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Upcycled desk ideas: from drab to fab for under $100

April 20, 2020 4 Comments

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By Naomi Findlay

We’ve probably never looked more closely at our desks and home offices than we are now.

Have you previously worked on the lounge, at the coffee table or maybe even the kitchen bench? Now you may find yourself in the position where you’re having to work from home on a more regular basis and suddenly your desk and storage has become a focus, as has how you feel when you are working.

At the same time, not everyone is in a position to go and splash out on a beautiful big new desk, so I have a challenge for you. I want you to look around you for a fixer-upper. It might be the desk you already have, maybe one on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, a roadside find or from an op shop like Vinnie’s. See if you can find a desk that is the perfect project for you.

BEFORE: This op shop find was pretty bland

Here’s my how-to so when you find that desk, you know exactly what to do and what you need. The desk pictured is one I recently did up for a client. I got it from a local Lifeline store for around $50 and took it from bland to sensational!

What you need

  • 1 litre of Porter’s Chalk Emulsion in French Slate
  • Small roller tray or roller pot
  • Small roller
  • Medium paintbrush
  • Sanding pad/sponge (flexible is good for the curved shapes)
  • A sharp edge
  • Baby wipes
  • Dry clean cloth
  • Screwdriver
  • New handles
  • Wax
  • Wax brush

How to do it

Remove the drawers

Remove the hardware

Clean any obvious dirt and high grease areas.

Use the sharp edge and baby wipes to get the old wax, grease and years of dirt out of the finer detail on the desk, this will allow for the new paint to sit right into the details rather than on top of the old gunk, making for a sharper and more refined final product.

Use the sanding sponge to give the whole desk a sand, making sure that you get right into the corners and the routed details. The flexible sanding sponge also makes sanding the round legs easier.

Use a clean dry paint brush to then dust all of the sanding dust out of the detailed areas and also the ornate rose area and drawers. You can also vacuum out the drawers if you have one handy.

Then wipe down with a clean and dry cloth to make sure you are ready for your first coat.

Apply the Porter’s Chalk Emulsion using a paintbrush for the detailed areas and then a roller over the top. This allows for a flawless finish.

Once the first coat has dried (approx 2 hours) do a very light sand and then apply a second coat.

Once the final coat is fully dry, get a fine grade sanding pad and very minimally distress the edges and the details on the desk.

Always stand back and reassess this as you go. Start super light!

Once you are happy with the level of distressing, use a tiny amount of antique black wax on the rose motif to give it some depth and definition. Finish it all off with a clear wax covering over the whole piece.

Finally, attach your new handles.

This was such a simple but amazing makeover. The desk was not an antique which meant that the drawers slid with a lot of clearance and hence I was able to paint the drawer side and also inside the drawers. This always looks better if it doesn’t affect the function of the drawers.

This really is simple and achievable for all levels of experience. All you need is some time (it is something you can do with the kids), some know-how (now you have it!) and the want to surround yourself in beauty, starting with your desk.

See more of Naomi’s projects

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It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers🙏

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Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

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Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

✔️ I'm English 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008😆 

✔️ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. 🛁 

✔️ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) 📓 

✔️ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London 🚔 

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✔️ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK ❤️ 🇬🇧 

✔️ At school, my favourite subject was French 🇫🇷 and I was head girl 🤓🤓

✔️ I'm addicted to ☕️ , long hot baths and💄 (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

✔️ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message 😁

✔️ My favourite cuisine is Japanese 🍣 🍜 and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

✔️ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

✔️ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or🍷 

✔️ Cheesy as it sounds, 💁‍♀️being a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life 🧒👦

✔️ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view 📖 

✔️ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

✔️ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker 😯 🅿️

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better 😘

📸 @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? 🎨 

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Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
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Comments

  1. AvatarLisa says

    April 22, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    At the moment I’m painting anything that can’t run away. It is very satisfying to reinvent a piece you have fallen out of love with.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      April 23, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      So funny! Enjoy, Lisa! Jen

      Reply
  2. AvatarJaslyn Lancken says

    April 23, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    Hi, thanks for sharing this post. What grade of sander would you recommend? 3M has 4 different Ultra Flexible Sanding Sponges and I would have no idea which one to sand an antique bookcase, for example…

    Reply
    • AvatarNaomi Findlay says

      April 23, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      I would start with an 80 grit or close to that for the first sand, but between coats you want to be a lot more gentle at 180-200. Hope that helps!

      Reply

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