A Hand-me-Down of the Best Kind...

This is my desk... in my office... in my home.  And yes, that is artwork from my children on the right, that I have saved over the years, and an outdoor/indoor rug that I love for the colors but don't love the bumpy ness of.  I'll eventually tack it down with Velcro and be happy.

The picture below shows what I started with...

This is the foot board of the bed I have lived with for over 30 years.  It was my sister's originally, and she passed it down to me when I moved out of my parent's home.  When I redesigned my bedroom 3 years ago (another post for another day) I didn't have the heart to throw this bedframe out.  I had hung on to the frame for several years, waiting to see what I could do with it.

This became the first piece that I had the nerve to "re-purpose" into something I could keep and would want.  I am so very proud that I had the nerve to tackle this project and it could not have been done without the inspiration I have found on the "blog world" from some very talented women. 

One of the side rounded pieces had split off during the course of the years, so we cut the remaining side off.  Once that was done, it was only a matter of refinishing it and finding the appropriate "legs" to support the desk.

This is the "after" I had painted the base color in Olde White with a Duck Egg Blue inset.  It's also been slightly distressed along the edges and some gilding was applied to the details. 

I needed legs, but couldn't afford to buy them, so I repurposed an antique mirror support for the front two.  I simply hacked the two long pieces to an equal length and painted them to match. 

Now for the "FAIL".... I kept thinking in my mind about  how antique furniture (dressers, vanities, etc) had all the details on the front legs where it was visible, but the back legs were always plain.

Considering I was trying to create this "desk" for free, I chose to use plain (by that I mean 1.49 wooden deck spindles) for the back legs. 

What I didn't take into consideration was the fact that the desk has no drawers or storage underneath, and you could see right through the top & bottom.  Not only ugly, it wobbled like no tomorrow.  But I had already counter sunk the screws for the legs from the top, wood glued the "buttons" on the top and painted/distressed them to match.  Oh... and let it dry overnight.

I won't tell you how long it took me the next day to pry those buttons out and refinish the surface.  Lesson learned. 

As my mind tried to envision a way to just chuck it all into the trash, I wandered downstairs to check my ever growing pile of "crap I'll never use" and I came across by son's twin sized antique headboard.  It had two "arms" with pineapple" carvings on top.  I hacked those off, and cut the sides to specs and now I have this...

I absolutely love it...and couldn't be prouder of myself. 

As my ex-fiancé would say "Not for nuthin" but I've done well for myself.  And I hope to continue to expand on my abilities and inspire someone else to do the same!