After a long search for a desk, I finally found the perfect one at our Goodwill in Brunswick. The desk was in pretty bad shape but seemed solid and cost me only $35. After sanding layers of old primer and paint, a new life was put onto the desk and I'm happy with what it became.
Day 1: The desk was brought home in pretty bad shape. Paint was chipped, holes were present where the former hardware had been, and there was a layer of raised glue on the top.
The first step was sanding. I started as low as the store would sell and then finished with about 220 grit. Layer after layer of old paint and glue began to chip away to a beautiful wood that was present beneath.
After sanding the entire desk, I caulked the holes that were left by the former hardware. The spots were then sanded to make way for the upcoming coat of primer.
The Sales Associate from Lowe's talked me into getting Zinsser's Bulls Eye Primer. I had already picked out a color at this point and she was able to add it to the primer for me. That way, if I didn't like it, it was an easy fix. I loved it and chose to stick with the color when it came around to buying the paint. I planned to put the desk in front of a window and really didn't want it to be too glossy. I chose a Valspar paint with a Matte Finish and added the Eddie Bauer color of "Oyster" to the mix. I only bought a quart and it turned out to be the perfect amount for the desk. I applied a few coats and touched up a few spots that needed a little more attention. I then let the desk sit and dry for a couple of days. I wanted some sort of way to protect the paint and was talked into buying a can of polyeurathane. Having never used it and reading many horror stories, I decided to try it out on the inside shelf of the desk. Like many online said, it dried yellow and was far from the finish I was looking for. I decided to take my chances with the paint and never applied anything over it.
Living on the coast, I have tried to find ways of using nautical items without being tacky or looking like a rented beach house. I had seen this done before, loved the idea, and decided to try it out on my own project. I went to West Marine and bought two different size boat cleats along with the hardware for around $20. I put the larger cleat on the pull out drawer and the two smaller sized ones on the cabinet doors. The cleats looked awesome on the desk and it turned out better than I had imagined.
The last step I took was getting a piece of glass custom made for the top. I went to local glass shop, Pane in the Glass, and told them the dimensions of what I wanted. Within a couple of days, it was ready to be picked up. The glass was perfect and made the desk look even greater. I had planned to put old maps or pictures under the glass but after seeing how great it looked with nothing under it, I plan to leave it exactly like it is.
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