Desk Makeover

My neighbor gifted me this desk- it had gorgeous lines but was missing lots of veneer. Then I let my kids use it and it ended up with scratches and paint all over the top.  Sadly the veneer and top were so far gone there was no way to save the mahogany veneer so it was going to require painting.

Here is how I took it from “ready for the dump” to “can’t keep my eyes off it”!

The secret to this makeover? An AMAZING miracle paint I just discovered: Heirloom Traditions Paint.

Since I was going to paint the base of the table I didn’t need to sand it but I did need to fill in the places with missing veneer so it would be smooth.

I used a simple wood filler from Elmer’s and applied it as smoothly as I could. After it was dry, I sanded it even more smoothly.

I used an electric sander to remove the stain on the top veneer and to smooth the patched locations.

I sanded and sanded and sanded.  I started at 80 grit sandpaper and worked my way up to 220.  It took a long time to remove all the finish from the top and lip of the desk.  The original varnish on the veneer was hard to get off but the final result was 100% worth it.

Then it was time to paint!   I used Heirloom Traditions All-in-One in Mediterranean.   I LOVE it. It took 2 coats with NO priming.

I used Krud Kutter Prepaint Cleaner before painting and then painted it all except the top. It took 2 coats and I absolutely love how it went on and LOVE how it ended up looking!

I decided to keep the original hardware.  It had a gorgeous shape that went with the desk and the patina…I couldn’t even paint them!

I chose to use a matte clear  finish and not to stain the top since the color was perfect the way it was.

I let it dry and cure completely for four days before closing the drawers and I love it SO much I won’t even let the kids sit at it…it’s going to have to be a grown up desk!