desk reveal and winner announced

When I moved back in my old room, I knew I was going to need a desk to do all of my studies, or blogging, at. You may or may not remember THIS post, about my not so free, free time, which included starting my oh so cute desk. More than two months later, it is finally finished! I got quite a few comments asking to see it when it's all done, so here it is ladies and gentleman, my first furniture re-do.

Below are the pictures of the desk at its raw state. The desk had great bones. The biggest problem was the polyurethane that some inexperienced (not like myself) person had put on the top. Over time, polyurethane yellows. So over time, the desk, especially the top had turned this not so cute yellow-ish tint. The thick poly layers also cracked over time.

Using an electric sander on the top with a 120 grit, the polyurethane was worn down as much as possible. And with strips of 180 grit, the rest of the desk was hand sanded.

Next came the paint. I knew I wanted a white, but I was very particular about my white. Not an ultra white and no yellow tint. I ended up choosing Valspar Bistro White. It was perfect and I only needed one coat!

Next came the distressing. I wanted a lot and I wanted it chunky. So with an 80 grit sandpaper, I sanded those spots down to the bare wood. Using Minwax Dark Walnut Wood Stain, I rubbed the bare spots until they were to my liking this created an amazing contrast against the white.

 

 

The top of the desk is my favorite part. All of the desk was painted with a new paintbrush. But as I only used one coat, the paint was thin and the brush strokes were clearly visible. At first, I thought this would be a problem, but as I painted, it increasingly looked like a white wood; the brush strokes even left ridges that feel like wood. And those cracks and imperfections? They were electrically sanded down to the wood, and when painted over, looked like wood knots. It was perfectly imperfect.

The top was covered with three coats of Minwax PolyACRYLIC sealer. Polyacrylic will not turn yellow, unlike polyurethane.
*Let sit for 24 hours before use, sand lightly in between each coat

Drum roll please...

Here is the finished product. Adorned with all my storage, pencils, and notebooks, I am seriously in love. My knob from Anthropologie completes the desk with a little pop of color. I give myself a pat on the back for my first furniture overhaul.

Enjoy!

Feel free to ask me any questions about redoing furniture. You know, because I'm an expert and all now. There's already a few projects lined up that I can't wait to get my hands on. Stay tuned!

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The winner of the Alexandra Wallace Carnation Print is

Amanda Shroeder from We and Seredipity

Congrats! I'm jealous.

Email me at amyjpalmer54(at)gmail(dot)com

and let me know that you're the winner