Leather Inlay Desk Reveal

In my last post, I shared how I replaced a piece of leather inlay on an antique oak desk. Today, I'm sharing the full reveal but before I do, let me back up and remind you of what the piece looked like before:

I picked this pretty piece up at Crickets Antiques and Garden Market, which is a hop, skip and a jump away from where I live. It drew me in immediately with its antique oak wood, tiny dovetail joints and beautiful turned legs. The only problem was that worn out leather on the top.

You can read my full post about how I fixed that here.

I painted the bottom in a 50/50 mix of Miss Mustard Seed's Marzipan and Linen. This dreamy combination gives you the warm almond base of Marzipan with the lightened tone of creamy Linen.

It's the same combination I used on this chippy buffet.

I didn't do any prep work to my piece before painting it. I mixed up my paint and painted it right on. I thought I would get some chipping but the Milk Paint soaked right in!

After a hardware switch and some distressing, it was all ready to go. I packed it up in The Marshmallow and happily staged it in my booth at Morgantown Market.

I'm just loving this new leather top!

To revive the wood a bit, I gently sanded it and hydrated it with some Hemp Oil. It looks just lovely against the new leather vinyl. I also used a bit of Hemp Oil on that to shine it up, and it worked like a charm!

The dimensions of this piece make it versatile for a couple of different uses. You could make this an actual desk. I tested it out and "sat" at the desk, pretending that I was typing on a laptop. The nailhead trim doesn't feel bumpy under your forearms and it's flatter than traditional nail heads, so you don't notice it as much.

You could also use this piece for a table and store odds and ends in the drawers. Place baskets underneath to hold blankets, shoes or anything else that needs to be tucked away.

Speaking of drawers, check out these owl head handles that I installed! I swapped the original Chippendale handles for these cutie pies. They add spunk and character. I got them from a previous piece of furniture and kept them for just the right occasion. They're meaty too! The backplate alone feels quite heavy in your palm.

I distressed the edges of this piece using 120 grit sandpaper. I wanted it to be pronounced but not over the top. I hit all of the edges and the high points on the drawers, then sealed it with a coat of Hemp Oil.

I'm so thrilled that I was able to revive this piece and give it new life. I tried something new and taught myself how to fix a problem using what I had on hand and things I could purchase from my local fabric store. I'm quite happy with the results!