Bye-bye, corporate. Hello, artsy.

December 1, 2008 1:14 AM

I had to replace my cool rustic desk for a standard, boring, corporate-drone desk today. The new desk has a much larger workspace and honestly doesn't look too bad but it has no personality. What can I do to make it more...hip? Here it is. Go nuts.

It looks as if it is covered in wood veneer (yes!)

It definitely needs to be eclectic, you know, to fit it with its surroundings. I don't need to do an overhaul of the whole thing, just the part you see. I'm excited and ready to tackle this come tomorrow night! Will post updates.

posted by 913 to home & garden (16 comments total)

Black vinyl or coloured self adhesive shelf liner. An art knife. An eye for design and a steady hand.

Use freely available Photoshop brushes to create a template, or draw one. Cut it out and stick it on.

Mostly done on walls, but its a cheap and easy way to bling up flatpack furniture.
posted by arha at 2:17 AM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

Buy a Darth Tater Mr. Potato Head figure. A friend bought one for me and I think it looks awesome on my computer desk.
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:59 AM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

Homemade shelving on top, try using cinderblocks or bricks and pieces of wood. That's what I have on mine.
posted by mannequito at 3:40 AM on December 1, 2008

Spray paint it white and cover it in rhinestones.
posted by Theloupgarou at 3:54 AM on December 1, 2008

No no no no no. If you're going to go the rhinestones, you must first spray paint it pink.
posted by flabdablet at 4:06 AM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

And if rhinestones are in the wrong direction, you could try savaging it in patches with an unloaded staple gun (to simulate borer beetle holes) and then belting it a few times with a medium-weight piece of chain. That's how the cabinetmaker got the "distressed" look on our faux antique kitchen cupboard, and I like it.
posted by flabdablet at 4:09 AM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

More ideas along those lines at Wikipedia.
posted by flabdablet at 4:12 AM on December 1, 2008

Something like this, maybe?
posted by dunkadunc at 4:22 AM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

You're all hilarious. (But that might be 5AM talking)

Sleep wasn't happening, so I decided to give the desk some colour. Had some trouble finding a brush but I did find a mini-roller.

Result

The yellow is much brighter in person. I decided to leave the top the way it was because I think it looks cool. Should I add/change anything?
posted by 913 at 5:04 AM on December 1, 2008

Looks great, wish I could do that to my horrific work desk.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:17 AM on December 1, 2008

Those decal thingies would look great on the yellow.
posted by raisingsand at 6:05 AM on December 1, 2008

The yellow looks good. If you want to do more, I was thinking decoupage
posted by evilmomlady at 6:07 AM on December 1, 2008

Fake dog poo on the corner of the desk would be brilliant.
posted by scarello at 6:23 AM on December 1, 2008

You could do some really cool art-deco stencils in blue over the yellow.

I like it.
posted by dunkadunc at 7:06 AM on December 1, 2008

What about something like this screwed into the front of the desk? I am sure you can find these kinds of wall-art things for cheaper.
posted by cabingirl at 8:12 AM on December 1, 2008

Keith Haring decals? Dogs? Flock of seagulls?
posted by rtha at 9:09 AM on December 1, 2008