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dining table as office table

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

March 4, 2022 · In: Projects

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.

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home and diy bloggers. Lela Burris In the New House Designs
2018

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.

review of Modsy's design process

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…

walnut table makeover

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.

walnut table makeover

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.

Dixie Belle flat clear coat for walnut dining table makeover

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.

walnut dining table stripping and sanding

Let’s take one last look at the before…

walnut dining table before stripping

And here’s the after!

dining table as office table

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

walnut dining table used as communal office work table
walnut table with turned legs

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.

office worktable hidden storage

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.

pens stored in bud vase
dry erase markers in bathroom storage canister
bathroom canister for tabletop trash

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.

walnut table with turned legs

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.

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By: Lela Burris · In: Projects · Tagged: craft room, dixie belle, office, studio

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Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
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My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

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