I left my desk in Memphis.  Sometimes moving is just the absolute worst. My poor old desk wouldn’t fit in the Uhaul, so it was a goner. RIP hand-me-down-from-an-intern (Hi, Erica!) desk that I crackle painted. I hope it’s out there somewhere now being loved on by a new owner.  I really did love you. Setting up a new home always takes time, but I finally feel like I’m almost there after 6 months. A few weeks ago I couldn’t take it anymore and I went in search of a new desk. Finding the exact one I gave up proved impossible, so I ended up with the cheap imposter you see below. (Partly because I’m taking so many trips this year that a cheap desk was the only option, partly because I want to be able to craft all over that thing and not worry about ruining an expensive finish.) I think this one was $39, so even if I have to leave it stranded the next time I move, I won’t feel so bad. It’s small because I simply don’t have the space right now, but if you’re not looking for another piece of furniture to take up a ton of space, this project is great. I put this baby together by myself and it needed some character after I got it all to stand up without leaning. Enter my favorite new paint color:  Cream In My Coffee.

This creamy white is just soft enough to blend in, but milky enough to provide a pop against a black grained top. It’s one of those colors I discovered in the bargain bin of discarded paint samples that people don’t want (how could you not want this color?!) and now wish I could paint everything I own in it. The point is, a little paint goes a long way in making a house (small apartment) feel more like a home. Even when you’re on a budget, you can still turn the functionality of the necessities, like a cheapo desk, into an item in your home that brings you joy. It also helps if you have an extremely cute doggie as your helper. And coffee. Pardon my drop cloth, but just look at the creaminess of that paint and the warm contrast it was starting to make.

I primed the desk first with some cheap spray paint to make the painting process go faster. Did I mention this was a cheap/lazy desk re-do? When the legs were dry, I decided to leave the top’s original finish and just give it a rough sand around the edges. I also sanded lightly across the top, with the grain, to bring out some of the wood’s original pattern.

Happy desk, happy life.

Cheers to cheap, quick projects!

~ Amanda