An Old Metal Desk, a Thrifted Skirt, and a Can of Spray Paint

I wanted a new desk to house the family computer, and since it sits in our dining room, I needed something that didn't have much depth, but could be quite wide. I also wanted to be able to stash the computer and the printer underneath. During the peak of rummage sale season, I was on the lookout for just such a desk. At a rummage sale I happened upon a old cream colored metal desk that seemed exactly the size that I wanted and the price was under $20. To me, even it's unsightly outdated appearance was a favorable factor. This was practically an invitation for me to pervert it's original bland design into a colorful artistic expression. Yay! Once I had the desk home, I found some bright blue high gloss spray paint. I think when re-painting metal items that high gloss looks the best. The color is a deep royal blue with a hint of purple. I used two cans of spray paint, but I really needed three cans. Shhh! Don't tell, I skimped on the underside of the desk and the back.

Once the desk was dry and in place, I needed to add a fabric curtain to hide my electronics, especially those pesky cables! The curtain was a rummage sale bargain skirt that I bought for the fabric. I don't remember what I paid, but I never pay more than $2 for any rummage sale clothing - as a rule. To secure the curtain, I used one of my favorite items - the tension rod. So useful, adjustable, and when you want to remove it, no marks or hardware to cover up and remove! Easy peasy.  If they made a t-shirt that said, "I love tension rods" I would totally wear it. This was also a no-sew curtain, since I just cut the skirt on the seam and folded the fabric over the tension rod with safety pins. You will notice that I left the top of the desk alone. Painting over veneer almost never turns out, even with the advancement of paints today, it will flake off and look junky (I said that like it was a bad thing!) within a short time. This desk veneer was in good shape, and if the wood grain and stain don't look too outdated, they are one of the most durable surfaces. There are multi-step processes to painting over veneer, but I don't see the advantage to altering the surface in most situations. If I didn't like the veneer, then I would just buy another inexpensive piece without the veneer. Score!