| Looking to create a homey, country-feel to your home | | | | purchase an unfinished desk for a fraction of the cost |
| or office but don't want to go overboard with carrying | | | | of a finished one and then paint or stain it to fit into the |
| out the piney look? Then why not consider a pine desk | | | | décor of any room or office. A can of black, |
| and see how it feels? Pine creates an informal and | | | | shiny paint can transform a simple pine desk into a |
| comfortable accent to any room. The styles run the | | | | classy showpiece or use a mahogany stain to add |
| gamut from simple Shaker to more elaborate | | | | patina and richness to the wood beneath. |
| computer desks with pull down keyboard shelf. The | | | | If this look is too formal for the décor you |
| look is not as formal as mahogany or as rugged as | | | | envision you can change course with a whimsical |
| oak. The light color adds brightness to the corner of | | | | course. Pine wood and color are a perfect marriage |
| any room and is lighter in weight and less expensive | | | | for do it yourselfers who think outside the conventional |
| than oak and other hardwoods. However, pine is a | | | | box. There is a new formula in paint stores now that |
| soft wood and desks and other furniture should be | | | | does not require a primer to be applied before the |
| treated with care to avoid damage. | | | | color. Painting a pine desk is easy as opening a can |
| The use of this plentiful wood evokes an era long past, | | | | and shifting your imagination onto cruise control. |
| where pioneers cleared the vast pine forests of the | | | | With a dash of courage and a little ingenuity that simple |
| early American frontier and felled vast stands of pine | | | | desk can become the jewel in a little girl's room. Start |
| to build homes and craft simple furniture. One look at | | | | by picking up the daffodil shade of yellow in the |
| unfinished pine with its knots and imperfections tell a | | | | window curtains and painting the pine "canvas" to |
| story that each piece is distinctive. It's almost like the | | | | match them or slap on some candy apple red paint to |
| feeling you get when you purchase a designer item at | | | | match a boy's favorite sports team colors. The results |
| a bargain price. Here's a tip: too many of these flaws | | | | will dazzle and eclipse other furniture so you might |
| can weaken the wood so pick a desk with a | | | | have to shop for pine again. |
| somewhat unmarked appearance. | | | | The only tip for pine furniture is that it is for indoor use |
| The best reason for considering a pine desk above | | | | only. Pine wood, while more durable than spruce, is not |
| other hardwoods is that you can change the color | | | | resistant to insect or decay. So, don't put the furniture |
| easily. It is not uncommon to find pine in the unfinished | | | | outside. |
| section of a furniture store. A savvy buyer can | | | | |