Thrifty DIY desk and hutch + HomeRight giveaway

Working from home has been a blessing in so many ways. But it also comes with its share of challenges. One I’ve run into is finding a work space that fits my needs and is clearly defined (i.e. the kids and mister aren’t taking it over).

Up until yesterday, my tiny work space looked like this (on a really good day). 😉

Office-gallery-wall-

I needed a bit more room to spread out all my stuff! Fortunately, the latest challenge from HomeRight® gave me the creative kick in the pants I needed to brainstorm a solution for more office furniture. As a HomeRight ambassador, I get the privilege of using their amazing tools every month to clean, organize and renovate my home. Yay!

October’s challenge was to use these ClosetMaid® Espresso Laminate Storage Cubes from Lowe’s and transform them using the HomeRight Finish Max sprayer* and other materials from Lowe’s.

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Yes, my beloved Finish Max sprayer is now available at select Lowe’s! (Plus you can enter to win one at the end of this post.)

HomeRight-and-Lowe's

My goal was to paint the storage cubes to match my current desk (black), then attach them to the top of an old desk I purchased a few years ago at an auction for $15 (below). Of course, that meant I would also have to sand and paint the auction desk black, too.

Desk-before

After giving the desk and cubes a light sanding, I primed them both using my favorite black spray primer.

Priming-piece

I will mention that, for superior durability on the cubes, I would recommend using this Bullseye 1-2-3 primer.

After priming, I used a brad nailer to attach molding along the “top” side of the cubes. I primed the molding afterward. (You could attach the molding first, then prime everything at once, if you weren’t in a rush and forgetful, like me.) 😉

Adding-trim

Next, I loaded my HomeRight Finish Max sprayer with Valspar® Chalky Finish Paint in Boot Black, thinning the paint to the proper consistency for optimum performance in the sprayer.

Valspar-chalky-finish-paintHomeRight-Finish-Max

When it comes to getting a flawless paint finish on furniture, I have not found any other tool that does a more impressive job than the HomeRight Finish Max.

Black-desk-HomeRight-Finish-Max

After the paint dried, I sprayed on a coat of polyurethane to seal everything.

Poly-finish-Finish-Max

Then I added my new “hutch” to the top of the desk. Done!

Black-desk-and-hutch Black-desk-with-hutch-2

Black-desk-with-hutch-3

Black-desk-and-hutch-vert

What do you think of my new, thrifty office space? I hope you’ll consider voting for it as your favorite! Click here or on the graphic below to vote.

Bookcase-Logo

HomeRight-Lowes-graphic

Of course, DON’T FORGET TO ENTER BELOW TO WIN YOUR OWN HOMERIGHT FINISH MAX SPRAYER!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Affiliate links provided in this post for your convenience.

Disclosure: I’m thrilled to be a brand ambassador for HomeRight and, as always, all thoughts, opinions and projects are 100 percent my own.  

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66 Responses

  1. Love it! I would use it on our new coffee table or my new office desk that I need to repaint.

  2. Laurie says:

    I have some dressers I’d like to paint for my niece.

  3. Jill says:

    Turned out nice! I have old doors in my house that I want to spray paint black.

  4. Alina says:

    Just bought an entry table that needs a new coat of paint in a garage sale. That would be the first project I’d finish with the sprayer.

  5. Sean says:

    I’d love to use it on two bedroom dressers that need a fresh coat of paint and on my bathroom cabinets.

  6. Love it!! Great makeover 🙂

  7. LaTonya says:

    I would use it to paint my son’s dresser/changing table.

  8. Sara Mayo says:

    I would love to paint my builders grade oak cabinets! The home right sprayer would make it a breeze!

  9. Vic says:

    So many projects this would be great for…where to begin?

  10. Kelly D says:

    I would use it on my living room end table.

  11. Cheryl Yoder says:

    I love the idea of painting my kitchen cabinets. However, I have some end tables that will probably be my first project! I’ve been looking for a good sprayer!

  12. Leona says:

    Love how you pulled everything together and made a wonderful office retreat.

  13. I’d use it on a fabulous antique library table I’m hoping to use in our tiny little dining area.

  14. Margot C says:

    I want to take the carved legs off of my kitchen table and paint them red (leaving the top wood stained),

  15. Stephanie C says:

    I need one of those sprayers so badly!!! I need to repaint my kitchen cabinets and there is no way I can do it by hand with 2 toddlers and another on the way!

  16. Starla B says:

    Such great results you have there. It look so good! I would definitely start on a dresser/vanity that’s in my office. It’s very old and needs a little love!

  17. Em Mahr says:

    I”d luse it to paint 2 old, wood chairs that i’ve stripped

  18. Big Mega says:

    I love the new office look! I would use the Homeright Max Finish Sprayer for SO many different projects that need done around my home, first and foremost would be my two children’s dressers, they’re in great shape but in need of a new paint job.

  19. Cheryl V says:

    I would use it to paint my kitchen cabinets!!

  20. linda says:

    I would use it to repaint patio furniture.

  21. debbie says:

    I would use it on a dresser for my daughter.

  22. Deborah says:

    I would love to win that paint sprayer! It would certainly make my life a bit easier since I recently got into the business of finding old furniture pieces and making them beautiful again! It would certainly speed up the painting process for me. I love to paint, but I would have the time to add the time consuming embellishments. Thank you for allowing us to enter this wonderful giveaway!

  23. PENNY says:

    I use spray paint in the can all the time to paint all my out door furniture then to refresh it. I really would like to have a electric sprayer so I wouldn’t have to buy all those cans of paint. Thanks!!!

  24. Kristen says:

    I’d use it on a bureau I’ve been wanting to redo.

  25. Gina says:

    I’d use it on a desk I rescued from the side of the road….after repairing the broken claw feet which were in the drawers!

  26. Linda Mayer says:

    What a great idea! I sure enjoy your blog & get a lot of great ideas too. Thanks.

  27. sandy says:

    I have so many things to paint. I have read the reviews on many spray painters and this is the one I want. Dresser, cabinet doors, bench and etc.

  28. Jackie says:

    I have a chest that is begging for a new finish. That would be my first project!

  29. Maureen McCroskey says:

    Amazing transformation! Love it!

  30. Sherri Mailes says:

    I have all kinds of “projects” stacked up that I could use it on. A chair, shutters, and several furniture pieces.

  31. Beverly says:

    Love that finish! So professional looking. And the new workspace looks great!

  32. SONJA HANSEN says:

    I am impressed and think I will try that black on all of my mismatched office furniture.

  33. Brandi Bryant says:

    I would paint a bed that belonged to my Papa. Thanks for the giveaway.

  34. Jan says:

    I would use it on re-painting a crib for a new grandbaby that he/she’s father used as a baby!

  35. Kathleen Goad says:

    I would use the Homeright paint sprayer so I wouldn’t have to wait months for my husband to paint something for me with HIS paint sprayer!

  36. Mitzi says:

    Right now I have shutters that I need to paint.The sprayer would be great

  37. Vonda says:

    What would I not use the Home Right Paint sprayer for? Builder grade cabinets, furniture makeovers, outdoor furniture. I have so many ideas! You make it look so easy. Thank you! Love your projects.

  38. Carol Grund says:

    I have a lovely table, 4 chairs and a dresser that would wonderful with some new coats of paint!

  39. Mary Lynn Zittrouer says:

    I have lots of projects I would like to tackle. I would love to redo some old chairs and I need to paint an outdoor bench!

  40. Jayne Z says:

    Very creative and the results were professional!

  41. chris aka monkey says:

    i would start in the kitchen and work my way through the house xx

  42. susan says:

    Our new deck. Been finished for over a year but can’t find time to get it done.

  43. Aubrey Claybrook says:

    This is awesome! I have so many things in our new house that I would just paint everything!!!!

  44. Jill M. says:

    I love how you did this using the HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer. I have so many paint jobs that I need done around the house, but cans of spray paint can get to be really, really expensive to add the finishing touches to a project. I have been looking for a paint sprayer that is affordable, but haven’t found one yet that is in my budget, but after reading about this one, maybe I can afford it. Now, if I can just find out if the gel paint I am using on my wicker furniture can be used in a paint sprayer….

  45. Jill M. says:

    OMG! I just check out those cubes and I have got to me some! I have been searching for filing cabinets to go with my office furniture and haven’t been able to find anything that matches (I hate those metal things!). With these I can make them, using the drawers that they also make! Trim them all out to match my desk and other furniture in my room! Thanks!!!

  46. Sandy says:

    I have a lot of old furniture to update, where to start. This would make it easier to get going on some of them.

  47. Carol says:

    Your project is gorgeous! I have an old table top I would love to try that HomeRight Sprayer on!

  48. Marilyn Pennington says:

    I love to transform furniture with paint! I am the “go to” in the family for fixing up things. I need one of these sprayers!

  49. Ana says:

    I found in the dumpsterof a thrift store a Henderson coffee table. Lovely forms and sturdy. Missing the top glass. I would use this sprayer on this table first. Two different colors!!

  50. Tiffany says:

    What a good way to re-purpose two mismatched pieces! They look great together. I’d love to try the paint sprayer on some mismatched picture frames I’ve got!

  51. KathyH says:

    We have been looking for a sprayer for paint all the new doors in our newly remodeled home & I think this is the one we have settled on, so many good reviews. I voted for your project by the way! Very cool, plus look at all that storage you have now! One can never have enough storage!

  52. Winde Solomon says:

    We have so many projects that this would be perfect for starting with the bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinets and master bath vanities.

  53. Sharon Elam says:

    I would use this on my kitchen cabinets. Right now I’m painting them using Valspar Chalky paint and I’m using a brush and it is such a slow process! Definitely need a spray painter!! Especially HomeRight® Finish Max sprayer!

  54. amy tolley says:

    I have a dresser i would redo

  55. Brett Paschen says:

    I would use it on my next guitar build.It would be a lot easier than using spray can paint and spray can clear coat gloss.I could actually be able to do candy coat and pearl coats with this.

  56. Wendy N says:

    I have a couple stands that I need to get painted…and this sprayer would help me out!!

  57. Dameon S says:

    I’m not sure if this would is powerful enough for it but I really need to finish painting my front fence. I started painting it 6 months ago with a roller and gave up because of what a hassle it was.

  58. Tasha Nicholas says:

    I am working on refinishing an old dresser for my craft space, this would make the job much quicker!

  59. Juli says:

    What wouldn’t I use the sprayer for? The possibilities are endless!

  60. JFranke says:

    We’re renovating an old farm house. I would use this sprayer to fix up the old doors to use as a backdrop for my sitting area outside and also to make a headboard.

  61. Juanita Mowell says:

    I would love to have it to repaint my kitchen cabinets that are 45 yrs old…I also would like to paint my bedroom furniture that is older than that..

  1. October 27, 2015

    […] After priming and painting the boards, I taped off the whole project and spray painted it the same color as our window and door trim. I used my beloved HomeRight® Finish Max sprayer to do this. Enter to win your own here. […]

  2. October 31, 2015

    […] In my personal opinion, I think the HomeRight Finish Max Pro works perfectly for larger projects that require thicker paints – shutters, outdoor applications, etc. – while the regular HomeRight Finish Max is best when I need an ultra-smooth, glass-like finish – interior furniture, hardware, crafts, etc. Don’t forget to enter to win your own here.  […]

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