DIY: Desk & Chair Makeover

Years ago, when I was a little girl this desk set belonged to me. It held virtually every Lisa Frank sticker imaginable, I found some oldies stuck in between the drawers as I was cleaning them out ;) Over time, the white paint turned yellow and the fabric faded. I wanted to re-finish it because once Reagan gets older we'll move her into the guest room with the same furniture I had growing up! To up-cycle this desk and chair, I sanded, repainted & replaced the knobs. I kept it white because it matches the bed set where the desk will go. The change isn't drastic, its just updated. I used an electric sander for the large flat surfaces and a hand held sander for the rest. The chair had to be sanded entirely by hand because of the smaller and more intricate spaces. The chair also had an upholstered cushion--the fabric was awful and faded, so I replaced the fabric with an updated "metallic elephant" from Calico Corners. I had extra fabric from my panels in the family room (another blog on that), so I just wrapped it around the existing fabric and used a staple gun to keep it in place. It was so simple & now looks like a totally new chair! 

New Fabric + Staple Gun = NEW cushion

To remove cushion, there are four screws underneath seat.

Use a hand sander on intricate areas.

Electric sander on large surfaces or the hand sander is fine too.

Wipe off all access debris from sanding with warm cloth. Let dry.

You can really see how yellow it had gotten in this picture! Use a roller for the large flat surfaces.

I used a 1" Purdy brush designed for all paints. 

Sand off any paint runs--no one is perfect ;)

I decided to spray these knobs because it was a hard width to find and I didn't want to drill new holes.

The old pulls, repainted silver!

& the new one's from Hobby Lobby

Replace cushion.

The newly updated desk! 

I used Valspar, Chef White in semigloss. I bought the knobs from Hobby Lobby (check for 50% off sales on knobs) they always have such a large variety & when they're 50% off I tend to go a little crazy! (Side note: You can place an order for as many knobs as you'd like while they are 50% off and they will still honor the sale) I'm sort of "knob obsessed" because they're an instant update to any old cabinetry and the knobs are ridiculously cute!