How to Refinish an Antique Desk- Thrift Store Flip

Learn how to refinish an antique desk in just a few simple steps. I show you how I took an old, worn and scratched thrift store desk and turned it into a beautiful and functional piece of furniture for my home!

When I was about seven or eight, my parents bought an old farmhouse that they steadily renovated throughout my childhood, and even now as an adult, 20 plus years later. Although it seemed like never-ending projects, I really enjoyed partaking in the events. I distinctly remember ripping down old plaster walls in our upstairs area to prepare for a total renovation. Whatever the task was, whether it be ripping down walls, shoveling old insulation, installing wood floors, painting, et cetera, I volunteered to help.

As you probably can tell, home renovation, furniture makeovers and DIYs are an area of interest for me that have spanned decades. Any chance I get to flip a piece of furniture or do a DIY project, I’m in. So when I found this old, scratched, very well used desk at the thrift store (for only $8.99), I just had to take on the challenge.

You see, I had been searching a while for a desk to better organize all my sewing and crafty things, as well as a place that I could actually work on projects that wasn’t my kitchen table. Everything I could find online was cheap particle board type desks, most of which were more than I was willing to pay, especially if I could find an old solid wood desk for cheaper. I decided to take a trip to the thrift store just to see what I could find, and here it was, staring at me from the shelf. And for the price, I figured why not give it a go?! Once I got it home, I got to start on the fun part …

PIN FOR LATER!

Once I got the desk home, I had to inspect the desk it to see what I was working with. Upon first glance, there were a lot of scratches, some names etched into the top, a few holes, missing knobs and chipping varnish. I knew this wasn’t going to be a quick project, but didn’t think it would be too hard to accomplish the look I was going for.

As I inspected further, I found the company that made this desk was called Hungerford Memphis. And although I couldn’t find much information on the company itself, I do know that in the 1950s, they partnered with Elvis to photograph their furniture pieces, although the campaigns were never aired. They also were known for their mahogany wood pieces. And as excited as I was that this desk may be mahogany, I’m pretty confident that it is maple. Nevertheless, it’s still an antique and it’s solid wood, which are both bonuses for me!

The next step was to clean out the desk before proceeding with anything else. I found lots of pieces of paper, some crayons and other things one may lose in a desk, but the best surprise I could’ve found were the missing brass knobs! I had fully planned to buy new pulls and knobs, but it turns out I just had to find a couple screws at the hardware store that had been missing. That was a huge win for me as well. Now it was time to refinish this antique desk!

Below are a list of the materials and tools I needed for this project in case you’re interested in refinishing an antique desk or piece of furniture in the future. If you already have some or all of these things on hand, then you’ll pay virtually nothing for the project!

VIDEO

HOW TO REFINISH AN ANTIQUE DESK

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MATERIALS

Lead testing kit
Citrus strip or paint stripper
Wood filler
Sand paper
Wood glue
Spray paint (Behr in Antique Copper)
Paint (Behr in Laurel Garland)
Wood stain (Varathane in Gunstock)
Feed-N-Wax

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

HOW TO REFINISH BRASS HARDWARE

Remove the knobs and pulls from the desk using a screw driver.

Soak the brass hardware in a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water and allow to sit for a few hours.

Remove the hardware, rinse and scrub with an old toothbrush and/or steel wool to remove any tarnish. Repeat this process until you’re satisfied with the look.

If you choose to, spray paint the hardware and allow it to fully dry before placing it back onto the antique desk.

STEPS TO REFINISH AN ANTIQUE DESK

The first step to refinishing a piece of furniture is to check your piece for lead. This is a critical part that I didn’t do before refinishing this antique desk that I wish I would have done and will be doing in the future!

Remove the hardware from your antique desk and follow the steps above to refinish the brass knobs and pulls.

Remove the drawers, then strip the paint and/or varnish from your entire piece using a paint stripper. I used Citrus Strip, but you can use whatever paint and varnish stripper you can find. Be sure to do this step outside or in a well vented area.

If needed, use a tool like a scraper or screw driver to aid in the removal of the old finish.

Wipe the piece down with a damp cloth, allow it to dry, then fill in any scratches or holes with wood filler and fix any broken pieces using wood glue.

Sand the piece (only for solid wood pieces) starting with a lower grit sand paper, like 150, then moving up to a higher grit like 320.

Vacuum the piece to remove any dust, then use a damp rag to remove all the dirt, dust and debris.

Now it’s time to paint and/or stain as desired. I stained the top first with Varathane’s wood stain in Gunstock.

I then painted the bottom portion and drawers in Behr’s Premium Plus Paint and Primer Satin in the color Laurel Garland.

Allow the desk to dry fully in between coats, then apply additional coats as needed.

Use a wood wax, oil or polyurethane to finish off any stained areas. I chose to use this Feed-N-Wax product for the top.

Attach the knobs and pulls and you’re done!

NOTES

When refinishing old antique furniture, it’s always a good idea to check your piece for the presence of lead. This is something that didn’t cross my mind until after I finished this piece and I will be doing in the future.
The temperature outside, as well as humidity levels, may make refinishing more difficult. The drier and less humid, the easier it will be, especially when it comes to stripping and painting.
Before sanding, determine whether your piece is solid wood or if it has a wood veneer. If the piece has a veneer, you will need to be careful not to sand too much. Do some research to learn how to properly sand a veneer piece.
When it comes to paint, I recommend either priming before or using a paint and primer combo.