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Thursday, May 17, 2012

DIY Desk Makeover



I present to you...my beloved $39 desk post makeover


Do you know how hard it is to find an old-ish looking desk in a fun color on Craigslist or at a garage sale? HARD! So I decided I'd take matters into my own hands. A couple weekends ago we went "into town" (we laugh when we say this...we are suburbanites now baby!) and hit up some thrift stores. I found an unfinished wood vanity I loved for $120 but decided to check out one more place. No lie, this place is called Furniture and Junk and the most adorable old little man owns it. I knew it was perfect right when I laid eyes on it. Behold...the $39 desk pre-makeover...



So how did I take pic #2 to pic #1? 

In non Ruthie fashion...I did lots of research. I am probably the most impatient person on the face of the earth so it shouldn't surprise you I wanted this project to be quick and easy and not involve any sanding. 

I went with Zinsser Cover Stain Primer for a few reasons. #1- it requires no sanding. #2- it sticks to anything, including laminate and the desk had a laminate finish on top. 


Another thing I did research on was my type of brush, and I'm glad I did. I've always used standard rollers for interior paint but found that a foam roller would help decrease lines and streaks on furniture. A foam roller is a MUST.


Step 1- wipe down desk and rid of cobwebs, residue, etc. Make sure the desk is completely dry before priming

Step 2- Remove drawers and hardware


Step 3- prime. If you're like me and a little OCD and over the top, this is the step where you paint 37 coats of primer. This is definitely the most time consuming step but I recommend you be patient (yes pot calling the kettle black). Be sure to paint thin coats of primer, you will want to do multiple coats as well. For edges, nooks and crannies, I recommend a foam crafting brush (you know the brushes with red handles from Hobby Lobby for $.50?)


Step 4- this primer dries really fast but to be safe, I let it dry overnight (look how patient I am!). This also could have been because I was out of DVR shows and covered in white paint. I never got a picture of the top coat paint but I used the Wal Mart brand of paint in Spicy Paprika. I recommend a semi gloss or satin finish for furniture- I went with a semi gloss. This is the fun part...painting over the primer! I did 3 coats of semi gloss paint just to be safe and I am incredibly happy with my results. Again, thin coats of paint with a foam roller.


Step 5- hardware. I wasn't crazy about the dark gold hardware on the desk but didn't feel like going out and searching for new hardware. To spruce the hardware up, I sprayed each piece with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Gray primer and let dry. Next up I sprayed them with Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint in a satin finish. 




I let the desk dry overnight before attaching the hardware, just to be safe. 

I am so happy with my finished product and look forward to using my desk in my craft/blogging room. Now to find a chair!




Total cost of project
  • Desk $39
  • Primer $26 (I have 80% of the primer left and I know I will use it on future projects)
  • Paint $18 (again, I have about 90% of the paint left and will find a use for it)
  • Foam rollers $6

oh and PS...remember that baby sprinkle I threw? Mary had her sweet baby boy last night! He is perfect!

Positively Splendid




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45 comments:

Amanda said...

ahhh yay!!! thank u girl! emailing u now :) that desk does look amazing and i love the color how it goes so well with the craft room!! great job chicaaa

jaimie michelle said...

Amazing job with the desk! Will you come and decorate my house?!?!

Jaimie
www.jaimiehart.blogspot.com

Lauren H Edmondson said...

the desk looks great, love the color!

Nikki said...

This came out awesome!

jessi bridges said...

It turned out so awesome! I love the color you chose. And yes, Craigslisting takes SO much patience. I've been looking for a kitchen table and it's ridiculous the amount of money people are asking for USED furniture! I want to email them and ask if the President or a King used to eat at their table :)

Sandra said...

That's a great tutorial! Where is Furniture and Junk located? I tried google but nothing popped up (surprisingly!).

Nadine said...

This is beyond adorable. You did a great job! It looks brand new. When I did a refinishing project, I used spray paint,which also worked well. The table I did had less nooks and crannies though. This makes me want to refinish something else in a bold color. Thanks for sharing!

Joeylee said...

It turned out great. I like the color

Cara said...

So cute!! I love the color and the hardware looks great on it now.

Carolyn said...

The desk looks SO GOOD! LOVE IT! :)

Allyson McGuire said...

That is so adorable!

Makaila said...

Ruthie, it's PERFECT!! I love the color you chose! And thank you for all the detail in what and how you did it, this girl has a project in mind and I really appreciated the info!

Claire Beeks said...

Gah!! I love this, Ruthie! This reminds me a bit of the desk I had as a little girl...so cute :) I need to get some vintage furniture pieces...I love a good re-do project! Now, if only I had a place to spray paint. This would have to be done outside my apartment and who knows how the Seattle weather would hold in the drying process! Perhaps I can bring my paint projects to my cousins house who has a yard!

Unknown said...

Wow that looks great Ruthie! I want to remake an old desk too. Now I know how :)

Anonymous said...

I love it!

Krista said...

LOVE that color Ruthie, makes you happy just looking at it :)

Leilani said...

Looks amazing! I really LOVE that color!

Leilani said...

Looks amazing! I really LOVE that color!

Girls Love Fried Pickles said...

How could you not feel fun and cheerful at that desk? Just go ahead and ship it right up to me . Mmmm Kay, thanks

Jamie said...

I LOOOOVE LOVE LOVE it. Oh and can I just say your brave painting on your carpet.:) I would seriously knock the paint can over:)

Anonymous said...

Cute! Love that color!

Anonymous said...

Great find with the desk. I'm sure you'll be crafting some fun stuff over the years!

Amanda said...

I'm so impressed by this! You've inspired me to hunt down an old desk on Craigslist and make it over :) I'm going to pin this for sure!

Unknown said...

RUTHIE!!! You are amazing! Love it!!!

henning love said...

it looks GREAT ruthie!! love the color you picked, spicy papricka, i love it!!

Lauren said...

Love, love, love. Now get to crafting and messy that thing UP!!! :)

RennyV said...

Ruthie! Love your blog! Great project. Looks fabulous

Blond Duck said...

Popped in to say hi! That's so cute! I love transforming furniture!

Gentri said...

It turned out FANTASTIC! Love it!

Karen said...

I LOVE it!! Re-doing furniture is so much fun, especially when you get such a great deal on it!

Kristin said...

This came out so cute Ruthie! Love the fun pop of color.~I agree, foam rollers make all the difference in the world, don't they?

Heather @ Finding Beauty in the Ordinary said...

love it! i am kind of obsessed with the color! you did good!

i bought a desk at a thrift store recently, and i've been procrastinating about painting it... i must say, thank you ruthie for doing your research for me, lol!!! :)
xoxo

Britt { Magpie Collective } said...

What a perfect color! Also, I need to get directions to this place. I'm aching to get my hands on a project, so this place sounds perfect to start with!

Britt
The Secondhand Magpie

katrina adams said...

omg ruthie i can't believe how perfect is it that i read this post!! i just found a set of end tables at a thrift store (pic is on my blog), which would actually look great with that desk, but sorry the tables are mine....i need to paint them and have been researching how. soooo thanks for saving me the time and trouble. you rock. love that color, btw.

Jackie said...

omg. i absolutely love this !! i looooove the color. and i'm all about skipping the sanding ! lol. the color is beautiful, too. {saw you on positively splendid}

~ jackie
imathriftaholic.blogspot.com

Jackie said...

ha i must really like the color because i said it twice :P

Julie said...

Awesome desk! Love the color.

Julie
jamscorner.blogspot.com

Taylor Belton said...

So incredibly helpful! I just bought a perfect wooden dresser that I can't wait to paint. Now just deciding what to paint it! :D

Colleen said...

Your desk looks great, but I have one question...how has it held up over time? I want to do a dresser in my boys room following your instructions, but I'm worried the paint will chip off with wear and tear of rough kids. How has yours been?

Colleen said...

Thank you for taking the time to find my blog & respond to my question. I didn't realize i forgot my email. Thank you so much. I'm going to try this this weekend!

Colleen said...

Thank you for taking the time to find my blog & respond to my question. I didn't realize i forgot my email. Thank you so much. I'm going to try this this weekend!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness - I just bought the bedroom set that matches this desk! All the little details are exactly the same. I thought it was all wood but realized part was laminate and started researching how to refinish it and found your post! So so glad I did and I hope mine turns out as great as yours!

Sarah @ BecomingMartha.com

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness - I just bought the bedroom set that matches this desk! All the little details are exactly the same. I thought it was all wood but realized part was laminate and started researching how to refinish it and found your post! So so glad I did and I hope mine turns out as great as yours!

Sarah @ BecomingMartha.com

Unknown said...

Did you really give it 37 coats or am I just not understanding something

dong said...

I found an unfinished wood vanity I loved for $120 but decided to check out one more place. No lie, this place is called Furniture and Junk and the most adorable old little man owns it. I knew it was perfect right when I laid eyes on it. Behold...the $39 desk pre-makeover...
Read more at go oc cho bao tien 1m3

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