" Please write again soon. Though my own life is filled with activity, letters encourage momentary escape into others lives and I come back to my own with greater contentment."-Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
There's nothing quite like the warmth of a handwritten letter or note in a hand~made card or one selected just for you. ( I hand painted this card using a stencil, red craft paint and a gold leaf pen).
With today's fast way of communicating via the Internet you might wonder why anyone would even consider having such a thing as an Antique Letter Desk around the house. Even though much of our daily communications happen as fast as a satellite signal can transport them, I believe there is still a need for the hand written letter or note inside a lovely card don't you?
There's nothing quite like the warmth of a handwritten letter or note in a hand~made card or one selected just for you. ( I hand painted this card using a stencil, red craft paint and a gold leaf pen).With today's fast way of communicating via the Internet you might wonder why anyone would even consider having such a thing as an Antique Letter Desk around the house. Even though much of our daily communications happen as fast as a satellite signal can transport them, I believe there is still a need for the hand written letter or note inside a lovely card don't you? During one of our flea market trips my mom came across a wonderful Antique Letter Desk and she just had to have it! It was probably constructed in the mid 1800's to early 1900's. In it's prior life, it was stained a dark walnut and was without any additional embellishments or decorations on it.
That was then....
That was then....
She gave it a good priming then painted the desk with a top coat of soft green latex paint in and eggshell finish. The stenciled words on the outside of the lid declare this piece a modern day Letter Desk.
Today, it looks nothing like it did when she brought it home!
She worked her magic and brought this old time, out dated workhorse back to life. She added such charming details as wooden ball feet and a hobnail detail across the bottom of the desk and decorated the inside of the desk with cheery RED fabric for a touch or warmth and romance.
She worked her magic and brought this old time, out dated workhorse back to life. She added such charming details as wooden ball feet and a hobnail detail across the bottom of the desk and decorated the inside of the desk with cheery RED fabric for a touch or warmth and romance.
If that wasn't enough, she created a memo board on the inside of the lid for holding special cards, notes or photos.
It even has a handy place to store pretty boxes of cards or luxurious writing paper!
Maybe you'll be inspired to put your pen to paper a little more often.
Give it a try, you'll just feel better, I promise!
4 comments:
I love it all- everything is so cheerful and just lovely. What wonderful finds and re-do's! -V
How wonderful! My oldest daughter and I, though we only live an hour away from each other, have been writing real letters to each other. It has been fun.
About a month ago, I was in a really great shop that has a lot of re-purposed things, as well as vintage stuff. I spotted a wicker lap letter desk and snagged it. When I went up to pay, the gal told me it had been her grandmother's. I plan on making some dividers and such to hold pen and paper in place. I like the idea of the memo board on the inside of the lid. Can I borrow your mom's idea?
Thanks girls! This was a fun project and one of my favorites of my moms makeovers.
Julia,
Borrow away! You will make it your own by choosing a fabric to suit your taste. Whicker sounds interesting for a lap desk, and I love hearing you and your daughter are writing to one another.
Happy Creative Recycling!
Deb~
Beautiful! I wish I had one. Oh how the ladies of yesteryear knew how to make one feel special. I remember the letters my grandmother would receive from her lady friends. They were always filled with thoughts and feelings of love, news of loved ones and just glimpses of their everyday life. I now have some of those old letters and love to read through them. It's such a shame that people don't send old fashioned heart felt letters anymore. I think its lovely that there are still people who want to revive the lost art of a handwritten letter. God Bless
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