HOW TO REFINISH AN ANTIQUE DESK

I scored something amazing. I was watching for a desk to deal with the work-from-home situation but knew it had to be small. Living in a one-bedroom apartment definitely limits options. I knew it needed to be functional but also have great character.

 

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I found this beauty on KSL classifieds for $35. $35!!! Seriously, this desk’s bones are exactly what I am looking for. It has an inkwell and pen/quill grooves! Hello, perfect writing desk! My mind started funneling through ideas of what it could be. It may look a little rough to some of you, but there is something about a vintage piece with good bones. I got it early the next morning and made plans to start the refinish work.

Taking this desk back to bare bones

I started by removing the drawer and then got to work on sanding. There was clearly a few layers of paint and stain, so I was beyond excited to find what was at the base. Make sure to cover your area and wear a mask for protection. Just in case lead paint may have been used on this desk, I didn’t want to inhale any of the dust or debris. Protection comes first!!

For this project, I used the amazing Makita circle sander with a 220 grit, trading to a 330 grit once I found the real surface. Check out that wood grain peeking through all the gunk and smelly red and black paint and stain!!!

 

While sanding, you want to keep a good grip on the sander and make circular or back and forth strokes and motions to keep the piece even. You shouldn’t need to use a ton of pressure on the Makita because it will power through a lot! I love that this one has a catcher bag on it, so most of the sawdust is collected and not blowing all over the place.

I was stoked to see the color and texture of the wood desk under all the layers of paint and scratches that were originally there. The owner had also mentioned having something mounted to the desk, which is where the holes came from. We will patch those soon :).

Raw wood beauty

I worked my way around the desk, doing a side at a time. All that gorgeous wood grain kept me motivated!! I knew it was a good find when I saw it. Sometimes you need to imagine the possibilities and look for the potential in something (a sneaky little life lesson there as well – we all have potential that deserves to be noticed and appreciated).

Almost done after day one! My cute mom did a bit more sanding for me while I worked the next day and sent photos of the progress. Because this old paint and stain was super thick, we used this ninja remover to help speed up the process and help break down some of the chemical components. You can paint it on with a regular bristle paint brush and let sit for a bit before scraping with a steel stripper brush. You can order some of this 2 minute remover HERE.

 

 

Sanded down so beautifully! Make sure to use a clean dry cloth to wipe all the surfaces down before moving on to stain or paint.

 

A fresh new look

Once everything was sanded down, I stained the desk top and the drawer with General Finishes Oil Based Gel Stain in Antique Walnut.

 

I sealed the desk top and drawer with the General Finishes water based High Performance Satin Topcoat.

 

The rest of the desk is painted with Benjamin Moore’s Black Beauty. I am obsessed with this color, and really happy with how it contrasts against the walnut wood.

Beauty meets functionality

 

 

 

 

Since finishing the desk, I found the absolute perfect knob at Hobby Lobby HERE. I don’t have an updated photo, but love the antique finish and the nod to this piece’s original glory.

 

 

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