Ooh, A Dilemma! Decisions, Decisions...

So, I posted an antique of mine for sale on the web this week and someone wants to trade for my sideboard and has offered a few things for consideration.

What is interesting me is an old, old desk they're offering. It's around a turn-of-the-century, big, heavy old desk that was, at one time, had a leather. It has five big drawers and a filing drawer. Storage wise, it offers a lot. The leg opening isn't as wide as I'd like, but...

Ooh, how I intermittently have wished to have an old desk like that. I know how to restore wood a bit. I think I'd sand it all down and tung oil it, and since one pull's missing, I'd replace the pulls with repos from Restoration Hardware or whatever it's called. I'd look into what would have to happen to protect a leather surface, then I'd go about putting one in. A sheet of cherry leather, a 1/8" sheet of ply of some kind, adhere the leather to it. Easily done! I could make the leather removeable for changing it out sometimes with some kind of double-sided tape rather than a strong adhesive. It'd be a weekend of work, but...

Hmm. I'd lose some work surface, but I could come up with a solution to get some of the shit off my desk's surface so I'd not have to worry about that -- like a printer stand. Then, with all the storage I'd have in drawers, I'd be better organized in my bedroom, too...

God, I'm leaning towards it. I'd have to put my current desk top (which my dad and I made together and means quite a lot to me) in my storage so I can pull it out some other time.

I'd wanted cash, but I know, if this desk was in the kind of condition I think I can put it in, I'd be paying $600-1200. It'd be beyond my means for a long time as I doubt I'd invest that much in a desk that seems a bit tight for longterm seating... but to have the "dream" antique writer's desk would be really, really wild.

Boy, oh, boy, gonna ponder that tonight and tomorrow, for sure. I could maybe get an old trunk thrown into the deal and turn that into a printer stand. Turns out this chick I'm talking to is trying to restore a 100-year-old hotel out in the Valley, so there's a few things to choose from and I'm just assuming she has a little trunk. Or I could get a neat little travelling suitcase to use as a stand... drill some legs onto it. Could be just the change my bedroom needs. Hmm. You know this is growing on me. :) Here's the desk I'm pondering.