The amazing desk in Alicia’s Office was not always so amazing.
I found it at the DI (Utah’s version of the Goodwill) almost a year ago. I love that it was metal and industrial and it was $18.
The rust, mismatched knobs, peeling veneer top, and chippy paint were doing this cute guy no favors.
It sat on the side of my house for months because I couldn’t part with it, but I didn’t have anywhere to put it (I know you guys feel my pain!)
When I teamed up with P&G and The Home Depot, this desk was my jumping off point. It was finally going to get the makeover it deserved!
The wood veneer top peeled right off, do you think it has anything to do with the Southern Utah heat?
It had been painted multiple times, and the paint was really thick. So the parts where it was chippy had some major texture issues. Sanding it down would have been an option, but I was really hoping that we could get a good metal finish patina out of it so I stripped it with Citristrip (just like I did to Macie’s desk).
The metal wasn’t quite right, but stripping it cleaned off all of the drippy chippy paint, so it worked out.
I started by priming the entire piece with Kilz. It is my favorite hands down. There are 2 things to remember when you are working with Kilz, shake it really really well, like for 3 minutes well. It has a super thick formula and separates in the can. And 2, you will need to lightly sand it with 220 grit sandpaper after it has dried. Because the formula is so thick the overspray is substantial enough that it leaves texture on your piece. There isn’t really a way to avoid it but just lighting wiping it off with a piece of sandpaper makes it disappear.
Once your primer is finished it is time to paint! I used Krylon Classic Gray. It is a really great medium gray that isn’t too blue or too brown. When you are using this color you want to shake it really well too. It seems to harbor little dark fugitive bubbles that completely change the color of the paint when they escape.
After your gray paint has had time to cure (usually around an hour) you are ready for the next color. Use Scotchblue Delicate painter tape and a few garbage bags to cover the base that you have already painted. The paint is still super fresh so just push the tape on lightly. I pushed it on so lightly that in the picture below the middle section fell off a little. Whoopsie. Just make sure that the part that you are spraying is covered.
Paint the drawers white and give them a chance to try too.
The piece had single screw pulls in all of the drawers and instead of patching them, I decided to just over them up with new pulls.
The ones that we used were bin pulls from HD. We gave them a quick coat of gold spray paint and let them cure.
**Most spray paints work really well on metal, but you have to let them cure the full time (16-24 hours) because you really put them to use. I have cursed many a metal spray painting project because I didn’t have to willpower to not manhandle it. Spraying pulls works fantastically, you just have to be patient.
(The screws on the front are fake, so you don’t need to worry about touch up after they are installed!)
As daunting as it can sound, painting a piece of furniture is one of the BEST things that you can do for your house. It is like an instant facelift!
Check out the other tutorials from Alicia’s Office makeover here!
Love the transformation- gorgeous hardware, great color combo and best of all you salvaged a score of a piece with just a little TLC!!
Kudos,
Jenna
https://pizzigatidesigns.tumblr.com/
Absolutely love it! It is a really sexy desk now. Definitely want to try painting a metal piece at some point – this is good motivation.
I have a few questions about the bin pulls….is it only 1 screw on the back? and what gold spray paint did you use?? In LOVE!!
Hey Erika! There are 2 screws in the back (we had to drill new holes) and the spray paint was Rustoleum gold. The super basic kind! xo
Thank you!! Stopping at HD right after work!
Well, where was this when I spray painted my filing cabinet? Huh? 😉 Good info here. Maybe next time it will turn out better for me, lol!
Mimi
https://thisdomesticateddiva.com
Awesome tutorial! Thank You!!
Waaaaait, the screws on the pulls are fake?! Does it attach on the back with one screw in the middle? I want those!
Absolutely love the white and grey on the desk, it’s so cute now! I’m not completely in love with the pulls but that’s just a matter of taste. Overall, it’s a really great transformation!
Long hair and spray paint. I’m familiar with that and the windy days in N Utah that send the spray everywhere.
Love it. I’ve been looking for a metal desk. Now I’ll know how to paint it.
I love love love your blog!!! BUT…. I am one of those super annoying people that can’t stand a crooked picture on the wall or a blind that isn’t totally horizontal when raised. This is the second crooked thing I have noticed in your DIY’s. The bin pull is listing to the right on the middle drawer of the desk. Maybe a level could be added to your tool kit???? : )
Nice….do u prefer to spray pulls gold instead of buying the HD ones? Are they the wrong size or maybe only available in
Both finishes here in Canada? And did u use just the one original hole to attach? Thanx Mandi! More Ardex projects!! Ill send pics of the plant pots and objects I did…because its not meant for exterior it’s an experiment w plant pots to see how messed up they can get in one hot CDN summer! …
Oh sorry couldn’t read previous answers to pulls…do u use the heavy duty solvent based Kilz or the water based one when it comes to metal…since spray paint alone shouldn’t need priming on clean metal, and most brands like Tremclad and Rustoleum are made for just that purpose, do u find there is definitely a difference
With wear on the projects u have primed? Or is it just extra insurance…thankx!
Are you mic’d for filming in the first pic?
Turned out great.i am old fashioned and would have used brushed nickel pulls. 🙂
I wanted to get my daughter a wooden desk, now I’m thinking that I should maybe get metal. Love it
Mandi – I see a mic. on the back of your jeans…looks like something big is brewing 🙂 Happy for you girl!!! You are a DIY genius!!!!
I adore the grey and white – but those gold pulls are everything!
1. Yup mic….. Can’t wait
2. OMG so happy. My daughter is psyched to be getting a bed instead of a floor mattress… Seriously. And this looks so easy that my son will be getting one too!
Funny how someone else’s junk is another persons treasure. We do this at home with my wife. We also buy cheap old furniture and make it super cool. A lot of our friends actually ask us to make them things they could never buy at a furniture shop. Great work and thanks for sharing.
Exactly what I needed. 🙂 I have a metal table that I inherited from my parents. Now, I know exactly what I want to do with it. Thanks a lot!
Serious Question here: Was it a metal top or a wood top? I have a desk with a laminate on top I was trying to get rid of, but now thinking about just refinishing instead. I’m trying to figure out about what to do about the ugly laminate top. Can I just spy paint it? Thanks
This had a wood top, but you could totally paint a laminate top, just make sure that you are using a bonding primer!
xo
m
My husband and I just purchased a metal desk and are excited to paint it. I’m glad we found your post! Do you have any recommendations for fixing a few deep scratches and dents prior to painting? Any help/thoughts would be much appreciated ~ this is our first time trying a project like this 🙂