STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

How to create a French-style desk

You will need:

Acrylic eggshell (we used an ivory colour)
Acrylic eggshell in a contrasting colour (for the central rectangle)
Coarse and medium-grade sandpaper
Masking tape
Paint brushes

It's easy to give an old or dated piece of furniture new character with this shabby-chic look. A lick of paint and a bit of sandpapering will help you achieve this effect in no time.

Time to complete job: Five hours (excluding drying time)
Approximate budget: Around £60, excluding the cost of the desk

Step 1: Source an old desk

Car boot sales, charity shops or internet auction sites like eBay are a great place to find worn pieces of furniture on the cheap.
Step 2: Paint the base colour

Paint the furniture with the base colour. Give it two to three coats and allow it to dry.
Step 3: Create the contrast panel

Lay masking tape around the four sides of the desk top, leaving a centrally positioned rectangle. Push the tape down firmly. Use the contrasting paint to paint over the rectangle and edges of the masking tape, then leave to dry. One coat of contrast paint should be enough. Peel away the masking tape to leave a neat central contrast panel.
Step 4: Add the coach lines

To create the thin coach lines, re-apply masking tape inside the central rectangle leaving a thin gap in between the tape. Fill the gap with cream paint. Leave to dry and carefully peel away the masking tape.
Step 5: Sand it down

Using coarse sandpaper, distress the surface of the furniture, particularly on the edges – you can work away at this as much as you like.
Stockist list

Materials: Washstand, £95, Up The Junktion. Ivory acrylic eggshell, £11.70 per 750ml, Elements of Colour collection at Fired Earth. Ultramarine Ashes acrylic eggshell, £11.98 per 750ml, Fired Earth. Coarse and medium grade sandpaper, masking tape in varying sizes and paint brushes, from DIY stores.

Main image: Armchair, find similar at Laura Ashley. Miniature chair (on desk), £9.95, Really Linda Barker. Tea-light holders, £40 for three, notebooks, from £4.50, letter, £55 part of 'Amour' set, all WhippetGrey. French diaries, £12 for four, Dibor. Mailbox, £14, Cox & Cox. Ivory notebook, £12 Nordic House. Colour pencils, £11.95 for a set of 36, craft notebooks, from 60p, both Muji. Magazine holder, £18, letter tray, £12.95, bin, £24.95, all Country Elements. Framed print, find similar at Laura Ashley.

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