Thursday, August 30, 2012

Back to School Desk



My friend Keni's daughter Kailyn has a birthday that falls right around the beginning of the new school year.  So what better gift for a girl turning eight then a beautiful new desk?  Her parents purchased this piece on Craigslist and I got the privilege of painting it!

The desk is painted in a light French grey, but to really appreciate the finished look of this desk, you have to see the before picture:


The desk had a thick coat of gummy, clumpy, cream-colored paint.  It was all around a terrible paint job.  To get the top of the desk down to a smooth surface I had to strip off the old paint.  This was a first for me, and a learning experience.  There are some things I would do differently next time, but in the end the paint came off and underneath was a beautiful wood grain.  To allow some of that wood grain to show through, I only did a white wash on the top of the desk followed with a coat of polycrylic to protect the surface.  I personalized the desk by stenciling a K...I knew Kailyn would think that was special!


One of the fun parts of this project was re-covering the seat of the chair.  I really enjoyed choosing the fabric and using the new staple gun my hubby bought me!  I'm looking forward to doing more reupholstery projects in the future.  There are SO MANY gorgeous fabrics out there!  



A little surprise color in the inside of the drawers in the way of girly wrapping paper - just for fun!


The original hardware was pretty, so I put it right back on.  I think this desk has a timeless look.  Hopefully Kailyn will enjoy using it for many years to come.