I have been talking about doing a Vintage Desk Restoration With Chalk Paint for so long. I was desperate to get my own little workspace. Somewhere I could store my things, my very own creative space. Just for me, with no football, homework and all those other distractions that put me off working.


What You Will Find Here
Finding The Right Desk On Ebay For A Vintage Desk Restoration
I had been looking for ages when I spotted this vintage desk on eBay. Which was perfect exactly what I wanted. And was lucky enough to win with my bid and had the bureau sat in my lounge within a week.
I had spent some time scouring Pinterest for images of vintage inspired desks and had finally decided exactly how I wanted my desk to look. Thus decided on a vintage cream distressed exterior to match the rest of the furniture in our lounge. My only dilemma here was how to tie all the pieces in together.
How To Complete A Vintage Desk Restoration
Sanding And Painting The Desk
Choose your colours thinking of the final look you want to achieve, but also creating a contrast. For the interior of the desk I wanted a super girly, feminine space so decided on duck egg blue and a vintage floral pattern, with a soft antique chalk effect white for the outside.
Start by sanding the whole cabinet to remove the veneer and make the surfaces porous, dont leave any shiny bits as the paint will peel off. Also ensure you get into all the corners as those are the areas that will be harder to paint if they aren’t porous.
Apply the wood base coat first, make sure they base coat covers well and you dont miss any areas, this is the most important step so take your time here and allow it to dry properly.
Now apply two coats of chalk paint, allowing each coat to dry in between coats. Initially the result looked patchy, however the key to a great chalk paint result is the wax finish.

Before applying the final wax we sanded areas to create the distressed effect I wanted to achieve, and then waxed. After two coats the wax seems to lift the paint and its appearance, thus making finished result looks almost to a professional standard, aged but modern.
Choosing Ceramic Door Knobs To Finnish The Look Of The Vintage Desk Restoration
The desk was finished off with Trinca Ferro ceramic door knobs. This was the biggest decision I had to make for the whole project.
Trinca Ferro offer a huge selection of absolutely gorgeous door knobs. I chose a mix of 3, to use on the existing furniture in my lounge, thus tying all the pieces together.

And lastly I chose a vintage floral oil cloth to decorate and finish the inside of the desk. The bright but delicate floral gives it such a light, bright and summery feel.

I am absolutely thrilled with the results of the vintage desk. Additionally I feel focused having a dedicated space to work, rather than working in the kitchen or on the sofa.
I love the fact that I have my own little oasis that no one in the house will commandeer as it is girly and pretty.


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Mini Travellers/Mini Ventures
Friday 29th of January 2016
Wish I had some space to call my own. Currently typing in kitchen. Beautiful.
SarahJChristie
Saturday 30th of January 2016
Karen you need to make a space, it feels quite calming having you own little area x
mummyofboygirltwins
Tuesday 24th of November 2015
Thanks for linking up - loved this post SO much :) Jess xx
#HomeEtc
SarahJChristie
Wednesday 25th of November 2015
Ah thank you Jess, I am just so pleased with it x
Caro | The Twinkle Diaries
Sunday 22nd of November 2015
Thanks so much for linking up with us lovely! #HomeEtc I've said it before but this is SUCH a stunning up-cycle!!! :) xx
SarahJChristie
Monday 23rd of November 2015
Thanks Caro, I am so thrilled with it, and thank you for hosting lovely lady x
Fionnuala
Friday 20th of November 2015
You've made a gorgeous job of it Sarah. The oild cloth finishes the whole thing off really well and makes it extra pretty. #HomeEtc
SarahJChristie
Saturday 21st of November 2015
Thanks Fionnuala I love it, and love the girliness of the oil cloth xx
Lizzie Woodman
Wednesday 18th of November 2015
I love this! It's totally transformed. It's so satisfying to up-cycle something and give it a whole new lease of life. I'd love to work here. #HomeEtc
SarahJChristie
Saturday 21st of November 2015
Yes I totally agree I love it so much more than if I had bought it from a shop x