fRoM tHe LAdiEs rOOm To tHe OffICe

…. or the Mens Room…Just depends on what side of the desk you’re sitting on…literally. As they say, everything is better the second time around…even moldy doors straight from the loo. We purchased a gem of a building next to the studio a while back and to say it just needs a little lovin’ is an understatement. It has obviously had some roofing issues over the years, leaving the interior a bit wet one too many times. And what, my friends does that lead to? A moldy, musty mess. Even amidst the mold, there were a few gems worth salvaging (not many mind you, but a few).
The project starts with an old window that my brother in law removed from a house he was renovating and was going to toss. We were getting ready to build a desk, and this window measures about 54 x 42… (and weighs about 200 pounds!!). Perfect size for a desktop…. we could utilize two sides for sitting and working. All we needed was a good, solid base…hmmmmm. How about those bathroom doors from the soppy building next door?! Off and running.
Cleaned the doors up with some soap and water followed by a final rubdown of lacquer thinner and the speckled mold prints cleaned right off. Cut down the doors for the center base with a circular saw and use the pocket hole jig to secure the four sides from the inside. This base would then sit on a riser (to get us to the 30 inch height we were wanting). We constructed that entirely out of old barnboards and fencing another friend was about to toss onto the burn pile. (it always amazes me the stuff that just gets trashed out there!) We built it larger than the center base (a few inches all the way around) for added stability and a place to rest our feet all the way around. Instead of closing off the top of the base right at the very top, we recessed it slightly, so we could place items under the glass like a shadowbox. We sealed it with a couple coats of shellac and set it in place in the den. (I filled the recessed area a few different ways and decided finally on a drawer filled with old printer blocks—everything else just looked messy in there) We topped it off with the window -- the weight of the window keeps it more than securely in place so there’s no need for reinforcement. That sucker won’t tip or slide about. Other than a couple of bucks in screws and shellac, this desk cost us nothing but time. And, I absolutely love it! It has a great story, we did it ourselves and it fits our worn, torn personal style, beautifully (or should I say rustic-ly?).
Look around and see what you can salvage...it's great fun, I promise!
From moldy to marvelous…check it out below and enjoy a great tune from the Authentic Records label…..“Me and Agamemnon” by Sharon Docherty off her One Proud Stance Album.
Cheers!
Michele.

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