Those wood stickers aren’t going to fool anyone

I had no problem assembling a small writing desk for what used to be our front bedroom. In fact, I challenged myself to put it together without looking at the instructions. I’ve built enough pieces from IKEA and Wayfair to know what to expect when I open the box.

As expected I found a packet of screws, cams, and wooden dowels inside the box. Fifteen minutes later, I was finished except for one last step. The manufacturer included several sheets of stickers that someone thought looked like wood to cover up the metal screws visible on the back of the desk.

The stickers didn’t match the color of the desk. The grain didn’t match the laminate covering the desk surfaces. I stuck them on anyway. Maybe from a distance they wouldn’t look too bad.

From a distance my wife said, “That’s ugly.” Those stickers won’t fool anyone. And they weren’t that sticky, either, already starting to peel away.

Forget that. On to plan B. I’ll paint them black to match the black trim around the top and legs of the desk. I brushed some black acrylic craft paint over the bare metal. Perfect.

I wonder who came up with the idea of fake wood stickers? There are plenty for sale online. How many people use them? How many people actually like them? I’ll bet the workers in China chuckle as they pack these in the boxes destined for American homes.