BEFORE and AFTER: The Makeover of a “Dumpster Desk”
Eh– whatever the reason, thrifty souls like myself look at it as an opportunity to transform other people’s castoffs from the “uninspiring” to the “unbelievable.”
And that’s exactly what happened with this “dumpster desk”!
When I found this desk years ago at our condo complex, it was sitting there, just as perfect as could be. It had all its drawers. I just took them out and stupid me forgot to put them back in for this picture :). But it really was in great condition. I stopped the car so fast, put it in Park, and lugged that baby up the sidewalk and down 2 sets of stairs just to put it in our storage unit.
BEFORE
We didn’t have the space for it in our condo, but I knew one day we’d buy a house and it would serve its purpose for me.
Sure enough, a couple years after, we were finally settling into another house, and we had all our things packed and loaded. And–GASP!–hubby almost left this desk behind!! “There’s no space in the truck.”
No space, my foot!!! When you save a desk from the trash and hold onto it for 2 years, you don’t just leave it behind because there’s “not enough space.”
Glad I was able to save it twice!
Here’s How I Transformed It
The Hardware
Normally, knobs like this go for about $8 or $9 each at that store, but I picked these up for about $2-$3 each. Love them!
Broken Opportunities
When furniture looks like this, people want to throw it out, but for us DIY’ers, it’s just an opportunity to score a good deal 🙂
Then I added wood filler to the old holes. When it dried, I sanded it down, then slathered on a coat of paint over the drawer. Perfect!
AFTER!
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It came out really nice. I loved the colors you picked.
I love the ombre effect on the drawers. GREAT restyling for a piece bound for the landfill!
I love it! I have made my own chalk paint for years. It works great and you can buy any color. I use plaster paris mixed with water for a paste and to get lumps out, then mix: (1 part to 3 parts paint) stir and if you need to add a little water, but I have never had to add anymore water. No need to prime… works on anything! Saves a LOT of money!! 🙂 Do a Google search… 🙂
Love your style and your outlook on making it work without breaking the bank. I’m gonna start following you… 🙂
This is amazing! I love the color you chose. You made it totally different and it’s beautiful! Great job Serena!