DIY Desk Redo

While doing the Couch to 5K this summer, I took notice of neighbors leaving things on their curb that they no longer wanted. I got some vinyl blinds for the living room that were almost brand new (dated Home Depot 2009). They're a big improvement over the sheer white curtains that were there.
Shortly after I found the blinds, I found a small roll top desk. After I got back from my run and showered, I hurried back to snatch it up before someone else had a chance to take it. I opened the side door of the van, but quickly realized it wouldn't fit. I opened that back and it still wouldn't fit, so I folded down the back seat and wrestled the desk onto it's back on top of the seat. The legs were still sticking out a little too far to shut the door, so I bungeed the door shut and hoped for the best. Good thing I was only a couple blocks from home.

This is what the desk originally looked like:

The roll top was quite damaged, so I removed it completely.

To get it ready for a new look, I tightened up the wingnuts in the corners to make it more sturdy, sanded it down, and primed it.

After sanding

Primed

Then I spray painted it a nice shade of sage green, sanded it down to give it some character and moved it into my bedroom. For primer, paint, and a paintbrush, this redo cost me about $25. If you want to redo some of your own laminate furniture, check out these step-by-step directions at Living with Lindsay.

I should have taken pictures outside before I brought the desk in! The light isn't great inside, and it's hard to find a good angle to take a picture.

By the way, another neighbor doing some remodeling left a toilet on their curb. I decided to NOT take it home with me.