Studio Desk Makeover – Part 3 – Adding Trim, Furniture Feet, and Other Details

First, let me again up and remind you of the errors that I made on my first try so as to add panels to the present desk. Not solely did I set up the aspect ornamental vine panels the wrong way up. (To my eye, the vines wanted to “develop” up and never down.) However I additionally made the error of pondering I might simply add boards to the within of the higher space to cover the drawers that I’ll be including.

So what I ended up with was this — an the wrong way up vine and an higher space that seemed prefer it wished to be an inset panel however failed as a result of the board was set method too far again. And it seemed awkward having the higher panel and the decrease ornamental panel set at totally different factors on the two″ x 2″ boards that fashioned the body of the desk.

To right my errors, I wanted to begin by eradicating the ornamental panel. I used my Dremel Multi-Max to chop alongside the perimeters by means of the nails that have been holding the panel in. That left some gouges within the body items, so I needed to fill these with wooden filler and sand to easy out the harm.

After which after chopping the piece for the higher panel on my desk noticed in order that it could match contained in the body items, I used a bit of 1/4-inch board as a spacer to connect it. That is a type of specialty boards that you could find at Dwelling Depot or a craft retailer.

So I used this as a spacer whereas putting in the entire panels to verify they have been all set into the desk body on the similar level.

Right here’s what the highest panel seemed like set contained in the body versus attaching behind the body.

It seemed so a lot better this manner! I connected it utilizing 16-gauge nails shot by means of the body items above and under the panel, and into the perimeters of the panel. (The desktop isn’t presently connected, so I simply moved it over to entry the highest body piece so I might nail by means of it and into the highest fringe of the panel.)

After which I used the identical spacer to re-install the ornamental panel.

That seemed so a lot better! Every part seemed deliberate and intentional this time. Earlier than, it seemed haphazard and like an afterthought.

Within the footage under, you may actually see the distinction that it made to carry these higher panels ahead contained in the desk body. Right here’s what it seemed like earlier than with the boards connected to the again of the desk body. Like this, the boards have been set again 1.5 inches…

And right here’s what it appears to be like like after chopping the boards to suit contained in the desk body, and transferring these boards ahead contained in the body in order that they’re set again only one/4 inch…

After getting the entire panels in place, I began including trim. That is the place I actually began making stuff up as I went alongside. 😀 I used some cupboard trim from Dwelling Depot (the type that’s bought by the 8-foot piece and never by the linear foot) and determined to connect it to the entire horizontal desk body items. I appreciated the trim, the panels, and the leaf design. What I didn’t like was how these sq. legs seemed from the underside trim to the ground.

It seemed like I had taken a Parson’s desk and added trim to it to make it look conventional in fashion. It seemed very odd to my eye. So I headed to Dwelling Depot and acquired some furnishings legs. The size of the leg from the underside of the trim under the ornamental panel to the ground was six inches. The one six-inch furnishings legs that have been slim sufficient to make use of on my desk and that I might discover regionally have been these…

I wasn’t thrilled about it. I had vowed by no means to make use of these legs once more on any challenge as a result of they’re so ubiquitous on DIY furnishings tasks just because they’re so available at each Dwelling Depot and Lowe’s. However I both had to make use of these or wait a number of days for a web based order to point out up, and I simply wasn’t prepared to attend. In order that left me with one alternative. I had to make use of these.

So I flipped the desk over on its again…

After which I used a handsaw to chop off the leg under the trim…

And I used to be left with this…

Dwelling Depot didn’t have the metallic inserts that match the screw on these legs, and the plates they promote to simply connect these legs to furnishings have been method too large to suit this space of my desk. So I simply drilled a gap within the desk leg that was a dimension smaller than the screw high on the furnishings leg, coated the highest of the furnishings leg with wooden glue, after which screwed it in. Then I strengthened it with some nails shot at an angle by means of the highest fringe of the legs and angled into the underside of the desk leg. As soon as the glue dried, the brand new legs have been very safe.

After flipping the desk over and repeating that on the again leg, that is what it seemed like.

Although these aren’t my favourite furnishings ft, I believed this seemed so a lot better than having these plain, sq. legs going all the way in which to the ground.

After repeating that course of on the legs on the opposite aspect of the desk, the fundamental construct for the desk base was completed.

I did get the entire wooden filling finished final night time earlier than I went to mattress (nail holes, mitered trim corners, and many others.), so I’m hoping that I can get this base completed right now.

I’ll have to sand the entire wooden filler, after which prime the entire thing and provides it a fast sanding once more earlier than portray. I’ll additionally have to do some caulking to repair a few of the areas across the ornamental panels the place my Dremel Multi-Max left some fairly tough cuts. However I’m actually hoping that I can have this completed right now and get began on the desktop. I received’t be capable of connect the drawers till the desktop is completed and in place.