A 1980s Orange-Toned Console Gets a Modern Glow-Up (for About $100!)
Credit: Sheri Abernathy Credit: Sheri Abernathy
Credit: Sheri Abernathy Credit: Sheri Abernathy
Credit: Sheri Abernathy Credit: Sheri Abernathy
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
PROJECT TYPE: Furniture
STYLE: Organic Modern, Traditional
SKILL LEVEL: Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: Yes
Bobbin detailing (think: pearl-ified, sphere detailing on furniture feet, trim, and edges) has definitely dominated the past two years, and furniture flipper Sheri Abernathy’s (@brasswalnut) desk project is right on trend.
She took a dated oak desk straight out of the ’80s and turned it into a more contemporary-looking piece that’s perfect for a vanity or for work — and she gave it a soothing new color that totally eradicates the jarring orange.
The desk got a calming coat of paint.
The desk before had a “very dated finish,” as Sheri describes, so she scrubbed and sanded that off, and painted the middle of the piece in a teal-gray color: My London Flat by Amy Howard furniture paints. “It looks so contemporary yet cute,” Sheri says.
Hardware and trim changes modernize the ’80s piece.
Some DIYers use connected pieces of trim that look like strings of pearls to create a bobbin effect on furniture, but Sheri actually went with individual wood half-spheres (two packs cost her $20) to get the size she was after. She attached the spheres with wood glue.
“I added the ball trim to make the piece look more unique and custom,” Sheri writes on Instagram. “It also creates more of a flush front, level with the drawers.”
Lastly, to fix the dated hardware, Sheri removed the more ornate pulls, patched the holes, and added antique-looking brass knobs. For more fabulous furniture redos, check out these 20 projects.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
