Georgian Cherry Desk

When I found this desk, I knew it had so much potential even though it had seen way better days. I was looking at it through a painters eyes knowing how fun those details would be. But the original finish was peeling in places and worn completely off in others and I knew it was going to be a big job to prep and get it ready to paint. So it went into my trailer where I store my ‘I’ll get to it someday’ unfinished furniture. When my client came to pick up a couple of pieces he had purchased that were in amazing original condition, he wanted to see what else I had and saw this desk, a chair to go with it and a little parlor table that he just had to have. I love when a client can look past the wear and tear of years of use/abuse and see the beauty in a piece. But my client wasn’t looking for painted pieces. He wanted more period pieces to go into his historic 1776 home. He sent pictures of pieces he already had to give me an idea of the stain color he was hoping for. After much research, I landed on what I was fairly certain would work. This gorgeous mahogany desk was stripped of the old finish, sanded smooth and pretreated with Charles Neil pre color conditioner to prevent a blotchy, uneven stain. I used Georgian Cherry Gel Stain by General Finishes which is such a regal, rich color that was the perfect choice for all three pieces that were refinished. I sealed the desk with General Finishes Arm R Seal oil based topcoat in a satin finish. I love this topcoat because it is a wipe on oil that dries hard like a polyurethane, without that plastic-y finish, that brings out all of the beauty of the wood grain. The original hardware was cleaned and just finishes the desk off perfectly.