How to Bring a Dated Desk Back to Life

Look what a little wallpaper did to a ’50s desk! HGTV Magazine shows you how.

Flips, Flips

Photo by: Philip Friedman

Philip Friedman

Materials Needed

Step 1

Remove the drawers, and unscrew and discard the old knobs.

Step 2

Sand and prime the frame and the drawer fronts. Let dry. Paint the frame black; let dry.

Step 3

Arrange the drawers, faceup, so they’re standing next to one another and touching (for this desk, we positioned three on the left and one on the right). Cut enough paper to cover all the drawer fronts top to bottom. Line up the pattern as you go, adhering with wallpaper paste.

Step 4

Use a crafts knife to slice through the paper, separating the drawers. Trim around the edges. Attach new knobs and replace the drawers.

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