I updated a campaign desk with fresh paint, before it was a vibrant kelly green color and lived in my son’s room for ten years. You can see the original paint job in this older post. I acquired this desk from a thrift shop, it was a lucky score for $40. I love campaign style furniture, the inset unique brass hardware is what does it for me.
I used the same paint as I did when I originally refinished this piece, it’s the Benjamin Moore ‘Advance’ formula which is the best for cabinets and furniture. I sanded the top and drawer fronts then gave it two coats of fresh paint in ‘Clay Beige’.
The brass hardware only needed a simple polish with steel wool and Brasso to bring it back to life.
I redid the wall in my studio (in progress) that I showed earlier this week. I replaced the rattan chairs with the desk, painted the shelves gold, and swapped the art for vintage botanicals from my Etsy shop.
Once in a while you’ll get lucky and score campaign style furniture on Craiglist or in a thrift store. You can also source it through local dealers, or find vintage pieces on sites like Chairish or 1st dibs. I found a listing for this same exact desk (unpainted) listed on Chairish for $779, so these pieces hold their value.
There are are the reproduction campaign style pieces you can find as well. I bought this campaign style writing desk from Target for my son’s room to replace the old one which I just repainted because was too small for his legs.
Campaign furniture is also referred to as Hollywood Regency if you’re doing a search, look for the inset brass pulls and brass L and T brackets that trim the corners. I lost two of my lower brackets somehow so I’ll need to replace them when I find a source online.
Stay tuned for more features of this art studio space as I bring it to life!
