Campaign Desk Revived

I call this furniture makeover a revival because this campaign desk went from dark and dingy to bright and lively.  I found this desk by Lane Furniture at our town's annual "world's largest garage sale."  I got it for a steal, especially given how popular campaign furniture is right now, because it weights a ton and the seller didn't want to cart it back home! The seller was a real estate agent and he used it for staging homes.  Over the years the finished got dinged, scratched, and stained from all the moving it in and out of homes, but the hardware and drawers stayed in perfect condition because it didn't receive day to day wear and tear.

The drawer fronts were in great condition, but the veneer on the top was a mess with some gouges in it and the veneer on the desktop and sawhorse legs didn't match.  So, this desk was the perfect candidate for a blended paint and stained wood treatment.

I removed all the hardware and spray painted it a soft brass.  I had hoped to polish the hardware but I realized that wasn't going to resort in the luster I wanted.

The desk body and legs got a rough sanding to prep for paint, and the deepest scratches filled, while the drawer fronts got a careful sanding to remove the current finish.  The top has vertical bands of the same wood veneer on the drawer fronts so I opted to paint around them to add in some contrast on the desktop.  

I primed the desk and legs and painted it in a custom color. Its a slate-y blue with gray undertones.  Its all sealed with polycrylic.  The drawer fronts' original stain color was grayish and drab so I used Minwax Red Oak to give them a warm, honeyish tone.  They are finished with a wipe-on polyurethane.  

I love how the cool blue paint and warm wood tones compliment each other.  I think my favorite feature is how the hardware now pops.

Actually, nope, my favorite feature are the new drawer liners - maps from Hertfordshire, England!

This campaign desk will be one my featured items at The Blend in August.