When I found this vintage military desk, I was so excited about it…I knew it would be awesome.
I didn’t know I would fully embrace the old worn patina, but I loved it so much I just couldn’t totally cover it with paint.
I kept the desk in the garage for a while, not having a specific plan for it.
As we space planned for Grayson’s room, I knew he was going to have room for a new work space–and this desk seems perfect.
I knew I wanted a striped top, and knew that red would look perfect against the warm wood. Red and warm wood (random) stripes it was.
The stripes and one drawer stripe were painted with Emperor’s Silk chalk paint, and the sides and drawer fronts were painted with French Linen.
I distressed it with a fine sanding block, and waxed it with clear and dark wax.
The desk also has this great pull out tray–I love knowing little crayon-gripping hands are going to color all over it.
Nothing goes with warm, old wood like Crayola.
Shaunna that came out awesome!!
I am really wanting to try the new ASCP colors ~
Oh Shauna! I love that desk! I am trying to come up with ideas for decorating my boys’ new rooms, and I am wanting to have a desk in their rooms. This one turned out great! I love the stripes on top!
Love the colors too.
Great job.
xoxo
It’s perfect Shaunna. I love the mix of paint an exposed wood you did. I think I will put that on my project list!
The vintage desk looks so sturdy. They just don’t build em like they used to. Hope its everything you envisioned! I think it turned out great, love the top.
I love it! I just did a table with primer red and french linen, red and gray look great together!!
love this desk! My husband and I were online looking for a desk for my 5 year old’s nautical style room…this would be perfect! We opted for another and went w/a tangerine chair…see how it all works…but really like this one! ~Kim
Wow! This is a “military style” desk? Yikes! Every teacher in my high school had a desk like this one! It was a plain old public school….But they were pretty strict back then so maybe it was a sort of “undercover” military school and we just never knew about it! Haha! It looks cute though. I’m sure it’ll withstand all sorts of kid fun!
Not sure what a military desk is, but it looks really good now! I love the stripes with your wall hanging. Quite a talent to make something look so good and yet in such a way that a little abuse won’t cause a heart attack.
I LOVE it!! I am starting a Chalk Paint workshop and it’s so wonderful to have nice examples and great videos! Thank you:-)
My dad has this desk…well kinda I mean it looks almost exactly the same except for the drawer above where you sit. His is curved on the bottom and has a key hole which he lost the key for of course. I’m pretty sure he’s had it since the at least the 80′s I doubt he would let me make it pretty but yeah now I’m gonna die a little every time I go past it
I love that desk! I have been a teacher for 24 years and I have a desk exactly (exactly!) like that one. Funny that it also is sitting in my son’s room. My son has an ocean color scheme and I hadn’t yet decided what to do with the desk but I think you have helped me make up my mind. Love, love, love the idea. Thanks!
Just browsing your web page, we have this exact same desk. It was my dads desk at work for many years.