I like to call this desk makeover “Call Me Hogs” since I live in Razorback country it’s no secret where I got the inspiration from. I wasn’t surprised this one sold in under 24 hours being so close to the University. Well, surprisingly it ended up in Chicago. A sweet daddy picked it up for his baby girl headed to college and he hand delivered it to her. I love knowing where my pieces go home to.
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Supplies
- Furniture piece
- Old White paint
- Emperor’s Silk paint
- Paint Brush – (For smaller pieces just grab a sponge brush from Dollar Tree)
- Annie Sloan Clear Wax or any clear furniture wax. –
- Wax Brush – or cloth
- Cloth ( Old T-Shirt)
- Stencil / silk screen transfer
- Sanding block
- Fabric selection
- Heavy Duty Staple Gun & Staples
Step 1: Prep the surface
Use the Lysol wipes to wipe down the furniture piece.
If the furniture needs more cleaning, I would recommend using TSP heavy-duty cleaner to clean it up. Just follow the directions on the box to create the cleaner and go over the piece.
Step 2: Painting & Distressing
For this piece, my inspiration was the University of Arkansas. I was able to find the fabric and stencil to get the look. I wanted the body of the desk to be mainly white and have the red peeking through.
I used the distressed painting technique to get this look. It’s a technique I love because it’s easy to hide all the imperfections. First, randomly paint red where you want it to peek through. For this piece, red is painted on the edges and just on the detail of the legs. At this point, you’ll be questioning the whole project. Hahah.. It’s going to look like a bad animal print. LOL…trust the process! I promise it gets better!! Next, paint the whole piece with two coats of the old white paint. Yes, paint old white over the random red spots. Now the desk should have two coats of old white. Once the paint is dry, take the sanding block to distress the paint and bring out the red. Sand the white paint down until the red paint peeks through. Repeat the process for the chair.
Step 3: Stencil
For the top of the desk, I used a stencil to get the chevron look. Position the stencil and use a paint brush to apply the paint. (This was before I found Chalk Couture) 🙂 You don’t want too much paint on the paint brush or it will bleed through. Just dab the brush into the red paint and dab it on the stencil. Reposition the stencil until you have the surface completed. It’s almost impossible to get clean lines with a stencil so perfection is not the goal here. I’m going to explain how that ‘was the idea all along’. hahhah …Once the surface is covered take the sanding block to sand / blend the lines. The distressed look will be your friend here as it will look intentional where the lines bleed. See, that was all done on purpose!! hahahah..
Step 4: Protect the surface
Apply the Annie Sloan clear furniture wax. A brush or a cloth can be used to apply the wax. Just dip the brush / cloth into the hard wax and smear it on the finish. Then take a clean cloth and rub it in. At first you will notice it’s a bit sticky. Just keep rubbing the wax in until it glides smoothly. You will feel the difference. Now, repeat this process for the whole piece. Applying the clear wax will not change the color of the piece. It will just protect the finish and your hard work.
Step 5: Recover Chair Seat
Cover the chair seat with fabric. This chair had a removable seat so I was able to use fabric. If the seat is wood use the same paint process as above. To replace the fabric, turn the chair over to find the screws holding it in place and remove the screws. Cut the fabric to fit the seat, place it on the seat and staple it in place. Now, attach the seat to the chair and make sure it’s secured in place with the screws.
Step 6:
Now enjoy your hard work!! You deserve it!! I would love for you to post a picture of the piece on my Facebook page.. Just pick a recent post and show it off!!
Make sure to pin to PINTEREST!! and follow my blog !!
Results will vary please see the full disclaimer policy.
Please note that paint colours will vary depending on screen settings. We cannot guarantee that paint colours will exactly match the colour you see on screen. I would highly recommend testing this method on a scrape wood first.