Our almost teen requested a study makeover, using the Mediterranean beach vibe as a guide to styling. To kick things off, we found a beautifully made old farmhouse pine desk at our local tip which became the hero piece of the room. After upcycling that, we primed and painted 2 sets of flat pack scalloped shelves, framed a few beachy images we found in magazines and styled it to look fresh out of a Mediterranean villa. Fresh flowers and sharp pencils complete the brief. La Dolce Vita!
Materials
Farmhouse Pine Desk (found at local tip)
Accent Paint Stripper
Kmart Brass shell drawer pulls x 3
Kmart Scalloped shelf flat pack x 2
Zinsser Bullseye 1.2.3 Undercoat
Dulux Snowy Mountain Semi Gloss paint
Norton 80, 120, 180 and 240 grit Sanding Paper
Cabots Walnut (water based) Stain
Oak frames
Small trio of teracotta pots
Vase with fresh Bouganvillea
Glass droppers with homemade body oils
Kmart Scalloped seagrass vessel
Tools
Makita Orbital Sander
Makita Detail Sander
Makita Driver
Wall Mates
Screws
Unipro mini roller
Unipro Little Ripper 100mm 11mm nap
Paint Tray
Paint stripper and blade
Wire brush
Old strips of material
Scotch Blue Painters Tape
Steps
Step 1
The Tween drew a detailed draft of the brief she had in mind, including textures, colours, height/width and scale of the study area. This became our guide and we continuously referred back to this for clarity as/when needed.
Step 2
We sourced the study desk (hero piece) and set about refurbishing it. It had a thick white glossy paint that we stripped using a paint stripper and tool, before sanding all over with both the orbital sander and detail sander. The drawer rollers were in excellent condition, so no repairs were needed.
We paint washed the pine top using Dulux ‘Jarrah’ (90/10 ratio), applying 3 coats followed by another 3 coats of watered down Cabot’s Walnut Stain for that weathered oak finish.
The drawers and base/sides were primed with Zinnier 1 step Primer (2 coats) followed by 3 coats of Dulux Snowy Mountain Semi Gloss.
The drawer pulls were purchased from Kmart and added right at the end.
Step 3
Securing the Scalloped shelves first started with measuring the space and marking out the screw/wall mate positions. We chose to have the shelves sitting flush together to give the impression of one large floating shelf.
For cohesion, we primed and painted the shelves using the Dulux Snowy Mountain semi gloss after a quick scuff sand.
Putting the shelves up was possibly the most time consuming part of the whole process!
Step 4
Style, style, style.
The Mediterranean beach brief meant we opted for a solid base of crisp white, weathered oak and rattan/seagrass textures with pops of bright seaside colours - sky blue, teracotta, rich red and lemon. Framing art found in magazines allowed us to transform the shelves on a budget and using fresh Bouganvillea from the garden really gave it that luxe resort feel. The tan/white Desk Chair compliments the vibe.
Every tween loves a little bit of luxury, so we used glass dropper bottles with gold trim to showcase some homemade body oils with dried flowers.
The best bit? As our tween grows and her style changes, she can restyle the shelves on a whim.
