Desk and Chair Makeover

Marj MRC Creations
by Marj MRC Creations
5 Materials
$90
1 Week
Medium
Try changing old, tired furniture into something pretty, fresh and new again! This is what I did with a small desk and chair, bought separately, but that work so nicely together. I bought the desk online and it had already been painted and varnished so I had to tackle that shine, that glossy surface that can be tricky to paint. Have a look at how I did that. Don't be put off by shiny surfaces! Yes, they can be painted w/o too much hard work. :)
Here is the desk before I started. It was thickly painted and varnished, but damaged and needed a new look.
The drawers were in good condition, but lined with adhesive contact paper that I removed.
This adorable chair was the perfect size for the desk, something I found from another seller online.
I first cleaned both pieces of furniture with a deglosser called Krud Kutter. It cleans and also removes a bit of the glossy surface. It is much easier to do this than to sand every nook and cranny for the primer coat. I rinsed it well and let dry, then painted on two light coats of BIN 123 latex primer. I did sand the drawer fronts as those were easy to do, but then cleaned with the deglosser.
After the primer dried, I painted two to three coats of Fusion Mineral paint in 'Casement'.
I wanted to add an aged look, so after brushing a coat of polyacrylic by Modern Masters and letting that dry, I applied a silver metallic glaze (any brand will do) and then wiped off here and there to get an effect I liked. This is pretty much trial and error. You need to varnish/poly over a chalk paint or mineral paint base as the glaze will quickly absorb into it, otherwise, and will be challenging to wipe off and play around with. You may end up with very dark smudges of glaze instead of a more subtle aged look. Once the polyacrylic was dry, glaze slides around and is more easily manipulated.
This is what I ended up with, getting glaze into the cracks and details. You can wipe on and off as much as you like, so long as the glaze is still wet.
Here is the finished result! Desk and chair look great together, don't they? I recovered the seat of the chair with a pretty fabric.
I also replaced the original handles with these antique silver knobs that suit the look well.
Here is a closer look at the glazed finish and details. After the glaze, I applied two light coats of the polyacrylic by Modern Masters, called Master Clear.
You see where the glaze settles into the details and cracks of the chair, too. It adds character, I find.
Suggested materials:
  • BIN 123 latex primer   (Hardware store)
  • Fusion Mineral paint, Casement   (Knackered Vintage to Modern Decor shop)
  • Modern Masters Clear top coat   (Modern Masters)
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