This was no easy project, but oh so worth it! I originally bought this desk a few months ago and due to other projects and a lack of motivation I never got around to actually giving this little cutie a makeover.
This past week my husband went on what is known as “The Field” where the Marines go on essentially a camping trip for however long. This gave me a couple of days of blessed peace and quiet. Well, that peace and quiet soon turned to boredom as I was used to the hustle and bustle caused by the military life. So I decided to finally tackle that project desk that had been sitting in the corner of my garage collecting dust!
My dear husband had been a sweetheart when I first bought the desk and partially sanded the top of the desk down because little did I know when I bought this beautiful wood antique it had 5 layers of different paints, stains, and varnishes!
Thanks to the hubby sanding down the rest of it only took about another 3 1/2 hours! So half an afternoon and one severe back ache later I finally got to see the character beneath all the layers on this desk. I have to say it was worth the work and time put in!
I will also add that when sanding down the top of this desk I paid extra care to leave some of the leftover dark stain and not sand away all the imperfections scratched onto its surface. I liked the charm of the added distress and knowing that this desk has plenty of stories it could tell.
Products I Used On This Project
- Sandpaper (And lots of it)
- Disposable gloves (So you don’t paint/stain your hands)
- Wood stain in the shade Kona
- Old Cloth to apply stain
- Black Paint+Primer Spray paint
- Clear Coat Spray Paint
- Facemask (So you aren’t breathing in the sawdust or paint fumes)
Below are pictures of the desk with only half of it stained so you could see the before and after effects. I used the stain Kona to bring out the red undertones in the wood and it turned out better than I ever imagined!
This is a photo of the desk when it was completely stained and with the top clear coat on it to give it the extra protection its definitely going to need if its to survive very long in my office space! (I’m notorious for spilling cups of coffee and other drinks as well as leaving scratches and pen marks haha)
After applying the stain I went to work painting the bottom of the desk. I decided to paint this black since it would match some of the other furniture pieces in my office. Doing so also saves me from repainting it in a year when we move back to Texas, and I inevitably change the color scheme and décor of the house again. Black also helps bring out the rich tones of the Kona stain and really makes it pop!
All in all I think I did a pretty good job and can’t wait for this desk to become the place that many more blog articles are written! Who knows, maybe someday my own children will even use it to do their homework! Hopefully they get their daddies genes and are super book-smart just like him because if they take after me they got a long road ahead of them haha 😉
Here is a little before and after of the desk so you can see the difference!
If you enjoyed todays post feel free to give me a like or share, and if you would like to see similar posts about my other projects follow my blog! Thank you for reading!
XOXO Taylor Mae
Tay By Day 