How everything came together in the study

This is what I started with

I really didn't know where to begin.  But I was going to get rid of the desk and paint the bookcase.  So I found some mistinted paint at the hardware store and got to work on the bookcase. Moving it closer to the opening of the room, gave me more room to play with (so I could fit a bigger desk in).

Looking much better already. 

But, this is some of what I pulled off the bookcase...

Where did it all come from?? ?
I needed somewhere to put all this "stuff".  So I put up 2 rows of shelves.  Just 4 planks of wood on brackets.  Then painted them same colour as the bookcase.

In the meantime, I came across a filing cabinet and bedside cabinet to use as a base for the new desk.  These were painted the same colour as the shelves and bookcase.  And had new handles attached.  The desk was from the top of our old entertainement unit, and fitted the space next to the bookcase perfectly.  This was just lucky, I hadn't done any pre measuring.

Next came the chalkboard calander.

However the other side of the room still needed some work.

While I waited for the ideal desk to jump in my lap, I started to improve and purchase the accessories.

The second desk did "jump in my lap".  You can read about that here. 

And I have a study that I enjoy using, love looking at, and is a vast improvement on the eyesore we once had.

The Desk I Built

Or maybe I should call it the Chameleon bedside drawers??

These bedside drawers started off like this -

And Finished like this -

Not such a dramatic change I hear you say.  But wait.

The original drawers were a freebie from a member off my local freecycle group.  And I was chuffed when I picked them up as the only description was - brown 4 drawer bedside cabinet to give away.  That description could have described just about anything.  I did have to fix the back left corner, as part of the top had chipped away.  I just squared off the chip and ironed on some veneer (which I got from the hardware store)  The veneer wasn't the same colour but I was going to paint it anyway.

I enlisted the unpaid help (who always seems shows up when I have a paintbrush in my hand :-) ).

And set about decoupaging the top with a cute saying by Audrey Hepburn

To finish up with this

errrgh...
I had painted the drawers pink as I was going to put it in little angels room, but wasn't happy with the look.  The ink ran (as I just printed off from our ink jet printer) and the top was lumpy.  A bit of distressing later...still not happy.

So I stripped the top and found some better quality wrapping paper.  Again with Mod Podge and...

Hmmmm.  No, it still wasn't working for me.

On to plan B

Repaint cupboard, add new handles and a piece of board I had from pulling apart our entertainment unit, and tadaaaa

I see a new desk.

I stripped the top of the "table" and added the legs to all four corners of the table (the cupboard was a bit short, yes I know I could have shortened the legs, but I wasn't so sure I could cut them evenly).  A lick of paint to the legs and a splash of stain to the table top, plus I added so moulding to the edges.

The below picture shows where I patched up a dirty great big hole.  I just used the same stuff you patch walls with (not a wood specific product) and stained it.  I think it came up ok.

 And the final product I am very pleased with.

The legs were bought from a hardware store and I attached them to the top using a base plate that the legs then screw into.

I love the daintiness of it.  This is going to be my little sewing table.  I keep forgetting to remove that plastic flooring, I only notice it in the photos.

I am proudly linking to:

The Study Part 2

I have finished the study to the point where I am happy to reveal.  Of course there will be some adjustments, but I am happy for now, and can move on to another project. You can see part one here

Did I keep it under $500?  The answer is yes, with a fair bit of change in my back pocket.

Sample pot	$2.50
Paint	$39.60
Brackets	41.8	(10@$4.18)
Pine Boards	37.92	(4@9.48)
Filing cabinet	29.99
Cabinet	20
Brackets	25.08
Door handles	25.16
Door handles	7.98
Jig Saw	34.9
Roller	3.2
Sale of Shelves	-20.5
Sale of Desk	-79
Chalkboard Paint	22.36
Masking Tape	12.87
Baskets	59.85
Baskets	4
Furniture legs	42.68
Door Pulls	25.16
Bunnings Gift Voucher	-50
Liquid Nails	3.9
Nails	4.94
Pine Moulding	23.08
Total Spend	$317.47

$182.53 left over.  Plus I still have a desk to sell.

Here are the Before and Afters

I had forgotten how bad it was before.  But I love it now.

Chalkboard Calender

One of the things hubby wanted in the new office was a calender.  This is what I came up with ...

Each of the squares are 140mm square, with the width of the painters tape separating them.  I measureed it all out and taped, then painted with chalkboard paint.  I didn't take a picture of the before with the area taped out.  What can I say, once I get started on a project I just want to finish it. 

Anyway here is a picture of the area after I painted it.  Not a great picture but the camera seemed to have trouble with the cream walls and the big black area (at least that is my excuse, and not the fact that I didn't get the settings right before I proceeded to remove the tape :-))

I am not sure why I even added that picture, it is terrible.  Forget it is even there.  So here is the before with out the calender...



And with the calender...

It's all coming together.

The Study Part 1

Here is the first update of the study.

Just a quick reminder of the before from the same angle



And here is what I started with: 

This cabinet cost me $20 from the op shop.  All the drawers and doors were funtioning, but they had been drawn all over and it look a little yuck.  As seen below, even the inside was drawn on.

The cupboard below was also an op shop find for $29.99.  But this one the bottom drawer is actually a filing cabinet.  Yay, I was very pleased with this find.

I got them both home and then thought... mmm I wonder if they are the same height.  And I got lucky, they were.  The only problem was the desk top sat down over the top drawer of the filing cabinet and which meant that I couldn't get the drawer open.

So I cut an inch or so off the height of the drawer front.  (Which I butchered, so I had to cut a new front for the drawer)  Also the drawers didn't have handles but wooden sticky outy bits, so I cut them off too.  And ended up with this

A lick of paint (don't know what the colour is as it was a mistint pot at the hardware store and super cheap, but it is a very pale cream colour)  and this is what it looked like.

After some handles, and a little helping hand

It was moved into position.  The desk top is the top of an entertainment unit that I pulled to pieces. The unit is seen here

And the desk is put to use

Yep, there's my helper again

This is the other half of the room, that I don't want you to see yet...

Still a bit to go but I have come a long way in a week. Again the after picture

I'm linking this post here ...