DIY Laminate Desk Makeover

I’ve been working on my little home office area this month and it’s almost finished!  I love how it’s all coming together and the decor fits right in with the rest of the house.  I gave one of my tables a facelift to give it more character so I can use it for my desk in this space.  I’m excited to show you my DIY Laminate Desk Makeover!

I originally bought this table at Target a few years ago to use as a console table, then an entryway table…and now it’s my desk!  But the plain black laminate didn’t really go with my decor, so I gave it a facelift!

I moved it into this space a few months ago and have been using it for my desk since then, just to be sure I liked working here before really fixing it up as an official home office.  (Don’t you love the dog bowls on either side?  Real life, y’all.)

The first thing I did was move it out to the garage onto a drop cloth and give it a good coat of primer with Rust-Oleum primer spray paint – the same stuff I used on my Faux Galvanized Metal Magazine Holders.

After the primer dried, I used Rust-Oleum spray paint in Navy and allowed the first coat to dry for a couple hours.  I actually ran out of the partial can in the middle of the first coat and switched to a new can.  After it dried, I realized the first can, which was almost empty when I started, left some drips and splatters on the desk.

I used 220 grit sandpaper and lightly sanded over these areas, then painted it with a second coat.

After the desk was dry, I left it in the garage over the weekend to cure before moving it inside and gluing metal L-brackets to the top corners.  The industrial accents tie in well with the feel of the rest of the space.

It looks so much better!  I love this color, and it flows perfectly with the color palette throughout our downstairs living space.

There are several finishing touches to do to this space before I show you the big reveal, like getting baskets for the two cubbies in the desk, a new chair, and a new light fixture.

Sidenote: My daughter says it drives her nuts when I say “light fixture“.  She says it’s such a “mom thing” to say…  Ummm…I’m a MOM!  Teenagers.  I tell ya.

Anyway, for now my plastic IKEA chair with a pillow in it is serving it’s purpose.  The desk is gorgeous and I’m really happy with how this whole space is coming together, and none of it is costing much money!

Hopefully the big reveal will be next week, so stick around! And be sure to check out the previous projects for this space:

Faux Galvanized Metal Magazine Holders

DIY Rustic Shelf with Accent