Thrifted Desk Makeover With Rustoleum Chalkpaint

Jenna Allen
by Jenna Allen
3 Materials
$50
3 Hours
Easy

Recently I ran across a desk at my local Thrift store that was an unfortunate shade of pine. I fell in love with the simple and classic lines of it though, and I felt like I could bring it into this decade easily by putting a fresh coat of paint on it. I always keep my eyes out for good lines when I'm thrifting furniture, pay no attention to the current state of the finish. I always say as long as the lines are good, and the construction is solid it's a winner.


I tried a new to me product for this makeover and wasn't sure how it would turn out so I felt like an inexpensive second hand piece was a good one to make my guinea pig.

This is what the desk looked like when I purchased it, just your standard honey colored oak that made it feel very very dated.


I had wanted to try out the new line of paint by Rustoleum called "Chalked" I felt like this little desk update was a perfect piece to try it out on.


The "Chalked" line of paint from Rustoleum comes in premixed colors which as an interior designer makes me itch a little bit. I like to always always choose my shade of everything because of course, I know best.


I decided to get brave and try out their premixed Charcoal color.


Grey paint is notoriously hard because it can have SO many different undertones.


I can happily report that this may in fact be the PERFECT shade of charcoal grey. It doesn't lean blue or green which a lot of grey paint can. It's just the right amount of warmth.


I also decided to try out their matte clear topcoat from the same line.


I usually use a Polycrylic wipe on product. Which can be hard, it always seems to want to bubble which is frustrating to say the least.


This topcoat stuff by Rustoleum you brush on and I gotta say, I am SO impressed with the finish. No sheen, and no brush marks! So so good!

This is what my little thrifted desk looks like now with its new look. I love how just a simple coat of paint updated it so much. It's now the perfect addition to a little homework corner I created in an empty corner of our family room. We have loved having the extra surface space for homework, drawing, and dreaming.

Resources for this project:
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Jenna Allen
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
 1 comment
Next