The Joy Of RePurposing

I found this little desk at a yard sale ( that is fast becoming one of my favorite pastimes...: )

Here's a "not so good" photo taken on my phone of it "before".

I wasn't sure what to do with it....refinish it and put it in the shop? Change out the hardware?

I decided to keep it and use it on my veranda.

I'm trying to prepare for my favorite season of the year--autumn. I want to create a coziness on this veranda out the back of our house on a VERY limited budget.

I took off the hardware, sanded it down (it didn't have much of a finish left anyway) and put wood putty in the hardware holes.

I decided it would look better with a single large knob (not so dresser or desk-like). I was going for more of a buffet look.

I painted the entire desk with Rustoleum 2X coverage spray paint in Espresso. If you follow my blog regularly, you know I'm a huge FAN of this paint.

The big chunky dark bronze knobs are from Home Depot (around $3 each) I sanded the edges up pretty good along with the drawer fronts near the knobs. I finished with a few coats of polyurethane at the end.

Last night I sat outside and enjoyed the view of my newly re purposed piece. It's amazing how a little inexpensive piece like this ($10 at the yard sale) can begin to create an outdoor living space. It will be a great place to keep some placemats, napkins and even the barbecue tools.

Here's the thing about giving this pieces of furniture a new life. Most of them are made of REAL WOOD! They are sturdy and have stood the test of time. Sure, they may be a bit beat up--by that just adds to the character for me. The old stuff is just made so much better than most of the new stuff. Don't discount these smaller pieces if you can't use them inside--think OUTSIDE.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

There really is a satisfaction that comes from decorating on a budget and being happy with the outcome....don't you think?

If you haven't entered my Garden Girl Sign giveaway yet, check the kprevious post and put your name in the hat.

Enjoy your day.