Desk & Chair Makeover: From Mixed to Matched

A client brought me this mismatched chair and desk combo.

The goal: make this thrifted pair into a striking coordinated set.

The Chair

As described in last week’s blog post (Refreshing Upholstery: From Spotted to Sparkling), the first step was to give the chair a good cleaning. With the fabric refreshed, it was time to tackle the frame.

We decided to do a basic touchup of the wood stain instead of stripping the entire frame. The chair was generally in good shape, so the task was respect its vintage appearance by hand-sanding the rough patches and re-staining them with a color that mimicked the original (Minwax® “Espresso”).

To protect the new stain as well as the overall finish, I applied a light coat of Minwax® Polycrylic. It gave the old wood a lovely sheen.

The Desk

The desk was an odd color — yellow with green undertones — and the top was damaged. I came up with a plan to use a color and pattern to match the chair while keeping the original paint on the body as a neutral backdrop. The first step was to sand and prime the top using Zinsser BIN® primer.

I was a little worried when the first coat of Farmhouse® paint in “Old Navy” went on. It usually isn’t so streaky! But by the final coat, the navy was deep and even. It was a perfect match for the chair upholstery.

Then it was time for the magic to pull these two pieces of furniture together. These “Ruby Rose” rub-on transfers from Prima® echoed the needlepoint flowers of the chair. (For how to apply furniture transfers, see my post Lemony Sewing Table Upcycle Pt. 2: Decor Transfers.)

I applied select portions of the transfers to the front of the desk. The unusual base paint color became a neutral background for the flowers. Then I used Minwax® Polycrylic on the top and front to protect the new paint and flowers.

Finally, I replaced the unattractive original hardware with delicate crystal knobs that played well with the floral transfers and navy paint. When you stand back, they vanish into the pattern.