Reinvented Cast-off Desk

When we found a desk by the curb, we saw past the scuff marks and tarnished, tan paint and took it on as a makeover project. The result: a showstopper piece for your home office.

How to tell if you’ve got a keeper:

• Look for quality: If the legs seem uneven, it’s likely the whole piece of furniture is warped, so take a pass.
• Stick to pieces made from solid wood; you’ll run into trouble trying to sand a veneer.
• If there are drawers, do they slide smoothly in their tracks? If not, walk on by.

Getting started:

• Remove the hardware and sand the surface.
• Fill in large gashes with wood putty.

Shopping list: Our secret weapons

• Start with a vibrant color splash (we used Charlotte’s Locks paint by Farrow & Ball; 1 pt., $30; farrow-ball.com).
• A Preval spray gun makes painting furniture easy ($10; preval.com).
• A Mona Lisa Gold Leaf Kit (from Flax; $11; 415/552-2355) adds gilded drama to the dull drawer pulls.
• DecoColor Liquid Gold Opaque Paint Marker defines small details ($2.50; amazon.com). 
• Extra credit: Tuck a collection of photos under a glass top (when ordering glass, ask for clear spacers).

Once your materials are in hand:

• Prime and paint with the spray gun. Do 2 coats!
• Use a paint marker to add gold trim; gold-leaf the drawer pulls, then reattach them.
• Add the glass top (with some fun pics underneath). Voilà!