This writing desk has been transformed from being a stern, dark brown hunk of furniture to a fresh and fun Chalk Paint® striped office enhancement that’s bright enough to make starting work for the day almost tempting!

Painter in Residence Olivia Lacy of Pigeon and Pip has rescued and revived the original wood on the top of the desk by sanding back through layers of oils, varnish and staining to reveal the undamaged layer of natural oak beneath.

Her next step was to paint the body of the desk using Chalk Paint® in French Linen, a lovely warm taupe-grey neutral. She then wet blended Athenian Black at the bottom of the piece. “Wet blending” is where a wet brush is used over wet Chalk Paint®, sometimes in conjunction with a spray bottle of water, to create a subtle colour blend between two or more colours. Apply a stripe of your secondary colour and brush upwards to imitate this look. Over this slightly moody base, Olivia Lacy then used a painter’s best friend; painter’s tape, to add a little fun and excitement. She painted stripes of Athenian Black, Scandinavian Pink and Copper Transfer Leaf.

The tape makes a huge difference when painting lines, giving crisp edges to your work. The use of Scandinavian Pink and Copper Leaf is unexpected and joyful here, spinning the corporate idea of pinstripes on its head! The way the stripes go over the top of the desk as well as the body references that other corporate staple, suspenders!

The body of the desk has then been finished with Clear Chalk Paint® Wax whilst the sanded back top has been protected with two coats of Matt Chalk Paint® Lacquer to ensure a durable writing surface.