Sunny Yellow Desk + Hutch

Kate Reily at Centsational Girl tackles painting a piece of particle board furniture with printed veneer – no small task! In the past, I’ve seen pieces like this at thrift stores and yard sales but always pass over them because too much effort for too little payout. It’s a lot of work! However, I’m looking at them with a new eye after reading Kate’s blog today.

She gives great advice about using Zinsser primer and Benjamin Moore self leveling paint which are two products I use and recommend. She also finishes the desk and hutch with a favorite trick of mine – using a quality gift wrap paper as a colorful fun way to accent and personalize a piece of furniture. I find my favorites at Containers Store. They have an excellent weight to them and come in so many pretty colors and patterns.

I partner with Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart every two months in a “create or decorate” project and this month’s focus was on adding color to your home, so I decided since the one room I’m making into a kid’s room at the Las Vegas house was in need of a desk and storage hutch I would paint one of theirs.

This project is an example of how you can take just about any piece that is store bought or mass produced and personalize it to fit your space, your needs, your style.

The directions were very easy to follow, but it was time consuming to assemble by myself, however I was thoroughly engrossed in the Serial podcast so time seemed to pass quickly. To be frank, I was disappointed to discover the desk is particle board with a printed oak veneer; but the description read “oak finish” so perhaps I should have expected that. If you wanted the desk and hutch to remain a black one, you’d have to touch it up with a paint pen or black paint which is not provided. The fact that I was painting mine a sunny yellow negated the issue for me but I thought I’d mention it.

Painting it, I followed the same steps I always use, prime first with Zinsser Cover Stain (it clings to laminate or other slippery surfaces like veneer); patch any holes or imperfections with spackling (you can also use wood filler with real wood furniture); then follow up with two coats of Ben Moore Advance paint, I use a foam roller for most of it and a high quality paint brush to fill in the cracks. This paint levels extremely well so with a foam roller you can achieve a really smooth finish.

I always apply two coats of primer and three coats of paint to the higher use horizontal surfaces, so the top of the desk, the top of the hutch, and the bottom of the cubbies got three coats of paint – those areas where stuff is layered and the surfaces are more frequently touched, it helps maintain the durability of the painted surface over time.

The hutch is designed to have four cubbies but I reduced it to three during assembly to create a larger opening in the middle. I think I’ll line the backs of the cubbies with the same geometric print paper for consistency next time I visit.

I layered the back of the hutch with a wrapping paper in a brushstroke fretwork pattern I designed, it’s a sneak peek at one of my new spring prints, soon available in several colorways in fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap.

The picture frame and sweet aqua table lamp are both from the Better Homes and Gardens collection at Walmart.

The carved wood shark was a lucky antique store find from last summer when I was making my rounds through various second hand stores in the area. I loved it at first sight, it is hand carved on the back by either the woodworker or previous owner so Brian Young of Pitcairn Island wherever you are, your shark has a great home! I just love that it is missing a few teeth.

You can see the other side of the room showing the bunk beds in this progress report post, including the link to the rug; the soft aqua paint color on the wall is ‘Melting Moment’ by Behr.

Sources for additional décor if available: white resin chair; just keep swimming and fish watercolor art; crab watercolor art. This beautiful sunny yellow paint is Benjamin Moore’s ‘Limon’.

So what do you think? Are you going to give it a try? Share your thoughts and projects in the comments below.

xo Jennifer