My Refinished Office Desk

Welcome to my “work-in-progress” office. Nothing in this room is finished. Nothing is set up the way we want. Nothing in this room has our style imprinted on it yet. Well, with the exception of one thing: my “new” old desk. My desk is exactly how I dreamed it would be. The story behind this desk is inspiring, and the fact that it is now mine to use in this space makes me grateful and humbled. I recently took this older desk and transformed it into the perfect addition to this space. I cannot wait to dive into the full design aspects of this room and make it a dreamy work space, but for now, I get to thoroughly enjoy this beautiful new addition to our office.

If you love a good story, here is a little background on how I received this beauty. I was at a consult with a new client I hadn’t met before right around Thanksgiving. I was going to refinish a few pieces for her and during our meeting we discussed how much I enjoy taking older pieces and giving them a new chance. I had mentioned, for example, how I was looking for an older, well-built desk that I could refinish for my office. Desks today can be a little “cheap” in quality, and I really wanted something that would be a timeless piece with the chance to breathe new life into it. There’s just something so special about taking a piece with history and making it part of my story as well. During our conversations, we also amazingly discovered a friendship connection between our families from long ago. Talk about a “wow” moment!

When I came to deliver her pieces once they were finished, she said she wanted to show me something in the other room. It was a desk that had belonged to her sweet husband. She told me that after I had left her home for our meeting, she knew immediately that she wanted to gift it to me. To say I was shocked was an understatement. Her sweet nature and kind gestures will always live with me. I am so grateful for this new friendship of ours and that the Lord brought us together. I am also grateful that she trusted me enough to take care of something that was special to her.

Here is a picture of the desk before I started the refinishing.

When I first started contemplating the look I wanted for this piece, I took note of the masculine vibe and decided to play that up when refinishing it. I immediately was drawn to a black and antique brass combination. I thought it would be the most effective and visually beautiful way to bring out the personality of it. I chose to paint it in Caviar by Dixie Belle (my favorite black), and then I changed out the hardware for some antique brass knobs I purchased off of Amazon. It gives the piece the more historic appeal that I love while staying true to the original nature of the design.

I plan on making some dramatic changes in our office soon. I cannot wait to further develop the design of this space to make it feel more cozy and custom. For now though, I get to enjoy my new desk that exudes a charming personality. I will always be grateful to the one who was so kind to bless me with it. I know this will be a piece we will cherish for years to come. Thanks for checking out my latest refinishing project!