When I walked through the back door, I knew he would either be in his recliner or at the kitchen table.
If he was in his recliner, there was a 50 / 50 chance he had fallen asleep with a cigarette in hand and either Bonanza or In the Heat of the Night blaring from the television.
If he was expecting me and it was morning, he would most likely be at the kitchen table, facing me when I walked through the door, flipping through a magazine he had pulled from the stack that was a foot tall and rising.
This kitchen table was more than a table to me.
I sat on this table and ate my first birthday cake and drank milk from a mustard bottle.
I sat at this table and watched my grannie make me milkshakes.
I sat at this table and watched my pap try to make those same milkshakes after Grannie died.
I sat at this table and said my first curse word as I stuck a fork into a potato.
I sat at this table as he told me he would work on the tractor and I would mow the grass. I may hurt myself on the tractor.
I sat at this table with every cookbook of my grannie’s open, looking for that one chicken spaghetti recipe that my pap wanted so much to make.
I sit at this table now and write this post.
This table has been around as long as I can remember. Its solid, its sturdy, and if there is one piece of furniture that I want to work at every day, its this one. Its got a good history.
And we all know a piece of furniture with a good history is the best.
How to Build a Desk
(Using What You’ve Got)
This table actually has two leaves that go with it. They fold down, but when they are folded down, they block your knees and its uncomfortable. Because of this, I just unscrewed them from the table.
The top part, the hutch, actually came with that dresser I paid $10 for at a yard sale and turned into my buffet. I didn’t really need the hutch on the buffet, so I just took it off, but knew I would end up having the perfect project for it one day.
Once the table was in place, we set the hutch on top of it, then Grunt Labor found a stud and secured the hutch to the wall with a screw.
I painted it all glossy black to match the moldings and other black accents in the guest bedroom. Then, I “dipped” the feet with gold spray paint.
I kept my Jonathan Adler inspired chair in the room as my office chair.
And added a fun pillow from Wayfair to keep me workin’ hard.
And I love it. I seriously love working in this space every single day. I smile every time I look at my new office space.
Its functional, its stylish, it was affordable, and most importantly, it has a history.
My history.
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Beautiful……nothing like great memories. Great job!
Thanks so much, Terri! I couldn’t agree more – nothing like memories!
Awesome desk, love the creativity! Pieces that have a story are the best sort to keep around. The black and gold look very chic together, nice paint choice.
Thanks, Abby! I love the black and gold as well – one of my favorite combinations.
Love the history of this piece! Awesome idea to add the hutch to the table to make the desk. 🙂
Thanks!! I’m a sucker for history!
Love every little detail of this! Awesome repurposing!
Angela @ Number Fifty-Three
Thanks, Angela! Repurposing is the best!
Honey, I miss Pap & Grannie too. They would have been so proud of you & absolutely adored Miss Landry Eva. Your post brought memories & tears to my eyes. Have a great day. Love you. Give my precious girl some lovin’ from Granddaddy. Dad
Thank you, Dad.
Awe I love the story and the fact that you get to sit at their table everyday! It also doesn’t hurt that you did an awesome job and it looks fabulous!
Thanks so much, Desaree!!
You always have such great stories behind your furniture!!! Love this one!! And your office space just screams, “I’m sexy and I know it!” So awesome!!
I’m sexy and I know it!???!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!! I love it! Ok, that is going to have to be a quote somewhere in here!! Thanks, Selene!
i like the little gold feet the best 🙂
Thanks, Trina! I gotta have some gold somewhere!!
The desk is amazing! Such a good idea to marry those pieces. I would never think to do something like that!
Thanks for the sweet comment about my dad’s house. 🙂
Thank you, Stacey! Your dad’s house was amazing!
It’s absolutely perfect in every way, Jenna. Perfect. I love the story of it and it reminds me of so many happy moments I’ve spent with my grandparents too. Love the desk – the gold feet are fab and the pillow… work like a boss. Love it.
Ahhhh, thank you! You know I gotta have a little touch of gold and inspiration somewhere!
Simply FABulous girl! Love, love, love! Now I need to find a table to transform into a desk. Our office will be getting a makeover in the next 6 months I hope!
Thanks, Amy!! It was so simple, but I can’t believe just how great it turned out!
Such sweet memories and what a way to take them and spin them into something new, black, and tres chic! Would love for you to share at Fridays Unfolded!
Alison
Nancherrow
Thanks, Alison! I love turning something old into something new, but still keeping all those memories!
Ooh it’s so classy and beautiful! And I love all of the history behind it! Pinning for sure! Thanks for sharing, Jenna!
~Abby =)
Thanks, Abby!! I love a piece with good history!
Thank you so much for linking up at Thursday STYLE and for supporting our party!! I absolutely adore your desk…it’s genius as always. You have such a vision to be able to create this from two separate old items. I love the gold feet especially! Of course your fabulous gold sequin hangers look amazing next to it too. Have a great weekend!!
Thanks, Angela! I’ve got to have some gold somewhere!
I absolutely love this! I love keeping heirlooms around and I love furniture with a story behind it. How awesome that you gave this table a new life! I know it holds a lot of special memories for you!
Thanks! I’m the same way – I love old pieces of furniture with a story!
What a great story and piece of history! So inspired by how you put this all together!!!
Thanks, April!
I love a good story! I also love this awesome desk! 😀
Thanks so much, Heather!
I love this story! And the desk is fab!
Hugs,
Jamie
Thanks, Jamie!
Stunning Jenna! I used an old table and old hutch to make my craft desk too- but it certainly doesn’t look as elegant as yours. It hardly even looks like a work space it is so pretty!
Did you Krista? I love this combo -its pretty and functional!
Love your new desk Jenna!
I would have loved to see a “before” of the table….. from the old days.
gail
Thanks, Gail! I know – I had actually painted it once several years ago pre-blogging and of course, didn’t take a photo!
Love that story Jenna and I bet your grandparents are looking down with pride that their table is still being used day-to-day by their granddaughter. I love the makeover you gave it and adding the hutch is such a smart idea. Now that cute pillow of yours – lov’n it too! Your desk caught my eye over at the Inspire Me Tuesday Party.
Marie, that is just one of the sweetest comments I’ve ever gotten. Thank you!
I seriously would love to work in a space like that too!!! Love this.
Thanks, Dee!! Working is much easier when you are in a space you love!
I’m patiently waiting to redo my own work space. Thanks for the inspiration.
You are so welcome, Dee! I’m glad you like it!
Ok, I totally love this! Creative, frugal and looks great!
Thank you!!
How fabulous to turn an heirloom into something you can love and enjoy every single day. Such beautiful memories. Your desk looks amazing and so creative to add the hutch top. Love it. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
Thanks, Marty! There was no way I was parting with this – I had to find a way to make it work!
What an amazing upcycle! It is so classy and unique and I love the price, lol! I have a double drop leaf collecting dust in my garage…I’ll have to watch out for a discarded hutch top now 🙂 Thanks for inspiring me!! Pinned!
The price is great, isn’t it?? haha! Thanks so much! Hope you find a hutch soon!
SOOOO Fabulous! I love it! I love how sometimes using what we have turns out to be the coolest stuff ever! Thanks for linking it up at Monday Funday!
So true, Katie!! Thanks!
Love this Jenna! Classy, sassy…just like you! The only space I have for my computer desk is one end of our living room and I really need to clean/organize/jazz up the area… This is a wonderful idea, even more wonderful that you get to keep and utilize something that holds such memories for you.
Thanks, Cathy!! Yes – I could never part with that table, so I had to make it something that would work for me! I think something like this would be great in a living room. It doesn’t look too “desk-y”, its more like furniture. Know what I mean?
I love the history of the kitchen table, too sweet! Beautiful job reinventing it!
Thanks so much, Dria!
That turned out beautifully. Love that it is black too
Thank you, Veronica!