says
I’m so glad you guys nixed that other layout; this one seems WAY more conducive to how you want to work/live in that space!
– Ashley
Connie says
Do you have a moisture meter for your plants—a probe to stick into the soil and a dial to show how wet or dry the soil is an inch or more below the surface? I found one at Ace Harware for less than $10. The chart that came with my moisture meter says fiddleleaf figs prefer to be on the dry side but houseplants.about.com says “steadily moist.” Since I don’t have a fig, go with whatever your plant tag said. Remember to fertilize the plant. Keeping track of watering and fertilizing is a great task for your computer reminder software—I’m using Things on my Mac.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo
s
Jessica says
I love the champaign accents! I may have to steal that for my upcoming office or bedroom decorating!!
Katie says
You guys are awesome! Quick question – we just purchased our first home and are having a painter give the house a fresh coat of paint pretty much everywhere before we move in. We also planning on having our kitchen cabinets painted white.
We went with a guy who gave us a REALLY reasonable quote and while I’m SUPER confident in his talent some of my family seems to think that painting kitchen cabinets is really hard. If he does the job and we see brush marks etc, could I “fix it” potentially by giving the cabinets a light sand and following your tutorial? Just trying to have a contingency plan, in the VERY small chance that it doesn’t come out perfectly.
I wish I had the time to do it myself! Thanks so much for all your inspiration and guidance!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes I think sanding and one more smooth topcoat could so the trick. Good luck!
xo
s