before and after by Kate Pruitt 33

before & after: funky desk makeover

I appreciate a workspace with a little bit of silliness, and this desk makeover from Kata proves that you can add whimsy to a piece of furniture without sacrificing a clean, modern look. I particularly like the dinosaur doorknobs and patterned top — super cute. Great job, Kata! — Kate

Have a Before & After you’d like to share? Shoot me an email with your images right here! (Low res, under 500k per image, please.)

Read more about Kata’s desk redesign after the jump!

Time: 2 hours

Cost: $45

Basic Steps:
1. I sanded the lacquered surface.
2. I painted one coat of primer paint and two coats of the color.
3. After, I changed the knobs. I used my kids’ dinosaur toys as knobs!
4. Finally, I decoupaged animal print wallpaper on the top.

My advice is to sand the lacquered surface well and always use primer paint! Bold color and funny knobs can change the entire look of the furniture. — Kata

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33 Comments

Kim (at www.loveumadly.com)

Great idea with the knobs. I was just perusing Anthropolgie’s collection because I’m desperate for the “after” on my “before” bedroom furniture. I also love the decoupaged animal print wallpaper on the top.

Katie

I agree with pretty much everyone on how awesome this is! I’d love to see some more detail of the top and how it was applied. The knobs are super adorable!

The chair in the after picture is super cool too! Really adds to the funky vibe.

Tori Thompson

Totally cute! I just did my own little make over on a $10 desk. I had one hell of a time getting paint to stick to the laminate… but I did :)

Kristan

This makeover goes well beyond the desk. The whole work space is cleverly put together — I love the bulletin board with cubbies, the dinosaur container, the shelves, the knobs, everything! Great job, and thank you for sharing!

Cheryl

So cute! I love the knobs! The whole space is pretty awesome too!

Tanielle Lobo

I Love the way the stationery is up on the wall ! really original .. or atleast ive never seen it before.. superb idea for space saving too .. ! Thanks for sharing

Helena

Would love to know more about that stationary storage rack thing she has there… it’s awesome, I want one!

Love the colours and how fun this is :) That chair is nice too

Last Minute Lynn

Please tell us how you made the knobs. That are great!

Karen

That is so fun! I am loving those knobs, what a great original piece, love to see funky desks.

Zernike

Okay, so now I’m off to find toy animals to cut in half, LOL… never would have thought of that! Super cute ideas.

June

Great job – so cute. But I especially love that chair! Is that something I could find in the US or is it a vintage piece?

Camille

Hi, What type of paint did you use on the laminate surface?

thanks!

Kim

Totally cute, awesome ideas. I’m very curious about the chair… did you make, remake, or buy? Looks like it could double as a step ladder.

Rebecca

I love it. I’m amazed and inspired that this only took 2 hrs. I feel like I could actually do this too. Thank you for the post. It’s adorable!!

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