Power of Spray Paint (yes it is the same desk!)

After I finished my chair, I decided I needed a desk to go with it. Last year I saved my birthday money and started searching KSL classifieds for a desk with "good bones" It took months and several dissapointments as I would find one, then go to get it only to find out the owner sold it to someone else! But eventually I found this one for $40 dollars, if I had seen it before I got it, I would have only paid 25 because she did a good job at hiding all the broken things in her photo. Oh-well, lesson learned.

I took it all apart (seriously like 15 pieces) and started sanding down the surface. Mind you it was a cheap paper veneer! Because of the paper veneer, I couldn't just spray paint it or the paper would bubble, so I had to buy automotive primer (spray) and prime the whole thing first. The reason why that works on veneer is because it is OIL BASED - key to redoing veneer. The oil base will not bubble the paper finish. Once everything had a good coat of primer I could spray paint it. And spray paint it I did. I think it took like 6 cans of primer and 6 cans of spray paint!





Oh, I also added all that trim to the cupboard doors. I used scraps of beadboard for the centers then just put some thin trim to trim out the edges.
I also added crown molding to the top of the desk. I then took apart the shelves, and used the excess pieces to remake the shelving to be a little more usable. Once all this was complete I bought a piece of wood beadboard, stained and glazed it, then added it to the back. Here is the finished product.
I have to say that there were many times I doubted this project would ever work! It took about 6 weeks to do it and it took up my entire garage! I think I am still cleaning up spray paint dust! Thanks to a wonderfully patient hubby who waited forever to park his car back in the garage!



Total Cost: About $100 ($40 for the desk, and $60 for the molding, beadboard, and all that paint!)

If only spray paint could transform me like that!!! :)

Linking up to the CSI challenge!

Wish me luck!