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.
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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Sarah this is so beautiful, you have done an amazing job with it. Love that your Mickey pen gets a look in too. A gorgeous girly space that none of the boys can touch…. perfect. I bet blogging is a joy sat at your new desk. Exciting times ahead xx
Thanks Tracey it is, I have to say Chris gave me lots of help, he said I would have taken to long on my own ha ha x
It is absolutely beautiful, I can see why you’re so thrilled with it. I’d be happy working there, too, enjoy it x
Ah thank you, yes it feels so functional yet so pretty x
Ahhhhh so THAT’S what you wanted them for!!! It looks GORGEOUS — no wonder you’re thrilled with it!! Amazing what a bit of white paint and some knobs can do isn’t it? Well done treasure — love this!!! 🙂 xx
Ah thanks Caro, yes I am over the moon and what a transformation. It was a team effort but I love working at it now x
Oh wow I love it so much! I have an old bureau in my mums garage that would be perfect for this but we just dont have the space sadly. I would do the same as you though, just give a totally different look. Enjoy!! xx
Thank you Kate, I am so happy with it, it feels so lovely sat there working, It is by the window so I can look out at the view too x
Oh wow this is STUNNING!!! I love it! You have done an amazing job and what a gorgeous work space. I have a project that I am trying to work out when I can do – it’s annoying me so much as I can’t wait to get up-cycling! Xxx
Thanks Kat, I am so so happy with it, I know it took us a while to get going but once we started I count wait to Finish x
Oh I had a bureau in my old house that didn’t fit anywhere in this house, I really miss it, I could store loads in it . This is gorgeous, so bright and clean looking! X
Thanks Lisa, I am so pleased with it and am loving using it x
Oh Sarah you clever lady!! 🙂 Stunning!! I love what you’ve done and what a transformation. Love up-cycling – it’s so satisfying and saves money! Perfect! Great job xx
Thank you Jess yes I am so thrilled it is exactly what I wanted xx
Sarah!!!! It’s beautiful. Well done. I love colour and the oil cloth finishes it perfectly. You must be so happy. It’s amazing. What a transformation!!
Thanks Rachel, it makes me so happy working from it, my own little space x
That is beautiful – definitely no footballs there. I love eBay for sourcing old items of furniture and breathing new life into them. #homeetc
Ha ha no thank goodness and me to you can find all sorts of gems on there cant you. And thank you I am thrilled with it x
This is so beautiful! I love the finished result and the fold-down table is so cool and practical. #HomeEtc
Thanks Carolyn I am so thrilled with it and must say I am loving using it x
Wowee what a lovely desk. If it was mine I would get no work done at all, I would be far too busy admiring my beautiful handiwork. #HomeEtc
Thanks Kim ha ha yes I do spend a fair bit of time admiring it x
Just beautiful! I’m a chalk paint virgin but have some furniture ear marked to try it so will be sure to wax them afterwards. Your bureau is lovely, it must be a pleasure to work at it! #HomeEtc
Thanks Louisa it is, and I must say I am surprised at how easy it was to use x
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
Yes I totally agree I love it so much more than if I had bought it from a shop x
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
Thanks Fionnuala I love it, and love the girliness of the oil cloth xx
Thanks so much for linking up with us lovely! #HomeEtc I’ve said it before but this is SUCH a stunning up-cycle!!! 🙂 xx
Thanks Caro, I am so thrilled with it, and thank you for hosting lovely lady x
Thanks for linking up – loved this post SO much 🙂 Jess xx
#HomeEtc
Ah thank you Jess, I am just so pleased with it x
Wish I had some space to call my own. Currently typing in kitchen. Beautiful.
Karen you need to make a space, it feels quite calming having you own little area x