How gnarly is this desk? There was old paint spilled down the front. Over a dozen drill holes in the top of it not to mention the patches of water marks. And, it was love at first sight. OK…that is a bit of an overstatement. I was drawn to the retro style hardware on it and thought this piece lent itself to a heavy distressing all over it. Plus, it really reminded me of one of my favorite refinished pieces, this vanity that I had when the store first opened.

The desk had the same issues that this vanity had. Lifting veneer, gauges in the wood all over. It was just plain unsightly. But, I made this vanity look pretty cool so I thought I could do the same with the desk.

I had to patch up all of the drill holes and heavily sand the top to smooth out the chipped surface.

I painted the entire piece with a mix of teal and light beige to give it a soft blue shade. Sprayed the original hardware black with plans to re-use it. But, the hardware just didn’t lend itself to the style of the desk. So I filled the drawer holes and opted for knobs instead.

Distressed the crud out of it.

Even, with all the imperfections the surface is smooth.

I pulled from my stash of crystal knobs and have three different styles on the desk. It’s kind of quirky, but I like it.  

The icing on the cake are the lined drawers with vintage images from New York Evening Post magazines.

I found a stack of these books and magazines at a garage sale and couldn’t wait to tear them up!

I love the variety of images that draw on the blue color in the desk and keep with the vintage motif!

I know a lot of people like using fabric to line drawers or wrapping paper. I prefer books and music! What do you like to line your drawers with?