The Studio Table Makeover & Why We Don’t Use Desks

See the transformation of the Organized-ish HQ communal work table I bought from Marketplace and find out why my team and I prefer it over individual desks.

I have been working on revamping Organized-ish HQ for over a year now, and the final piece of the puzzle is officially done. We can check off the Studio Remodel from our list of major goals and finally work in a space that functions for by myself and my team.

Before, the room was mostly a craft room with open craft shelving and pegboards all over. But we quickly realized that all that fun stuff was pretty distracting when we were doing computer work, so we started dreaming up a Studio design that allowed us to be both creative and productive during our daily tasks.

One thing we all agreed on was that we worked so well at “The New House” (two houses ago) when we were gathered around my dining room table. That house was very small and there was no office, so we piled up in my dining room with computers and snacks piled up. We loved the community aspect of working side by side and the ability to bounce ideas off each other.

Use this link and discount code ORGANIZED20 for 20% off your own Modsy design package.

So when we talked about redoing Organized-ish HQ (the Studio) we decided to go back to that dining room table aspect. I got design plans from both Modsy and Havenly, and they gave me some great ideas for the table and room layout. I had my heart-eyes on full blast when I saw this table, but it was way out of my price range. So I stalked Facebook Marketplace for almost a year in search of something similar. And I finally found this beauty…

Those legs are very similar to the ones of my inspo table, and the fact that it’s a 100+ year old walnut table gave us all the feels of its history. There have likely been so many holiday meals, engagement and new baby announcements, and games played on this table. My husband, son, and I drove almost two hours out-of-state to pick it up, and it was even better in person.

The table did need a lot of work, so my mother in law and I spent a few days stripping, sanding, and cleaning the table to restore it to its original walnut roots. With a lot of trial and error and some very sore elbows, we were able to lighten the wood quite a bit and get rid of 100 years of wax coating.

Once all the old wax and stain was removed, I covered the table with two coats of Dixie Belle Clear Coat in a flat finish. That gave the table protection from our laptops and endless mugs of coffee while not changing the look of the original wood color.

Let’s take one last look at the before…

And here’s the after!

It ties in so well with the wood tile on the kitchenette bar, and provides the perfect light tone for binder kit photo shoots.

And can we just take a moment to drool over these legs? They were the main reason I chose this table, and now that they are a lighter tone, the curves and details stand out even more.

We like to keep pens and dry erase markers on the table at all times because we’re always coming up with ideas throughout the day.

Instead of “normal” office supply storage, I used a couple of bathroom canisters and a bud vase to hold our pens, markers, and trash. And to keep the table neat and tidy, it’s all corralled on a wooden kitchen tray.

Want to see more of the Studio? Keep your eyes peeled for a full tour on the blog next week! If you aren’t already on my email list, you can sign up below for an update in my Saturday Morning weekly recap email.

Use this link and discount code ORGANIZED20 for 20% off your own Modsy design package.