Don't Do This At Home

She needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer homework. Yes. Summer homework. In our family we like to do  things together during the summer, casting off homework and assignments but apparently schools don't have the same ideas.  That's a topic for another post.

We got here and nestled into lovely surroundings in the middle of a beautiful wood only 200 yards from the Lake.  THEE LAKE we call her.  She murmurs to us with each crashing wave:  "come back to me.  Dip your tired feet into my cool water..."  but again, I digress.

Like I said, she needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer assignments.  The day after our arrival we hauled ourselves off to the nearest Lowe's.  A family friend had been using Valspar's spray paint:  the 2 in 1 primer and paint and recommended we try it.  We took her advice and figured we'd give it a whirl.

After a few minutes in Lowe's she settled on a bright yellow gloss.  Once we got back to the house, I set about sanding the desk and against all I've known to do to paint almost any surface, I did not use a primer.  Remember Valspar's 2 in 1 primer and paint in a can should do the trick.  Right?

Hark!  Do not ever try this at home.  Trust me on this one.  A primer would have been far better than the 2 in 1 fancy-schmancy product I tried.  This small desk took four cans and it could still take 2 more cans easily.  I do not think the coverage is sufficient and I do not like seeing the shades of what was once the brown of the original desk, peeking through the 2 in 1 paint and primer, glossy yellow.  Since the weather here is humid it usually takes four to five days drying time between coats which was simply too long to spend on this project and diminished the convenience of a 2 in 1 product.  So you understand my experience.

Here is the before: 
and after: 


I'm only speculating but I'm sure this sunny, cheery piece will brighten her days and make for enLIGHTened learning.  Sunny side up!