Red Desk with Dark Kukui Stained Top
What happens when you cross a Jersey Tomato Red color with a Dark Hawaiian Kukui Stained Top? You get magic. And a beautiful new creation. Don’t you love the play of the Tomato Red with the Dark Kukui Stain? 
I got this desk for FREE from my Hairapist. She is SO GOOD to me. She had recently remodeled her daughter’s bedroom. This quaint SOLID WOOD desk no longer felt comfortable mingling with the sleek Sophisticated type vibe that was going on in there now. It was like Fashion week had taken over and there was no more room for a good solid standard. Suddenly this desk felt SO YESTERDAY.
Enter moi. I stripped the top layer of paint off the desk. Then sanded thoroughly with a palm sander using 220, then hand sanding at 320. I used a TACK CLOTH to wipe off any excess dust. Now for the STAIN! If you haven’t yet tried CeCe Caldwell’s all new line of 100% ALL NATURAL STAINS, with a FINISH, you are in for a BIG treat.
No smell, no sticky residue. If you can wipe down a countertop, you can use this stain. Using a staining pad, I applied one thin coat of the Kukui Stain and let dry according to directions. When dry, I lightly sanded again and repeated the tack cloth. I added three more layers to get the color very, very dark. 
Now I turned my attention to the desk. CeCe Caldwell’s 100% natural chalk and clay based paints have some gorgeous new colors available. I LOVE the new JERSEY TOMATO RED. I painted the body of the piece in just two coats of the red. 
The new stains have a finish (protective coat) already in them. So I skipped the top and moved right on to the body of the desk and finished it my favorite hard wearing ENDURANCE. Check out my VIDEO HOW TO with Endurance, my dog totally photo bombed it.
To tone down the redness and make a perfect marriage between the Dark Kukui Stain and The Jersey Tomato Red paint, I used a little CeCe Caldwell’s Aging Cream. It is a wonderful accent to add to areas where you just want some natural aging. Funny that we want AGING CREAM for our furniture, and ANTI AGING cream for our faces…..
Now for the REALLY FUN PART. I know you are all clamoring to get your hands on some of the new CeCe Caldwell’s stains. These stains are revolutionizing the Stain world. (It needed revolutionizing). Now you can have a little part in that STAIN REVOLUTION with a chance to win TWO COLORS of your choice in CeCe’s new stains. Enter below! The contest will run through Sunday at Midnight. Winners will be announced next week!
There are lots of chances to enter, for each entry, you increase your chances of winning. Trust me, YOU WANT to try these stains. They are MAGICAL.
PS If you would like to see the versatility of the color of KUKUI stain, check out my Bookshelf Turned Rolling Cart HERE.
Sharing at these lovely parties:
I am so excited to try these stains! All natural? Heck yes!
I WANT and I LOVE that desk!!! TRES CHIC as always!!!
Hugs
Karin
Love the very dark stained top. Wonderful redoux!
I love the new products and colors, cannot wait to try them!
that red is stunning! such a fun piece!
Love the red and the dark stain. Definitely would love to give the stain a try.
Great color combo-magic is right! love the tomato red
Would love the try the new stains please!
Beautiful!
I’m not usually a fan of red but I love this! I’ve never tried CeCe Caldwell paint before but it’s on my list!
Breanna, you have to get some now!!! Once you go CeCe, you don’t want to use anything else. I love it even more because their products are 100% natural and I can paint with my kids, inside, all day long. Now that they have these stains……look out junk!
Love the makeover. For the Pay It Forward, that will happen in the Starbucks line. I love it when it happens to me so I like to Pay It Forward.
I LOVE all of your posts! I also LOVE all products CeCe Caldwell and have been anxiously waiting for photos and tutorials on how to use the stains! The new colors are awesome though I’ve only had the opportunity to try Thomasville Teal and Silverhill Fog so far! I can’t wait to try the new stains! 🙂
I am working on something right now that I could use this for.
Would love to use this on a piece in my home! Love the red!
Love the desk! As for Pay It Forward – I think I just did that this weekend by taking photos of my brother-in-law’s wedding for free.
I think that is a HUGE pay it forward!!
I’m not a big fan of red, but I love this! Paying it forward by being a volunteer ESL tutor.
Thanks Susan! I didn’t know you did that! Of course you are doing something good, you are such a sweet person.
Love the look of this desk! Have not tried staining yet, only painting, but it something I want to so on several pieces waiting to be loved.
Pay it forward… I try to do something every day, like pick up the tab at a fast food place for a police officer or firefighter when have the chance, seems the least I can do for putting their life on the line every day. Or pay for an elderly persons groceries, especially when I see them trying to decide what they need to put back because they don’t have enough money for toilet paper, hot dogs and milk! No one should have to make decisions like that!
I love your blog and enjoy following your escapades in dumpster diving and re-imaging things. Okay the dumpster diving is the best but still! Those mid-century modern chairs you just FOUND made me want to cry! But you do a lot of leg work to find things like that so you have earned every single treasure. Thanks for the inspiration!
Beth, you inspired me!!!! I try to do something kind for someone else every day, but those are great ideas and I will be keeping my eyes open more for these kinds of opportunities. Thank you for all your sweet comments 🙂
Karen, My pleasure and I am flatterrd I was able to inspire YOU! I can tell we are kindred spirits which is why I love you so much! Keep doing what you do! xoxo Beth
Love this so much… I want to make one myself 🙂
This turned out beautiful I’m a big fan of red. The dark top ups the look. You have a flair for the dramatic and in my book that’s a good thing. Thanks for the opportunity to win product.
Thank you so much Diana, hope you win!
Man oh man do I love that red!!
Can’t wait to try them!
Very nice. I finally picked up a paint brush after a year hiatus. So many projects in the pipeline . I had a nice conversation with Susan and told her I missed the classes, especially with all the new products.
Thank you so much Nina! Yes, the new products are every bit as amazing as the paints.
I can’t wait to try all the stains!
I love the combination of the dark stain and red paint! Beautiful job!
Loving the desk in red!
Pay It Forward, hmmm? I’m currently in the process of cleaning/re-arranging/refreshing neighbor’s house who lost his wife one year ago. It’s taken him this long to be able to move on and it’s been a joy to help him move on to the next stage of his life.
Thanks for the opportunity – my fingers are crossed!
Susan, that is such an awesome pay it forward. I am sure your neighbor is so very, very grateful. Thank you for sharing this!
That tomato red could almost wean me away from the whitened pastels I’m favoring now and back to brights!
Stain that doesn’t need a topcoat, I’m all in!
love everything you do.
Love how the two colors look together. Can’t wait to start working on my project.
Vous êtes incroyable!
I really enjoy your site – you are always teaching some new method of doing things.
The red desk looks great.
I can’t wait to try CeCe Caldwell’s Paint…it looks beautiful.
Kim, once you try it, you won’t want to use anything else. It truly was love at first brush stroke for me when they sent me some colors almost three years ago! I can’t say enough good things about the paint, products, and the company. Love them.
I’d love to win these – I had to donate most of my paints/stains before the move – now I need to start ‘collecting’ again!!
My pay-it-forward is going to be volunteering more and my kiddo’s schools!!
Thanks for the tutorial. I found it helpful.
Love your site and the contests you have and your videos. Funny and interesting.
Awesome red and really love the dark top, excellent combo.
What a dream come true for me and my kitchen table!
Oh, I can’t wait to do my kitchen table too! The stain is so fabulous.
Love working with chalk paint…just got done painting 3 tables…ready for more!!!
Pay it forward… I always give away my extra coupons while I’m in the store 🙂
Great desk!! <3
That is such a nice idea about the coupons. I am going to start doing that!
No smell?? Sounds great.
The desk turned out beautifully!! I have such a hard time seeing past what a piece is when I find it and envisioning what it could look like in various colors and finishes. I’m indecisive and afraid to mess it up. :/ I’m learning, slowly, that it’s okay to take a risk and just jump in and do it, and if I don’t like how it turned out, I can always redo it! (Or “Redoux” it 😉 )
If I won this fabulous prize, I would pay it forward by having a giveaway myself! I make re-purposed clothing & accessories and other fun, handmade stuff. Thank you for the opportunity to win & try out these amazing looking new stains!
Thank you so much for entering and your sweet comments Stephanie!
In love with that red!
must try this
I would love to try the new stains. I especially love the Kukui Color.
Love these and am impressed they’re all natural.
I would love to try this stuff. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
I will be sending out the check to our charities in the next couple of days…two for animals and two for people (food banks).
I love CeCe Caldwell – can’t wait to try the staCeCelia
We bought a desk from a yard sale (for $3) that looks just like the white one you show here! I’ve been waiting to finish it and now I know just what to do! I can’t wait to try the new stain! 🙂
Love your work, and that you’re a dumpster queen!! It is like going on a treasure hunt!
Thanks so much Susan! That is exactly what I feel like every time I go Dumpster Diving. Such a fun treasure hunt!
I have an entry table i would like to try the stain on. Hope I win!!! Love your stuff.
Thank you for showing of jersey tomato! And for hosting a giveaway!
Oh, I absolutely love the red.
Pay it Forward….. With Fall coming on, I start collecting winter coats and blankets for the homeless
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