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 prevailing desk. Not solely did I set up the facet ornamental vine panels the other way up. (To my eye, the vines wanted to “develop” up and never down.) However I additionally made the error of considering I may 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 other way up vine and an higher space that appeared prefer it wished to be an inset panel however failed as a result of the board was set method too far again. And it appeared awkward having the higher panel and the decrease ornamental panel set at completely 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 via the nails that had 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 slicing 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 will discover at Residence Depot or a craft retailer.

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

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

It appeared so significantly better this fashion! I hooked up it utilizing 16-gauge nails shot via the body items above and beneath the panel, and into the perimeters of the panel. (The desktop isn’t at the moment hooked up, so I simply moved it over to entry the highest body piece so I may nail via it and into the highest fringe of the panel.)

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

That appeared so significantly better! All the pieces appeared deliberate and intentional this time. Earlier than, it appeared haphazard and like an afterthought.

Within the photos beneath, you’ll be able to actually see the distinction that it made to deliver these higher panels ahead contained in the desk body. Right here’s what it appeared like earlier than with the boards hooked up to the again of the desk body. Like this, the boards had been set again 1.5 inches…

And right here’s what it seems to be like after slicing 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 just one/4 inch…

After getting all the 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 Residence Depot (the type that’s offered by the 8-foot piece and never by the linear foot) and determined to connect it to all the horizontal desk body items. I preferred the trim, the panels, and the leaf design. What I didn’t like was how these sq. legs appeared from the underside trim to the ground.

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

And I used to be left with this…

Residence Depot didn’t have the steel inserts that match the screw on these legs, and the plates they promote to simply connect these legs to furnishings had been method too massive to suit this space of my desk. So I simply drilled a gap within the desk leg that was a measurement 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 bolstered it with some nails shot at an angle via 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 had been very safe.

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

Though these aren’t my favourite furnishings ft, I assumed this appeared so significantly better than having these plain, sq. legs going all the best way to the ground.

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

I did get all the wooden filling finished final evening earlier than I went to mattress (nail holes, mitered trim corners, and so on.), so I’m hoping that I can get this base completed as we speak.

I’ll must sand all the wooden filler, after which prime the entire thing and provides it a fast sanding once more earlier than portray. I’ll additionally must do some caulking to repair among 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 as we speak and get began on the desktop. I gained’t have the ability to connect the drawers till the desktop is completed and in place.