#gray desk

Mid-sized timeless built-in desk design ideas for a light wood floor, beige floor, and wallpaper home office renovation

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional boy vinyl floor and brown floor kids' room remodel with white walls

This desk was actually made in November. Yes, I built a desk, not sure why but I needed a desk and could not find anything that attracted me and that was within my budget, and besides, we had Covid downtime :). It was also a way to use up plywood sitting in my garage leftover from my pantry build. I also had a wood biscuit cutter that I purchased for Xmas in 2019 and still had not used it. So, I…

I always get SO excited when I come across a mid century piece of furniture I can work on!  I was on the hunt for a client who needed a desk. She will be working from home more and though she wasn't picky about what the piece would look like, I had a good sense of her style and knew this one would fit perfectly in her space. 

In previous design conversations, she showed an interest in industrial style pieces and neutral colors. We never discussed mid century, but I had an image in my mind of bringing that gritty, industrial style to this clean cut desk. 

I combined two Annie Sloan grays, Graphite and French Linen. It's a go-to mixture for me, since it creates a perfectly balanced gray.  I initially thought I'd paint the desk in Graphite alone, but I wanted the black wax I'd add later to contrast with the base paint color, so I opted for a lighter gray.

I didn't do much in the way of distressing with sandpaper on the desk, I simply sanded it with a fine grit paper to get a smoother finish and knocked the edges of the drawers and top a bit. I gave the piece texture by using a coarse bristled brush to apply black wax to it. I wanted the lighter gray base to show through, so I opted to apply clear wax BEFORE going over it with black wax.  The clear creates a buffer between the paint and the tinted wax, so it allows you a bit more control over that deep black wax.

When the light hits it, the contrasting gray and black blends together, but in darker settings [her office is on the darker side], it shows the detail of the wax finish nicely. To add even more contrast, I applied the black wax heavily to the tapered feet, to accentuate their mid century style. It's actually my favorite little touch to this desk!

Since mid century and industrial styles can feel masculine and linear, I added some organic textures with a collection of plants, my favorite Rifle Paper Co. calendar [it goes with EVERYTHING!] and a woven wall hanging. 

I paired the painted desk with a vintage wood chair. It adds warmth to the overall look. I'm still working on finding her a wood chair [this guy is from my personal chair hoarding stash!], but often I'll see single chairs similar to this at thrift stores and antique shops, so it's just a matter of time before the right chair presents itself!

This desk was in great shape, but if you come across a piece that has some imperfections, using this brushed on black wax technique does wonders for furniture with flaws. It adds an intentional grittiness, and makes the piece feel aged and worn, but in the best way possible.

She loved how I styled the desk for these photos, I'm planning on styling the desk much like this in her office! There are a few key bits to creating this eclectic but simple styled look. I'll be on the hunt for a few vintage books with colors that will contrast with the gray desk. I'll probably source a lamp from Target, because they have a great selection of affordable lamps in all sorts of design styles. The one I used for this shoot is a Target lamp with a felt gray shade and a light wood base in a modern cut. 

I'll also try to find her wall art and art for the desk top. She'll be using this desk for work, so I won't place too much on top of it, but a few bits make all the difference and will create a work environment she'll want to come to each day. 

AH! I nearly forgot to mention the drawer knobs on this desk. It oddly came with a set of knobs shaped like Chinese characters, so I ditched those and found these simple oval pulls from Home Depot. I'd have liked to find something more mid century, but I would have had to special order them, and these ended up working beautifully. 

Sometimes friends are awesome and find you beautiful furniture with tons of potential at random estate sales. This desk is one such instance [thanks Katie!!]. Once I got my hands on it, I noticed it had such lovely bead detailing and side paneling, I knew I couldn't just do the standard to it. 

I'd just finished working on a friend's dining table where we painted the base a mid tone gray and then brushed over it with white wax. The color combination was so lovely, I opted to use it on the desk too.

Typically with furniture painting, dark wax is used to bring depth and dimension to a piece, since it falls nicely into the detailing on furniture. The problem is it can very easily muddy up lighter colors, and specifically with grays, it quickly turns them a much more taupey brown hue, which wasn't what I was envisioning for this one.

Sometimes I'll go over the entire piece with clear wax first [always thin layers!] and then brush the white wax over, but this time I wanted to seriously lighten up the gray in a textural way.

I mixed 1 part white chalk paint to two parts clear wax in a separate jar [you'll only want to mix as much as you think you'll use, since this concoction will most likely dry up before your next project.

I then use a basic chip brush [a dollar or less- I think they're just 70 cents at Binders downstairs from my studio!], and using a mixture of long and short brush strokes, always going along the grain [or along the longest stretches of the desk].

I don't wait very long before going over it with a rag, since I want the white to have a more rubbed in effect rather than solely painted on.

The top of this desk was fairly distressed and 'well loved' over the years, and this technique actually highlights and turns what seem like imperfections into features.

I don't think I'd styled a desk with my favorite [and only at present time!] globe, and I really like how the black and colorful countries play up against the light gray. 

The fun part about this desk [okay, maybe it's just fun for me?] is the detailing wraps the entire desk, allowing you to float this in a space if you wanted, just in case you want to feel a bit more presidential!

I love getting shots of my furniture with the giant Ponce City Market sign peeking in the background. I imagine this desk being in another loft space here, with someone sitting at it, distracted byin the midst of the sign's orange glow [we're counting down the days before it's finally lit and it's not long from now!]. 

Some furniture and colors don't photograph well, but this guy has no problems modeling for the camera. The technique I used takes extra time and a bit more finesse, but the results are undoubtedly worth it.  

It's been rainy and gray here in Atlanta for a few days, making painting furniture out of the question until things clear up. My current workspace is my deck. It's spacious, so it allows me to spread out all my tools and get my sanding and painting on, without worrying about having to keep things tidy.  But things are going to have to change soon.  The annual pollen dump on Atlanta is fast approaching, and I'm about to have my deck stained, leaving me without a decent place to paint.  

I'd love to have a studio where I could have the space to work on all the creative [and messy] things I want, but that's still a work in progress. In the meantime, while I have a few days off from painting, I'll be clearing out some of my inventory.

Today's post features this vintage solid wood desk and chair in a matte lacquer dark gray. This piece is definitely on the feminine side, but is painted in a more masculine, dark gray. It has beautiful lines and four drawers for ample storage. I used it as a vanity table, but now that I have a built in makeup space in my bathroom, I no longer have a use for it.  The desk is perfect for an office. Don't have a separate office? Create a work space in your main living area! That's honestly where I do most of my work anyway- I LOVE spreading everything out on my big dining table, but having a dedicated desk in there would be even better.  The matching chair is currently in a pink chevron.  But since not everyone loves pink, I can reupholster it for an additional $30 in any fabric shown [see the last photo]. 

I really love this girl, but I need to start making space for new painting projects so she has to find a new home.  Check out her Craigslist ad, or find her in my shop!

One of my favorite furniture photos I've taken; the light was perfect, and the hot pink ranunculus just pop with the dark gray desk.