I found this vintage school desk for my 5-year-old son’s room on local Etsy.com. It was in very good condition, but in need of some sprucing.

We wrapped the edge of the desktop with painter’s tape to protect it from the spray paint.

We created a makeshift spray booth out of cardboard boxes and went to town with navy Rustoleum spray paint.

I paired the vintage desk with a more modern Eames-style chair, which I found at Retro Furnish. (I purposely did not choose a school desk with an attached seat because my son is pretty tall, and I’ll get more years out of it if I can swap out different chairs as he grows.)

Here is the end result of the two paired together:

It’s just the right size for him, and he likes having a play and homework surface in his room. I like that the Play-Doh goes on the desk rather than in his bed. Sometimes. Like half the time. Thirty percent of the time, Play-Doh doesn’t end up in the bed. I take my victories where I can get them.