It is officially week 5 of Spring 2021 ORC and we really got busy this week. A big piece was delivered and now the space is starting to look somewhat like an office and craft room. I can already see my vision coming to life.
This week we received a 10’ butcher board that I purchased at Home Depot. Oh, my goodness, what a beauty! And it was super heavy too! I swear I used every single muscle of my body moving that beast around. You are probably thinking “why a butcher board?” And the answer is this, its sturdy, customizable, real wood, and will last forever. It can last forever if you take care of it. 🙂
I am building my office and craft desk along with some built ins. I was inspired by a Pottery Barn desk that I wanted but refused to pay the price for it. Therefore, I got creative, brainstormed, and decided that I would create/build one similar. If you have been following along my Spring 2021 ORC journey, you will see that we have made a lot of progress.
When the butcher board arrived this week, we placed it over the cabinets and it instantly became a desk, a workplace. Since I am going to be crafting and getting artsy, I decided that I needed to protect the board from any mishaps.
I purchased the unfinished beech butcher board. The unfinished look was amazing, but I wanted to somehow tie in the wallpaper color to the board. I decided that I wanted to stain it a color that would pop against the wallpaper. My garage is full of different paint and stain colors. To my luck, I found the Minwax wood stain in Natural. I literally got under the board and tested the stain on a small area and to my surprise, it was the perfect stain color to enhance the butcher board.
Half stained and half unfinished. You see the difference? 
The butcher board after I applied the natural wood stain.
After I stained the board, I let it cure overnight. I wanted to make sure that the stain settled on the board. The next day, I applied Polyurethane for protection. Some people just leave the stain on the board, but I wanted to make sure it was sealed and protected. It is really a personal preference.
Adding the polyurethane to seal the board. 
The color of the board enhances the gold on the wallpaper.
Wow! The board is gorgeous! That natural stain really enhances the wood, giving it the perfect golden hue. I think I nailed it! It really compliments the gold on the wallpaper. Don’t you think?
Isn’t she stunning? Love how it compliments the wallpaper. 
I love it here!
Next week’s project is going to be surprising. I really hope that what I have in mind, will work out. Make sure you are following along on Instagram and subscribe to the blog so that you do not miss anything. Also, check out all the wonderful Spring 2021 One Room Challenge participants here.
