Thursday, October 31, 2013

Lowery Blue Desk


 Do you still have the first piece of furniture you painted?

Well, I will be sixty in a few weeks and I still have the Lowery Blue Desk.

In 1975, I graduated from The University of South Carolina and moved 70 miles up I-20 to Camden, South Carolina to the King Haigler Apartments ...
 and my first teaching job.

I had a bed, a dresser, an orange plastic Parson's table and a black and white TV.  Oh, and a  round wicker chair.

So each grandparent, aunt, uncle, and cousin pitched in to pass their extra furniture to me.  My granny gave me my father's childhood desk.  It is a two-person desk - the drawer slides out both sides.



It was an indeterminate wood of a brown finish with tons of scratches and dings.

My first project in my new abode was to refinish this desk.  I spent some money  (gave up a couple of meals) for a Formby's (I think) antiquing kit in blue.

My parents refinished furniture when I was growing up so I had an idea of what to do and I followed the directions on the kit.

There are obviously no before photos from 1975.

People did have cameras. 

I did not.



I painted the desk the blue after mixing the paint - it was milk paint, by the way.  Yes, way back when. Then I glazed it with the gray gel provided.  It gunked up a little on the top, but I loved the outcome.

Fast forward to early last week when I pulled this desk from the attic where it had been for 20 years.

I still loved it!









I just took the hand sander to it and distressed it more and gave it two coats of Minwax.













 I think it is quite lovely.

I bet very few of you have an original piece from decades ago.

I call this Lowery Blue because my father's eyes were blue.

I do not.  I have Guillebeau brown eyes.













Here Lowery Blue sits outside the craft/computer/guest room waiting his turn to be shoved, er, carefully placed.

Sorry about the wonky photo.  I had to stand on the stairs to take it.

No, not my childhood play house though it is identical to mine.  It once belonged to the lady around the corner.  No one in her family wanted it.

Really?

We pulled some more memories from the attic this afternoon.

I will take photos for you to see.

I promise.

See y'all!










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12 comments:

  1. Still a lovely piece, Donna! Great memories!

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  2. That's beautiful, Donna! I'm so glad you didn't repaint it. It's perfect just like that, with your added coat of wax. We lived for years after marriage with hand-me-down pieces of furniture. And actually, as I look around me, we still have many of those. My father told us, when we first got married, to avoid spending money on furniture until we were past the kid-tough-on-furniture stage of life. I think it was good advice.

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  3. What a beautiful piece of furniture! Priceless memories!

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  4. I love it! The blue colour is fabulous! What a wonderful keepsake. Pieces that hold such strong memories should be kept out and enjoyed. It's a beauty!

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  5. Donna, I am so jealous (in the nicest sense of the word!) that you have your father's childhood desk! It is beautiful!

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  6. I love that desk! I can't believe you left it in the attic all alone for 20 years...lol! It is just adorable and the shleves on the end are awesome! I have never seen one like it...:) I am impatiently ...I mean patiently awaiting the reveal...:) Have a fabulous Friday....Vicky

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  7. I do have an original piece from my childhood, but I've painted it so many different colours, I recently stripped it and there it stands naked. I love that you kept that desk, and how it looks, and the little house too.

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  8. I am so envious. Never seen a desk with shelves on the end. What an incredible memorable piece, love the color. So glad you kept it, just think of the vinjettes you can make with that desk for any time let alone the holidays, such a wonderful piece. Sorry can't seem to remember how to spell tonight, duh. Happy weekend

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  9. I love that desk too and I have never seen one like it! It's beautiful in blue! Oh and the dollhouse makes another appearance! It's awesome and I have no idea why anyone would toss it!

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  10. I love that you still have the desk and what a great color.

    I love the design of the desk - so different.

    In 1975 we had a tiny black and white TV that cost about as much as the brand new flat screen TV my daughter just bought for her new house.

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  11. Oh she is spectacular! I love love love it and love the fact that you still had the first piece you ever created!!! hugs...

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I enjoy reading all of your comments and will always answer with email. I will try to track you down if you show up as a "no reply" commenter to let you know. Friends are like that!