as you can see... she moved it right in and put it straight to use (next to her old desk that is still there)
my oldest daughter will turn eight in a few weeks. she loves to work at her desk, play teacher with her little sisters, and to make various paper gifts.
she is also still using the little desk that i bought for her (used) at a school fundraiser three years ago. it was the perfect desk when she was five... but the last year or so it's been getting a little small for her.
so, one of my "plans" for her birthday was to find a nice used desk that is more fit for her needs now. i was also planning to paint it white... like the trim in the photo above... and paint the chair the same teal that her dresser and bed stand are painted. which i think would look beautiful and really blend well into her room. but of course... when i got it home... i got the dreaded "you can't paint that! it's good wood!" ahhh... the good wood curse. i can't tell you how many times i have heard that one, and it never fails to make me question (and usually give up on) my plans. now, that desk does look pretty good in her room as is... so i'm not going to fret about that now... but i am going to paint some other pieces and see how i feel about it a little later (with a bit more experience).
i have some other fun plans for this girls birthday as well. in the next couple weeks we are going to work together and clear off her walls (which she has plastered with pictures and stickers... and even she finds overwhelming now), and we are going to clean and organize everything again. then i'm planning to find a way to sneak a few special changes in right before her birthday. one of those changes involves special lighting in the little nook where her desk usually is... she constantly complains that it is too dark in there. i have been brainstorming a beautiful solution though and i am very excited to make it happen.
i am so excited.
i believe one of my favorite things is problem solving in my home.
Oh, I know that "you can't paint that" feeling!!! Once you paint wood, you can never go back! It is such a commitment. This weekend, I painted my daughter's little chest of drawers. It's an antique (or at least vintage piece) and was only stained. It was lovely with it's wooden color, but I was itching for something girlier for her, something brighter. So, I did it and painted it a very, very light dusty pink. It's adorable! But I think I ended up talking to the chest while painting it knowing that this wonderful piece of furniture was entering a new chapter in its existence.
ReplyDeleteI fall on the "you can't paint good wood" side of things when it comes to woodwork in a house, but with furniture I'm more easygoing about it. That desk is lovely! (And it would look nice painted, too.) xo
ReplyDeletethank you for your thoughts ladies :) nicole- i love the image you created of painting that dresser :) it's lovely! it is so true that you can never go back! i have a few vintage pieces that i'm too scared to paint at this point... but i have been buying very inexpensive used pieces that are wood with the intention of painting :)
ReplyDeleteSO fun to find furniture to fill the little one's rooms. I love those pics. She seems like such a sweetie. I think our kids would be fast friends.
ReplyDeleteI say if you want to paint it, then paint it. My Mike is a lover of natural wood, but I don't mind painting something if I think it needs it.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your sweet girl.
thank you for the support ladies :) cory- i bet they would be too!
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