Retro Desk Overhaul

By Mandi 04/16/2014

I dont know if it was because I had just woken up, but I found this in my instagram feed this morning and thought it was extremely giggle worthy. (thanks for sharing Scout and Nimble!)

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Now. If that didnt wake you up,  I bet this will:

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Wowza right?! I didnt even know that they made spray paint in those colors.

For the entire length of the Macie’s Bedroom makeover I was  on a desk hunt. Finding something small and shallow and cute and not outrageously prices turned out to be quite the task. But in the 11th hour, this little ray of sunshine burst through the dreary clouds and right into my heart.

I was really interested in finding out what color it was originally (sometimes I am a bit of a furniture hippy) so instead of initially painting over it I decided to strip it.

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Citristrip is my product of choice. It works well, and if you accidentally get some on your skin it doesnt feel like the fires of Hades are coming after you. The original finish was a light grayish blue (you can see it peeking out of the paint below). It wasnt what I was hoping for (a really light green) so I decided to paint it.

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Painting metal is really simple, in fact most spray paints are formulated to work with metal. The one difference that I have found is that you have to let it cure for a lot longer than you let wood cure. If you move it too soon the paint can just scratch right off. That is not the funnest thing.

I painted the back with Krylon Copper Metallic (Michaels is the only place that I can find it in St. George) and the sides with Krylon Flat White.

Simple Desk Upcycle

Upcycled Desk and Chair  Succulent Garland Teenage Girl's Boho Bedroom Makeover

Retro Bohemian Teen Bedroom Makeover vintagerevivals.com-49

Simple Desk Upcycle

Love Your Guts

15 thoughts on “Retro Desk Overhaul”

  1. Love it. When I find stuff like this the top is always so nasty. I take it you were able to use the original top for the desk?

  2. Have you thought about spray painting the frame of the mirror – to make it pop from the wall? The copper metallic spray paint would be soooo cool!

  3. Haha! Thanks for sharing my IG pic and I am so glad that you share my sense of humor! 😉 The desk is fab…the whole room is ridiculous…in an incredibly awesome way. I’ve said this before but maybe never to your face…but why hasn’t anyone picked you up for a television show??? 😉 Have no doubt they will…

  4. I voted for you. I could pick out your room right away! Hope you and your partner win. Ann

  5. THIS is so pretty. I love these colours, I think all the girls should surround themselves with these just to be happy 🙂

  6. So, I found your blog from East Coast Creative, and I’m kind of obsessed. Your blog is amazing and I’m pretty sure that you’re my spirit animal and that we should be BFFs immediately.

    Not creepy at all, right? Seriously, though – dig the blog and adore your style.

  7. Hey Mandi. I love that desk. But I have to ask if you’ve ever heard of Soy Gel for stripping? I really ought to be a spokesperson for them as much as I tout their product! lol Anyway, I’ve been using it for years. It’s made by Farnham and you can order it on Amazon or The Real Milk Paint Co. I use it to strip all my old dressers. The pro is that it cleans up with water. Totally non-toxic, no fumes, and you can work without gloves (if you want,,,it’s still gooey tho). I wrote about it on my last two posts. Here,,,,,,,,https://makemeprettyagain.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-new-frenchy.html
    and Here,,,,,https://makemeprettyagain.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-lane-masterpiece-is-finished.html
    The biggest pro for me is the clean up. Plain old H2O and a scrubby sponge. And you can even wash it down on your lawn! It strips like a dream too!
    Anyway, love your blog and your style. Just thought you might like to try something different.

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