Hello there!

I hope you had a great weekend! I managed a quick getaway for a few days - even if it was in a bit of a snow storm. I am really not complaining though - look at how beautiful it was:

I believe it's important to spend some time recharging. It can seem like an impossible task to put everything down for a few days and focus on yourself. . . but I assure you it is always worth it. Some of my most productive and most inspirational moments come from time away from my work. Just breathtaking:

Ok sorry about that, I got a little off track there, ha!  Back to the task at hand!

Have you seen this adorable striped desk yet?

Check out these details:

I love how stripes on furniture can be sophisticated or playful. Recently I posted about a striped sewing table which you can read about here if you like. Below is the basic 'how to guide' for how to create a striped desk just like this. First, choose the piece you are going to restyle and using painters tape, cover the area that is to become 'striped'.

When I decided to paint this desk I had recently completed teaching a Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint workshop so I had  a plethora of beautiful colours premixed and ready to use. You can use any colours you like to suit your style. It's also fun to mix leftover colours together to expand the palette even further.  We carry sample packs and sample pots of paint at Mango Reclaimed that are great for just this type of project.

Once you have all your colours ready to go, remove strips of the painters tape in a random pattern and paint out your piece in colours of your choice. Begin painting in one colour and then remove a few more strips and paint in your second colour, then remove a couple more strips and so on . . . 

I waited a few brief moments for the different colours to dry before moving onto the next, but I also knew I was going to distress this piece once it was finished and was going for more of a 'fun' look than a 'perfectly crisp' look so I didn't wait too long. I was excited to see it coming together and if you're like me, this is the part of restyling furniture where it gets pretty exciting and I get pretty impatient, lol! Once all of the stripes were painted I let the desk dry completely (about 2 hours).

van Gogh Fossil paint in 'Morning Mist' was painted on the base and legs as a nice neutral so that the stripes could really be the main attraction.

The entire piece was then distressed using a sanding block for some added character and until it felt buttery smooth all over. I used hemp oil for a natural layer of protection and she was finished. I seriously love it! If I was still in school and had homework - this is where I would want to sit and do it! 

What do you think about stripes on furniture? Could you see this technique in some form or another on a piece you own? Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you!