PAINTING THE DESK BLUE
This post was sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. All images and opinions are my own.
Have you ever had one of those projects that you can just never get finished?! Well I have had one in my daughter’s room for the past year. It is always on the to do list, but for some reason or another it kept getting moved to the bottom. We still love, love, love our daughter’s room. Her Loft Bed is still holding strong and she really enjoys crawling underneath to read or play a little old school Super Mario Brothers. There was only one part that I neglected as I was finishing her space a year ago… her desk nook. It was one of those projects that was pushed to the end and I just ran out of steam. I painted the shiplap with some leftover paint that Chloe never loved… first strike. And while I did build the cabinets from scratch, I only got them 93% primed and just left them as they were. I knew we would always come back to this space, I just didn’t think it would take a year! LOL! Life gets busy, am I right?!
As Chloe wasn’t thrilled with the dark navy color, I knew she had to be involved in the color selection process this go around. I did something with her that I will occasionally ask my clients to do as well. I asked her to grab three of her favorite clothing items. She came back with her go to denim jacket, a blue and white striped swim cover up and her blue headband… are you noticing a theme?! Blue! So apparently I had the color right with my first go, we just needed to find a different blue this time.
We headed to our neighborhood Sherwin-Williams to pick out some color swatches. Fortunately for us, we don’t even have to leave our neighborhood to get to the store… just one of the reasons I Love my Sherwin-Williams store! It is so nice to be able to drop in whenever the painting mood strikes. And lets face it, that is pretty often around here. We selected a handful of some of our favorite blues and held onto them to match with her space at home.
While I was there I decided to ask the knowledgeable staff about a crazy idea I had for her desk space…
The countertop in her nook is a gray and cool white wood grain look. Something that matched her nursery eight years ago, but too gray and rustic for my liking now. My initial thought was to paint it. {Insert scared emoji face here! Ha} But, if I paint it, the paint really needs to stand up to wear and tear. Chloe does her homework here and crafts ALL THE TIME! So colored pencils, markers, tape, scissors, etc. are always going in this space.
I shared this image and the description of the area with the Sherwin-Williams employee helping me and he recommended two specific products. First I needed to start with their Extreme Bond Primer and second was their Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. The great thing about both the Primer and Enamel is that they are water based, so little to no smell and a much easier clean up. The other benefit is that the curing time (how long the paint will take to really harden and dry) is far shorter than an oil-based paint. Great when you have a kid on the go who is ready to move onto her next project, I wonder where she gets that from?!
Now that I knew what products I needed, we ran back home to choose our perfect shade of blue. Something in the denim/chambray range was what we were going for. I piled our options next to the vintage denim panels on her loft bed and quickly went with the option in the middle. Powder Blue SW2863. Done.
I picked up our paint and immediately got to work using the Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond Primer on the countertop. I allowed it to dry and moved onto the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel in Powder Blue on every. single. surface. That is right. The entire desk nook was going blue. I brushed it over the shiplap, the desk and the cabinetry. It covered quickly and with great coverage and dried beautifully.
The image below is seriously after only one coat (as it was drying) on the cabinets and walls. I waited a day and gave it another coat, not that it really needed it as the coverage was amazing! I just wanted to be sure every inch was covered.
By painting every surface the same color it gives the visual illusion of a larger space. And I love how the desk area now seems as if it is it’s own dedicated zone.
The glossy finish has a subtle sheen that will be easy to clean, which is important in this space when glue or markers come out at craft time.
I also took the blue paint into the inside of the cabinets as well. This really finished off the space.
I am so glad that the staff at my neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store were so knowledgeable and encouraging about painting the laminate countertop. It is a project that I have been thinking of for awhile, but their input really gave me the courage to move forward with it. Luckily, the nook is complete and ready for when school starts back in two weeks. I can hardly believe that the Summer is coming to an end so quickly, but at least she has a great area to do her homework on!
And FYI, I will be working with Sherwin-Williams throughout the year on a few more projects! So keep an eye out for some new and exciting things coming your way.
This post is perfect timing. I can’t find the perfect white coffee table so I was considering painting one. I didn’t want too because I always have an issue with the paint scratching on furniture. I think I’ll try the paints you recommended. Thanks.
Hi Kristin,
Would you be able to share the source for the beautiful botanical artwork above the desk?
Best,
Andrea
I love the print and framing! Can you tell me where you printed it, what size and how you found a frame for it? Thank you 😊
Love this – would you mind sharing where/how you got that large print framed? Thank you!
That color looks fabulous!! I have a simular one from Sherwin Williams in my bedroom…it’s so calm and relaxing in low light and cheerful in bright light.
love this! any piece in the home can be MADE perfect, they don’t need to be found perfect . thank you for sharing
I am trying to paint an old crate and barrel desk. It is going from a honey color to a warm grey.
Was just wondering what gives a nicer finish for the desktop, brush or roller?
Beautiful! For this I used a brush. The paint has a self leveling quality allowing the brushstrokes to disappear when drying. I have found that a small 4″ roller works well with this paint as well, but can sometimes leave a little texture. Depending on the original surface.
I want to paint a child’s table that has a Formica top. Will that primer and trim enamel work on Formica?
It will! Just be sure to scuff the Formica up with a little sandpaper before applying the primer. This will give the paint something to grab onto.
So, did you use a brush or rollers? And what products work best?
I used a high quality brush suited for latex paint. The paint was self leveling so the brush marks almost completely disappeared when drying.
Where can i find that cute sheepskin desk chair? It is darling!
It is from PBTeen! They have all sorts of fun covers and colors for them.
I’m planning on making some desktops from some unfinished doors for my craft room….would I need to use the primer and the paint as you did or use a primer and paint in one since this is an unfinished surface?
Probably not, but I would speak to the associates at your local Sherwin Williams store as they would best be able to answer your question.
Is this primer and paint safe around Cats? My Cats sleep in my office at night or actually my office is in their Bedroom! I would like to paint the desk I have i there but want it to be safe for my pets!
I believe they were both Low VOC as they were latex paints vs oil based. But your local Sherwin Williams store would better be able to direct you to the best product.
I love the gold hardware. Do you recall your source?
They were from Anthropologie.