I’ve spent a few days now working on my pendant light to go over my desk in the studio, but I’ve also been doing quite a bit of thinking about how I want to make over the desk. For a while now, I’ve been planning to paint the desk. But I also bought some drawers that attach under the desktop to have easy access to pens, pencils, post-it notes, etc. So I also had to think through how I was going to hide those drawers.
Here’s how the desk looks right now, so you can see that if I attach drawers to the bottom of the desktop, the sides and backs of the drawers will be plainly visible.
I want the desk to be lighter, brighter, and to look more feminine. I’m still not sure about the colors. I may go all white, or I may do white and gold. I haven’t decided on that yet. But what I do know is that I want to end up with something more like this desk from Wayfair., with a relatively open back, but pretty panels on the sides.
So I plan to remove the “V” design from the back of the desk, and move the bottom horizontal support up to the top, and then add supports on the side at the same height. I’ll add plywood panels inside that area to hide the drawers, so you won’t actually be able to see through that top area.
I’ll leave the back open, but then I want to add some decorative panels in the sides.
And that’s as far as my plan has gotten in my mind. I’ve been online several times over the last week looking for the perfect wood panels to go in those areas, and I’m just having such a hard time making a decision. Here are some possibilities.
I have to keep in mind that any panels I buy will have to be cut down to size, so I won’t be left with the whole design. But if I can find one that’s big enough to get both sides out of one panel, it might make the project cheaper. For example Kirkland’s has this large panel that is big enough that I could cut it in half and use each half on each side of the desk. I’d turn each half vertically so that the flowers are going up instead of growing sideways.
So that’s my vision and my plan. I’m just having such a hard time finding the right panel(s) to use. The part I’m really unsure about is whether I should use panels that are more geometric or panels that are more floral in design. I kind of like the idea of bringing a floral component to this area of the room, but I also don’t want floral overload. And I always like a geometric pattern used with a floral pattern, so that idea appeals to me as well.
Anyway, that’s the plan, and I’m on the hunt for the perfect wood panel(s) that I can use on the sides of my desk. I’m really excited to get started on that makeover. Lightening up the color and design of that desk will go a long way towards making that area look finished. And really, once I get the light finished, the desk and the chair are the final big projects for the room! I can see the finish line!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
