This desk makeover (using chalk paint) was so much fun to do and stage. Lilies and Loafers has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by Lilies and Loafers.

The desk we have in our apartment is the desk I used at my parents’ house. Growing up, it was the perfect size. It was wide enough to spread out and do homework. Eventually, it was big enough to fit a desktop monitor (remember how bulky those things were?), keyboard, and a lamp. Now, it’s the desk that Fatima and I share. While it’s a little small for the two of us, it’s the perfect size for our space. We talked about refreshing this desk for a few years. When we discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, we started to put our plans into action.

What we love about the chalk paint is we could paint over the desk without having to do too much prep. The last thing we wanted to do was sand and use a primer. Our cozy space doesn’t offer a lot of room to spread out, so we preferred a one-and-done solution. There’s only one paint shop in the city that sells Annie Sloan chalk paint, so we made a stop there and to Home Depot for all of our supplies.

Chalk Paint Colors That Work

The color we picked out for the desk is Chateau Grey. It’s a beautiful grey-green. We thought we chose a one-of-a-kind color for our apartment. We were wrong. Our plates and bowls, a lantern, and our apartment door peep-hole are all in the Chateau Grey palette. After we painted 4-5 layers, we let it sit for a few hours to dry completely. Before we went to bed, we applied one layer of Annie Sloan wax. This protects the surface of the desk. We applied another layer of wax in the morning. The paint and wax dry  pretty fast.

The Reveal

We changed out the handles with brass cup pulls. It was the last touch that pulled the makeover together; the desk looks amazing. In addition to the desk, we refreshed a small dresser we got from HomeGoods in the same paint color. We outfitted it with new handles in the same brass color as the desk’s pulls. This sits on Fatima’s side of the bed and the two pieces look great. The Chateau Grey is light and makes the room feel much bigger. Our first purchase after the makeover, were matching copper lamps from Target. Everything looks great!

 

We use our desk daily. First and foremost, it’s our blog workspace. It’s also our office when we work from home. The desk was with Fatima when she was studying for her CPA exams and was my best friend when I went back to school for my MBA. It’s a functional office space that gets a lot of mileage.

In all the years sitting at the desk, we agreed it was time for a new chair. Fatima found this Kansas City chair on Wayfair. We loved the design but we were unsure which color to choose. We both liked the orange, but we were afraid to say that out loud to each other. When Fatima said she liked the orange, I quickly agreed. The white washed look is not for us. We love pops of color in our apartment. The orange chair is a perfect companion to this desk. It’s also very comfortable!

Our Most Expensive Wall

Adjacent to our desk is our most expensive wall. It proudly displays our degrees and Fatima’s CPA license. We worked hard for those and wanted to display them. Since this corner of our bedroom is our office, it made sense to hang them on this wall.

Staging the Desk Makeover

Fatima is the mastermind stager behind all of our photos. She had a vision for staging our desk and ran with it. We found everything at HomeGoods, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Target (see below for links). Fatima found a great balance of the two of us when staging our desk. We’ve been adopting plants left and right, so they often make an appearance in our photos.

Shop the Look:

• Chateau Grey Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
• Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax
• Brass Cup Pulls from Pulls Direct
• Kansas City Chair from Wayfair
• Copper Lamp with a Grey Shade from Target
• Copper, black, and white binder clips from Target
• Gold Stapler from Target
• Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings Cookbook from Amazon
• The Food Lab Cookbook from Amazon
• From HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls (links to look-a-likes):
  • Pen Organizer
  • Cookie Jar
  • Pink Planner
  • Marble Planner
  • White Rhino Sculpture
  • Room Perfume
  • Black Vanilla Scented Candle (smells amazing)
  • Gold Clock
  • Pink and Gold Ceramic Pineapple

We Love Our New Office!

Our “office” finally got the update it so deserved. However, I think the real MVP of this makeover is our new chair. It’s so much more comfortable than the unfinished wooden chair we’ve used for all these years. When sitting in the chair, I feel like I am hosting a talk show. Once we get our YouTube channel up and running, you might see this chair more often :).

Let us know what you think about our desk makeover in the comments below!