Refinishing – anyone can do it.

I’ve been in need of a desk for a while and using a kitchen table for my desk was getting old and didn’t make me feel like a grown-up. I sort of half-ass have been on the look out for a desk, and then one day my boyfriend found one for me on Craigslist. I knew when I got it it was going to have to do some work to it, but looked at it as a way to keep me busy over the summer. I hadn’t re-stained furniture in years. The first and only thing I’ve refinished was a futon frame that my neighbor was throwing out like 10 years ago. Now that I think about it it was crazy that I refinished and stained a cheap futon frame, but my parents still have it and it actually looks sort of nice.

how it began

As you can see this desk definitely has potential. I consulted Katherine from BackGarage since mid-century furnishing seem to be her specialty and she has experience refinishing. Katherine gave some good tips like using tack cloth which I’d never heard of and ideas to lead me on my way (White Attic). After much deliberation and discussion (I’m talking weeks) with my BF I decided I would paint the drawers a cream color and stain the rest of the desk a dark stain that I had leftover from a previous project.

I began by sanding the entire desk, during the sanding it looked like this desk has a had a few make overs. There was varnish, but some residual white paint in the grain of the wood. I think I could have done a better job sanding but I was just so excited to start I sort of rushed through it.

I started staining the desk and it didn’t seem to be taking the stain evenly so I started to have second thoughts on my decision. After 2 coats I still wasn’t happy, so I let the project sit a few days and mulled over it.

2 coats down

2 coats of stain

After a few days I decided to carry on with the plan and I painted the draws the cream color and did another coat of stain and it started to look really great. After 3 coats of stain and 4 coats of paint on the drawers it was time for the varnish. I used oil based polyurethane. I did two coats of poly sanding in-between the first and second coat. I could have probably done two more coats on the desk top, but I got lazy and really wanted to be done with the project. I do have to say it turned out very nice and I love it!