Before and After

Brian bought this old heavy walnut desk 9 years ago for $5 at a yard sale, and it's always been hidden back in a room. But in this house, we have a big living space but no extra room so my computer junk is out in the open.

An old chair seat that matches the old nasty wooden chair we bought at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago. Ignore the dirty floor.

And after new hardware and a couple of coats of Annie Sloan paint in Old White.

And do you see my BEAUTIFUL Angela Crutcher canvas? I cannot tell you how much I love it.

Brian re-upholstered the chair for me, and while it matches the carpet and our burgundy couch perfectly, I find myself completely regretting that I didn't buy the cheerful, bright fabric I had originally picked out. When I finally get to redo our living room (when we finally land in someplace permanent), I'll definitely redo it in something bright and colorful.

And in case anyone is wondering about the Annie Sloan paint, it *mostly* lived up to all the hype. It's a furniture chalk/matte paint, and while a quart is super expensive, you don't have to prime, sand, etc. and one coat dries in about 30 minutes. Just paint, follow it up with wax, and that's it. It has a great matte finish to it (and we did just a little distressing). I wish I would have been bold enough to go with a great color, but once again went a little safe so that it would match the furniture/carpet/house that we are currently living in. Because it's a desk and gets alot of use, I think that the paint is maybe not going to hold up quite as well as *real* paint, but for now it looks good, and I'm super happy with it.