Making over furniture doesn’t have to be hard. This easy DIY desk makeover is so simple- little to no prep- you won’t want to do it any other way!

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, then you most likely know that I like to do things the easy way. Recipes, crafts, sewing and even DIY can’t escape my shortcut, no-pattern, eyeballing philosophy. After Mark and I finished our office and we were ready to move in, I needed a desk.

A few months back, my dad had stopped by the house with an old desk he wasn’t using anymore. Looking to the future, and knowing I’d eventually need one, I scooped it up. It was old and warn, and to be honest, not very pretty at all. But it’s features were unmistakable. All it really needed was some paint.

It took me several months before I finally decided on what color/brand of paint to use, but I’ve never been one to rush when it comes to semi-permanent decisions. If I’m going to take the time to paint, it’s got to be just right, because I don’t want to have to do it again anytime soon.

I chose Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence. I’ve been wanting to try it for quite some time, and my desk makeover seemed like the perfect opportunity. Chalk paint is definitely the reason this is such an easy DIY desk makeover. It can be sealed with wax, or you can leave it unsealed. Although, it does feel ‘chalky’ to the touch, and can come off easily with water, so cleaning it would be difficult. I went with both the clear and the dark wax, and I love the way it came out.

Prep was a piece of cake- no sanding or stripping! In fact, the only prep I had to do was to tape off the leather writing areas on the top of the desk. I was told I could paint the leather, but I loved the look of it and decided against it.

You want the first coat of paint to go on super thin. Mixing in a bit of water does the trick. Pour a small amount onto a paper plate, dip your brush in water, then mix into the paint on your plate. Your goal for the first coat is just to have a thin layer of paint- it’s not going to be solid and the original furniture color is going to show through.

Let the first coat dry for a couple of hours before applying your second coat. The effect I wanted was old and distressed, so I made my second coat pretty thin as well. You can see in the picture below that some of the brown still shows through.

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