Sunday, March 10, 2013

Mustard Yellow Desk

I got this desk after someone already attempted to strip it.  They didn't quite finish the job--notice the 2 panels on the inside--they were still the original finish.
Since the top was already down to the wood, I planned to stain it.  For the base of the desk I wanted to do a mustard yellow color thinking it would look great with a dark stained top.

Turns out this color was harder to choose than I thought.  I first bought a sample pot of Behr Mustard Brown to mix into homemade chalk paint.
I painted the desk with two coats of it and it came out a strange yellow green color.  I was convinced HD mixed me the wrong color.  So back to HD for another sample pot and this time I picked Yellow Gold as it was the next color up on the color card from Mustard Brown.  I was hoping it would come out to be the right color.
I painted one coat of this color on the desk and was still not 100% happy with the results.  Not wanting to paint it a fourth time, I moved on to distressing and then used the dark wax "glaze" technique hoping it would alter the color to what I wanted.  It did!  Take a look at the results...
BAM!  Look at that transformation!
I went VERY heavy with the dark wax glaze. I globbed it on all over and extra heavy in all the nooks and crannies, especially in the braided trim at the top. I even let the wax sit for a little longer before I wiped it away. It really toned down the bright color a lot.
I soaked the hardware in white vinegar to clean it and then buffed it. 
I stained the top with Minwax Dark Walnut and also used the dark wax glaze to darken the color more.  I finished the top with two coats of Minwax wipe on poly.  Since I used the dark wax on the paint, I didn't have to wax again, I just buffed it after the wax cured. 

I am still not sure if this color is really a mustard yellow, but I think it looks gorgeous!

Linking to:
Too Much Time on My Hands
I Heart Naptime
Life On Lakeshore Drive
Navy Wifey Peters
DIY Showoff
Craft-O-Maniac
Classy Clutter 
Coastal Charm
Homemaker On A Dime
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Lolly Jane
Crafty Scrappy Happy
Kammy's Korner
Kathe With An E
Today's Creative Blog
Not Just A Housewife
Elizabeth & Co.
TwelveOeight
{Primp}
The DIY Dreamer
Southern Lovely
If It's Not Baroque...
A to Zebra Celebrations
Mom On Timeout
Embracing Change  
I Gotta Create
A Creative Princess  
Beyond The Picket Fence
The Shabby Creek Cottage  
House of Hepworths
Domestic Superhero
The Shabby Nest
The Shady Porch
Lovely Crafty Home
Redoux
Sassy Little Lady
Miss Mustard Seed
Six Sisters' Stuff 
Funky Junk Interiors
The Real Housewives of Riverton

Featured by:
twelveOeight 
Embracing Change
Elizabeth & Co.
{Primp}
I Gotta Create
Shabby Creek Cottage
Redoux
Lovely Crafty Home 
Simple Home Life
Power of Paint

56 comments:

  1. Love the color on your little desk. Very sweet. Thanks for sharing & blessings to you, Patti

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  2. That desk has such lovely details and is gorgeous in it's new colours!

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  3. I LOVE how this turned out!! The final mustardy gold is perfect! It looks great with the stained top as well!

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  4. Oh it's just beautiful! Great job! - Susan

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  5. Another beautiful makeover you have here...love the color on this one.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  6. This is just gorgeous!
    It's amazing what a little paint will do.

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  7. I love how a dark wax makes a color change so dramatically. I also use wood stain to antique my peices and it looks the same (no wax effect though).

    Thanks for sharing!

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  8. ps...I love your projects. They are sooo my style! I find myself stopping here quite a bit lately :)

    I'm your newest follower ;) Have a great week!

    xoxoxo
    Jessica
    www.thejunknest.blogspot.com

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  9. Oh I love the desk! It's beautiful! I found you at the link party at ishouldbemoppingthefloor and would love you to stop by and checkout my project too! I too used a behr sample :) great minds think alike!

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  10. I love the color. It is so cheery. Happy color!

    Smiles,
    Rachael
    The Joyful Thrifter

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  11. It turned out just adorable. I've discovered that "mustard" is a difficult color to nail. I tried it once on a wall and ended up with orange. Not pretty.

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  12. That is absolutely stunning. Mustard yellow perfection! Pinning this beauty!

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  13. It's beautiful! Mustard yellow is my favorite color right now! Visiting from Not Just a Housewife :)

    -Bonnie @ Revolutionaries
    www.revolutionariesblog.com

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  14. So, So gorgeous! I did a bench over in mustard yellow last year and it was one of my favorites. (You can see it here: http://numberfiftythree.blogspot.com/2012/09/frugal-fall-entry-tutorial.html) Anyway, I think the color I used was mustard seed by Martha Stewart and just had them color match the sample pot into Behr. Really, one of my favorite colors to paint with. Pinning your desk for inspiration!

    Have a great day!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

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  15. I love, love, love this piece. Stunning. She looked good undone but you made her beautiful! Very nice!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

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  16. LOVE it...you did a great job!

    Julie
    www.thevintagebarnhome.com

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  17. Your desk turned out so beautiful!!
    I never used mustard color but your desk is changing my mind:)
    Thank you for sharing!!

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  18. That's a sweet desk and I love the color you achieved!

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  19. Wow, great colour and great job.

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  20. Fabulous. That is a beautiful piece of furniture. I would have never picked mustard yellow and it. looks. awesome!!!! (Found you through Coastal Charm. Take care and have a good week).

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  21. Love it. I want to start redoing furniture in the summer. I hope I can find cool things like this desk. Great job. I would love it if you would share this over at my link party.

    http://ifitsnotbaroquedesignblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/tuesday-link-party-10.html

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  22. beautiful! I love it with the gold hardware.

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  23. WOWSERS!!!! I adore this!!! I invite you to link- http://atozebracelebrations.com/2013/03/link-party-every-tuesday.html
    Nancy

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  24. I love it! Love the sunny mustard-y yellow;) You did an excellent job!

    Jenny from diywithjenandb.blogspot.com

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  25. You did a beautiful job! I love the color choice!

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  26. That yellow is awesome! I love it!! Great job!
    -Kim

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  27. This turned out beautiful! I love the yellow! I did a similar project a couple months back : http://domesticsuperhero.com/2012/09/21/diy-dresser-turned-tv-console/ I would love if you stopped by my link party tomorrow and shared this!

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  28. It looks fantastic! And that shape ... Well, it's quite a looker!

    Thank you for partying with the Wildly Original Crowd.

    <3 Christina at I Gotta Create!

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  29. I think yellow is such a hard color to get right, but you did! This is beautiful. Especially love it with the dark top!

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  30. Your desk is beautiful. I love the color. Thanks for linking up this week! Stacey

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  31. So cute! Love the color, you did an amazing job refinishing it!

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  32. Oh wow, I love it! That is a fantastic looking desk and you made it even better!

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  33. what a great piece and your redo is wonderful, love the color! Newest follower, hope to see you visit. Nice to find new blogs!

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  34. I love the color, I think it looks great! Visiting from Domestic Superhero. :)

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  35. You've turned that into a beautiful piece of furniture now! I love the color and stain choices. Stunning transformation! I am stopping by from the If It's Not Baroque party. I also wanted to invite you to share your project(s) at the Rock N Share!
    http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/2013/03/rock-n-share-wednesday-32.html

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  36. Beautiful desk! Thanks for sharing @ Submarine Sunday!

    Navy Wifey Peters

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  37. Love that style of desk and you've made it so classy! Love the yellow!
    Sara

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  38. Gorgeous! I've always been afraid to use yellows....but not anymore! Great inspiration for me to try something new!!
    Susan

    www.stonecreekantiques.blogspot.com

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  39. I love, love what you did with this desk! The color is awesome. I have been wanting to paint my buffet this color...you have inspired me go for it!!
    Great job!
    rhonda

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  40. Wow, you did a fabulous job! I love the color. Just pinned. :) Thank you so much for sharing at A Bouquet of Talent last week. So sorry I am just now visiting. Hope you are having a great weekend. :)
    Hugs
    Kathy

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  41. Happy to feature you at the party this morning! Thanks so much for joining us!

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  42. This desk is beautiful! You did a wonderful job. Your newest follower!

    Amanda @ www.mommyiscoocoo.com
    mommyiscoocoo@gmail.com

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  43. I would have never picked this color, because I'm just not much on golds and yellows, but I love this! Guess I need to get out of my box. Thanks for sharing, great job.

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  44. I'm back to feature your handsome desk! You're a STAR over at I Gotta Create! tonight:

    http://igottacreate.blogspot.com/2013/03/wildly-original-link-party-44.html

    <3 Christina

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  45. Thank you so much for sharing this at my party, I have been seeing it around, and I am featuring it today too! Love it!

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  46. Wow, Found you at Redoux and fell in love with this make over. I am a new follower. Would love to have you connect with me if you can:)


    xo
    Sumaya

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  47. So beautiful!! I love the color! We'd love for you to link up at our party! http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/2013/03/riverton-housewives-round-up-57.html

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  48. Love, love, love it! So far I haven't managed to convince Brian to paint furniture, but ones of these days.

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