time to clean up your desk :: plus diy furniture spray painting :: saturday inspiration

You get to pick how far you go with this post. If you simply have a messy work space / desk area that desperately needs your attention then set aside some time to clean up your desk. BEFORE and AFTER photos tend to inspire me, so there you go.

If you are really feeling ambitious and want to give your furniture a brand new look, then read on.

We have lots of cheap furniture that we bought when we were first married. The oaks and pine colors are no longer in style and since our furniture isn’t top quality, expensive pieces I got brave and decided to give spray paint a whirl. I am not super handy, but I do say this often “if I can fix it with paint then it can be fixed.”

Here is my painting resume and level of expertise: since we bought our home in 2008, I have painted every single room (some more then once), repainted our kitchen cabinets and added hardware, repainted bathroom cabinets, and now I’ve moved on to updating our furniture.  I’m not claiming to be a professional, but if you are intimidated to paint I’d like to encourage you to get over it. Spray painting is a great place to start because I’ve found it is the easiest.

Supplies Needed for this desk project :: Cost less then $10

1 can spray paint primer (brown or white depending on your project)
2 cans SATIN finish espresso spray paint

It took much longer to clear my desk off then it did to paint it. Don’t forget to remove all the hardware too. I started with a brown spray paint primer because I was planning to go a darker color (I got mine at Home Depot and I’m not brand loyal). If you want to paint something a lighter color then get white primer. Side note: NEVER spray paint inside…did that once and I had a film of spray paint dust all over our house…stupid, stupid, stupid. Get your furniture outside or in a well ventilated area and prime it. The can will tell you how long to allow it to dry, it’s usually about 30 minutes or so. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure it’s an even spray.

Now for the fun part, your new color. I personally prefer a satin finish over glossy because it is more forgiving of mistakes. Choose a spray paint that bonds to wood, metal, plastic. It should only take one coat, but after it dries you may need to touch up here and there. My desk project took 1 can of primer and 2 cans of SATIN espresso colored spray paint.  As tempting as it is to get your furniture back inside, do give it ample drying time.  I don’t usually put anything directly onto the surface for at least a day, but I do move it back inside after 2 hours or so to avoid outdoor dust settling on it.

If you have any questions or if you are leery of painting something, comment below. Start with something you aren’t nervous to ruin…although I think you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to spray paint. It’s amazing what updated hardware can do for a piece of furniture as well. I hope you are inspired to give spray painting a go. Be warned, it’s addicting. In the past 2 weeks I have redone a bookshelf, my desk, and a dresser.

Here is a recap of the past few Saturdays of inspiration, click the thumbnails to the left.