vintage school desk refurbish

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This post originally appeared on January 29, 2014 and has been edited and updated to share with you today! You can find the original post //here//.
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There is just something wonderful about taking an old or vintage piece and giving it a new life. I love finding a piece that has some character and a unique story and history behind it and putting it to use again. I especially love when I can combine a vintage style with modern touches. This was definitely the case with this gorgeous vintage desk that I was able to get a hold of for absolutely free! Can you believe that?! When I saw it I knew it would be just perfect for my son’s room.

The first step was obviously all the prep work, you know, the “unfun” part: first, I had to sand all the wood down; then I cleaned everything with diluted vinegar; lastly I had to tape all the wood off so I could spray paint all the metal. That part probably took the longest, but once that was all finished I was able to give it three light coats of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover in Seaside.
After letting the paint dry overnight, I could get started on re-staining the wood table top and seat. I picked Minwax Polyshades Honey in Gloss, which I already had leftover from another project. I love the Polyshades stain because you don’t have to completely sand or strip the wood down before you use it. 
I am in love with the contrast of the bright, new looking aqua metal base against the antique, natural wood tone. I could have sanded all the wood down more, treated it with a wood conditioner before staining it, tried to erase all the imperfections; but I think that’s what’s so great about it. I love all the scratches and dents that stand out even more now that the stain has settled down into them. 

Don’t you just love breathing new life into something? Have you worked on any projects lately where you’ve shown some love to something old?

8 Responses to vintage school desk refurbish

  1. The Oracle February 10, 2016 at 6:04 pm #

    Hey that looks great!

  2. Autumn @ Stay gold Autumn February 11, 2016 at 3:19 am #

    My parents had one of these growing up that I loved playing on growing up. I love the colors you chose and how it looks now- very cute!

  3. Kailei Pew February 11, 2016 at 4:58 am #

    Oh man, that looks great! I love the color of the desk! What a fun project! I would love to do something like this when my kids get older.

  4. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations February 12, 2016 at 5:53 pm #

    Thank you very Autumn! My kids love playing with this one too, must be universal. 🙂

  5. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations February 12, 2016 at 5:53 pm #

    I am a big fan of aqua if you couldn't tell, lol. 🙂

  6. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations February 12, 2016 at 5:54 pm #

    Thank you so much!

  7. Sinea Pies February 16, 2016 at 2:35 pm #

    Love this desk. You did such a nice job on it. My daughter had a couple of them when she first started homeschooling. Now she homeschools so many that she had to move to tables with chairs.
    Sinea from Ducks 'n a Row

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