How long does it take to find a white desk, LOL!

I was going to paint my old desk today, but discovered some more damage, and decided to buy a new one. I have literally spent all day online searching for a white desk that I like. My right hand fingers are actually stiff!

It seems as most people just use laptops now, and the desks lack drawers and are so shallow in depth.  Everyone has the same desks: eBay, Kmart, Walmart, Wayfair, Home Depot, Home Decorator's Collection, etc. 

I moved the kitchen table into my office. Great, but no way to hide the CPU tower. And no drawer space.

Staples or Ikea perfect for pc;s.

I tried Staples. IMHO, Ikea stuff is junk, in my experience. My Ikea items were so awful, as were the ones my friends had.Tempting though they are, I will never buy Ikea again.

You should check Ikea.  They have changed some of there products and now they are more durable.  They have a desk area where you can pick the pieces and build what you need.  Or you can hunt the thrift and consignment shops to find a desk you like and paint it.

Ok, I will check Ikea--do they now ship to your home? If not, they are not an option. And painting a desk is not an option, either! LOL (I HATE painting anything.)

Nope, Ikea is out. I'm not paying $99 for delivery! 

Have you tried craigslist?

MargeCat said:

 
I was going to paint my old desk today, but discovered some more damage, and decided to buy a new one. I have literally spent all day online searching for a white desk that I like. My right hand fingers are actually stiff!

It seems as most people just use laptops now, and the desks lack drawers and are so shallow in depth.  Everyone has the same desks: eBay, Kmart, Walmart, Wayfair, Home Depot, Home Decorator's Collection, etc. 

I moved the kitchen table into my office. Great, but no way to hide the CPU tower. And no drawer space.

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I suggest some of the higher end used furniture stores or your local antique type store.

Other

Try Facebook swap'n shop great prices plus Freebie

sections on FB in your local area ~

MargeCat said:

 
Ok, I will check Ikea--do they now ship to your home? If not, they are not an option. And painting a desk is not an option, either! LOL (I HATE painting anything.)

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Hmmmm, I was going to say to check out some public sales in your area; you never know what you'll find at a public sale and, often you can find furniture at a good price. But the chances of finding a white desk are pretty slim. And if you don't want to paint, well, you'll have to keep looking. Good luck!

Any desk can be a white desk with paint . If you don't like painting, maybe you can hire it done? A friend/acquaintance or you could advertise for a painter wanted.

Willowy said:

Any desk can be a white desk with paint

. If you don't like painting, maybe you can hire it done? A friend/acquaintance or you could advertise for a painter wanted.

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Some smaller auto body shops will do jobs like this. Plus you get a professional finish. I used to take old iron cookware to a man who sandblasted the lettering into headstones. He could clean the rust and gunk off faster and cheaper than all the naval jelly and steel wool in the world.

sandblasting rules=we have done some of this at work-now we send it out. I have done it for small parts. it really is cool how fast the rust disappears. 

I bet if you get an airbrush type of thingy for paint you coudl do it outside on a clear day-just spray paint it-no lines or paint brush bristles stuck in the paint.

foxxycat said:

 
sandblasting rules=we have done some of this at work-now we send it out. I have done it for small parts. it really is cool how fast the rust disappears. 

I bet if you get an airbrush type of thingy for paint you coudl do it outside on a clear day-just spray paint it-no lines or paint brush bristles stuck in the paint.

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It's sad when beautiful cast iron that you can't buy anymore is nearly ruined. It's really hard to find that super hard smooth finish cast iron.

Most home improvement stores sell smaller paint sprayers. you can even make an outdoor clean room with a few cheap drop cloths and some duct tape. White comes in many beautiful shades and tints. Painting the desk yourself allows you to get the look you want. Cool to warm.

yes cast iron is almost a thing of the past. I still own some cast iron-my truck block is cast. it takes forever to warm up-but stays toasty for a long while.

i have heard its really hard to weld on cast iron. i have not messed around with it but we occasionally get someone at work looking to fix something cast and often we have to heat it up for a few hours before welding then after welding you have to cook it for awhile and slowly cool otherwise it cracks. Sorry this went off topic=I am glad people are starting to reuse the old stuff and I think we will see more reusing for metals due to the new stuff being chintzy and not holding up to snuff.

foxxycat said:

 
yes cast iron is almost a thing of the past. I still own some cast iron-my truck block is cast. it takes forever to warm up-but stays toasty for a long while.

i have heard its really hard to weld on cast iron. i have not messed around with it but we occasionally get someone at work looking to fix something cast and often we have to heat it up for a few hours before welding then after welding you have to cook it for awhile and slowly cool otherwise it cracks. Sorry this went off topic=I am glad people are starting to reuse the old stuff and I think we will see more reusing for metals due to the new stuff being chintzy and not holding up to snuff.

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The construction on new furniture seldom makes it worth painting, repairing or reupholstering.  Someone with the tools can strip a desk in little time and have it painted just as quick. There are a lot of cheaply made vintage furniture. Not everything was high end or quality then either.

The new cast iron leaves a lot to be desired. You just can't get the same kind of season on it.

Thank you for all of the advice!

I no longer buy used furniture. I used to re-finish furniture, and it seems everything nowadays smells like smoke; there must be a lot of heavy smokers out there!  I can somewhat mask the odor, but entirely. Yuck. I'm stuck with MIL's piano. The people who owned before her were chain smokers. She stripped it, stained and lacquered it about 30 years ago. I've had it for 11 of those years.The smell is still there! I cannot stand smoke odor.

I didn't have time for any of the other options, as we need the kitchen table back in the kitchen ASAP.

I decided to buy...a white kitchen table!  I decided that I liked the spaciousness of the kitchen table. The cats love it, as they've been on it to keep me company, and they enjoy the open area below. I'm getting lots of foot rubs! 

The table arrived last week, and is very sturdy. I wish the top's finish was glossier, as I don't use a mouse pad.  

My office is a MESS still. It's driving me around the bend. We're installing new floors in the living and dining rooms, so everything is piled into this room.

As I don't have drawer space, I bought 2 of these Ikea Helmer small filing cabinets on casters, in white:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40107872/#/10251045

They should arrive on the 14th.

I've tried to find solutions to hiding my cords and cables, and the router and the CPU. There are many ideas on Pinterest, but nothing I've tried is working.  I tried a wireless speaker, and have to return it. I did buy a wireless keyboard and mouse. 

I have on order 2 white bookcases to put side-by-side on the wall behind my desk/table. The walls are dark tan, and everything else is white or ivory, so I think a tower of white on the wall would be nice. Maybe I can put the CPU and the router and the printer on the shelves.

We moved the piano in here a few months ago, but I wish DH would let me get rid of the big, old thing!  I hate it, and it needs to be fixed.  It just crowds the room, is is dark and hulking.