Do you have girly girls that love to paint their nails? Or art or craft-loving girls that love to paint? Then you most likely have a tabletop in your home that’s covered in paint, nail polish, permanent marker, and glitter. You didn’t really think that pretty, pure white desk or vanity you put in their bedroom was going to stay that way did you? Today, I’m going to show you the best pure white paint for desks and vanities so you can get them looking like new again.
First, I apologize for the bluish pictures. We’ve had a ton of overcast and rainy days here in Boston. I really did color-edit to brighten them. I can assure you this is crisp, clean, pure white.
This desk was well-loved by a family of beautiful girls (friends of mine). There was paint, nail polish, and permanent marker covering the top. I could just picture them sitting at this desk CREATING masterpieces!
Best Pure White Paint for Desks & Vanities
Desks like the one pictured above come with a super-smooth sprayed-on factory finish. More than likely that factory used an enamel paint. Enamel paints are super-hard and allow you to scrub out most marks.
Nail polish and some craft paints are enamel too, so they’re hardening just like the original finish and won’t rub out. So how do you handle that? Very easily…
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Sand
Use 220-grit sandpaper and very lightly sand the furniture in the direction of the grain (or the direction in which you’ll be brushing on the new paint). The higher the grit, the finer the sandpaper, and the less likely it is to leave any scratch marks in your painted surface.
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Dust
Wipe the surface clean to remove any dust.
Wipe the surface clean to remove any dust.
Paint
Paint on white Valspar Cabinet Enamel. This is the best paint for desks, vanities, cabinets, and other surfaces that will get a ton of use. You can scrub enamel paint to clean off surface marks ( a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser) works great for this.I discovered Valspar Cabinet Enamel last year sort of by accident. There was a dented can in the mis-tint and damaged can area near the paint counter at Lowes. It was marked way down from it’s regular $50 per gallon price so I decided to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did!
This is by far the best pure white paint any furniture that will get a lot of use. It’s covers really well, hardens very quickly, is stronger than any latex paint, smooths out really nicely, and washes really well. And there’s no topcoat required.
Be sure to use the right type of brush. You can find my favorite Purdy paint brush HERE.
The drawers came with these adorable clear acrylic knobs. One was missing but it just so happened that I had one in my stash that was an exact match. It was fate.
If you do purchase this desk and want to match the knobs for other furniture pieces in the room, you can find these clear acrylic knobs on Amazon HERE.
The inside of the top drawer that must have been home to all that nail polish and paint needed a little cleaning up too, so I painted the inside of that one long top drawer and it’s good as new. The other three drawers were super clean already.
This pure white desk is now available in the Entri Ways’ online Shop.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products I love and use myself.
Excellent guide! I have yet to paint any furniture but I have my eye on a few pieces to redo! Thanks for sharing on “Sweet Inspiration”!
Is there a spray on version of the white enamel cabinet paint that you recommend? I’m afraid I might get streaks if I brush on since I don’t do this much.
I have not tried using this paint with a spray, but I imagine it would have to be thinned out if you do. The beauty of this paint is that it does level out really well when brushed on. To minimize brush strokes even more, try thinning the paint with a little water.