Remember when you first laid your eyes on your desk? Back when its visual appeal complemented its effortless functionality and you couldn’t wait to sit at it? Painting a desk is an easy way to get those memories flooding back into the present. Whether you’re refurbishing a wooden desk or painting a desk to give it a fresher color, with a little preparation, desk paint and some knowledge, for many this is a simple DIY task that can revitalize not just your furniture, but an entire room. A painted desk is also a simple enough DIY task for you to be both visionary and builder.
Before Getting Started
Furniture makeovers like painting a desk is a great way to make things uniquely yours. Now before you start painting the desk, there’s several key steps you’ll need to do in preparation to paint a desk like a pro. First, you’ll want to make sure you pick a desk that’s in good condition and sturdy enough to be able to get lots of use. Consider the desk’s material, style, and size to make sure the paint desk fits into your design vision.
Envision your desk as a canvas to help you see the full potential of a paint desk. Once you have a few desk paint colors to choose from, you’ll want to consider the material of your desk and confirm it in the user manual or on the manufacturer’s website to make sure you know what kind of paint to use on wood. If you have multiple materials in your desk or if you just feel a little spicy, you can combine different desk paint color combinations on the drawers and surface for example.
Once your desk paint color selection is locked and bought, you should clean the desk thoroughly with a soft clean cloth, using a strong degreaser (relevant to the desk materials) to remove any stubborn spots or inconspicuous dust or dirt. And, this cleaning job includes the legs, drawers, and any other parts of the desk you intend to paint. Remove the drawers so they can be cleaned and painted separately. Be sure to rinse the desk if you use any products to make sure there’s no adverse paint reactions.
Taking the time to select the right desk, making sure your working space is clean and clear, and gathering all the necessary tools and materials before painting will give you an even greater chance of a successful and long lasting painted desk.
How to Paint a Desk Step-by-Step
Step 1: Create your working space
Move the desk to a floor pad or large tarp, ideally to a space with good ventilation. If you’re using multiple colors and have a design scheme, you’ll want to section off the different colors with paint to keep them separated.
Step 2: Sand the desk
Select a sandpaper with 150-grit, and go to work. Remove all sanding dust from the desk with a tack cloth or vacuum.
Step 3: Prime the desk
Apply two coats of primer onto the desk while letting the primer dry between each coat.
Step 4: Paint the desk
Mix the paint, dip your brush into it, wipe off any excess, and apply a thin layer to the desk using long, smooth strokes. You should follow the instructions on the paint can to gauge how long to wait in between coat applications.
Step 5: Repeat per each section
If you used two colors, you’ll want to wait for the paint to be dry before removing any painters tape to keep your lines sharp.
Step 6: Let paint dry
Walk away from your desk and don’t touch it for at least 24 hours. You can try a natural paint protection method to allow time and the elements to seal your paint for 30 days, also without touching it, or you can move onto the last step.
Step 7: Protect the paint
Apply a sealant that’s the same finish type as your paint. You can apply a wax finish immediately after application, but another popular method is polyurethane, an oil or water-based sealant that protects while waterproofing. Select your preferred sheen, and work in a space with good ventilation.
Need help painting a desk?
Not up for the task? Whether you’re worried about how to paint a wood desk, restoring a vintage desk, or you just learned how to paint a desk and realized it’s not your jam, a little help can go a long way. Depending on your region, you can expect to pay between $50-$200 when you book a Tasker.
