As the desk clearly needs completely refinishing, even if you're going to paint it back the same colour, I would have it professionally acid dipped to strip the existing paint off and take it from there. Regarding the hardware, if you do have it all, I would use that in its existing state; if you don't, I think plain brass would look good. As for a colour, over to you on that one - the pink wouldn't be my choice, but, not knowing your scheme I can't advise you.

Your pink accents will stand out a lot better if you were to paint the lower part white and sand & stain the top part, then add cool knobs & handles that can pick up on the pink. I just refinished a desk bought at garage sale and did this with knobs and handles from anthropologie.
You can also look at e-bay. Although the handles were more than I paid for the solid oak desk, it turned a ho hum desk into a gorgeous piece of furniture!

That's an awful lot of pink. Really, that's an awful lot of any one color. I would look to add some contrast using a different color.

if the OP were to paint it, say, white, would it just need to be sanded, then primed and painted?

What about painting it a really glossy teal? With slightly more greens. With all of those pastels I think I see in the background, some pop would be necessary. If you are not a fan of teal, try another highly saturated color.
Tiffany Brooks - Youandyourdecor.net

We have that desk, but it was stripped down to the original wood (maple?) and stained. You might also want to try a greyish-taupe to bring out the accent colors in the lamp and chair.

If you find that the desk has a nice grain when you strip it, you could consider staining it with a pinkish stain, like Rose Quartz or Desert Blush from Cabot.
http://www.cabotstain.com/colors-and-finishes/families/Semi-Transparent-Colors.html
It would keep things in the pink family that you're going for, but would look less "hosed-down", so to speak. Beautiful desk by the way!

re: mdk
Just sand a bit, then paint with something like pratt & lambert acrylic self-priming white paint.

I third @fluegge's idea. A white desk with a stained top would look so classy, and would really go well with the pink accessories.

I think we have that same desk at my mother's house! It has been painted various colors in my lifetime, most recently apple green. :)

I agree with a few of the above -- since it is an heirloom piece, I would have it professionally refinished -- usually they will also take a good look at the joinery and make any needed fixes as part of the process. I also agree it would look stunning in a two color scheme or even a lacquer...a professional has the equipment and talent to make your piece contemporary and beautiful for the next 50 years.

I just want to suggest that if you replace the pulls keep the ones that aren't completely wrecked and repurpose them. They're really beautiful.

That IS a lot of pink, which I am perfectly happy with, but not everyone is (if I could cover every item in my bedroom with hot pink glitter, I would).

My suggestion? Have the desk stripped to remove the old paint, and repaint it in a lovely heirloom cream color. Then, pick out some painting stencils and use that same light pink color to paint some subtle designs on the drawers of the desk. It will add a touch of color and interest and bring the whole look together.

And the hardware is beautiful, so if you can salvage it, use it. Otherwise, try and follow the same theme as your stencils; if they're modern and geometric, follow suit. If they're flowery or classical, I'd try and find similar hardware to what the desk has now. ^_^

I'm thinking a high gloss black with some vintage hardware found at a reclaim store. That will bring out the black accents in the chair.

This is not difficult, just time consuming. I'm not sure why on AT these types of questions always get the "take it to a professional" comments. It is absolutely not neccessary for a project this.

Go to Lowes or HD, or if you have one a wood workers store. Get yourself a non-chemical stripper or one that says it is gentle on wood. Get some scrapers, lots of medium to extra fine grit sandpaper (belt or rotary sander would save you a lot of time).

Scrape off some of the pink paint or bring a drawer to your local Sherwin Williams or Ben Moore store and have them make you a paint code match. Ask them what is their best type of paint for wood and if they recommend a certain conditioner or pre-painting finish. Get whatever you decide on.

Strip the paint with the stripper. Fill any holes or gouges with putty. Sand down all until smooth, ending with extra fine grit. Apply wood conditioner or sealer that will accept whatever type of paint you bought (oil or latex).

Paint and enjoy! If your hardware looks old and dingy I've heard soaking in mineral spirits works well. Google is your friend here.

How about just doing the top in a darker pink? That is a most unusual desk. I love it!

Wow, can't she just paint it 50s pearl pink like she wants?

I agree with jess13 - get a citrus-based paint stripper (very gentle and you can leave it on for a long time - restoration crew at a historic site I used to work at used citrus-based to take off layers of paint so they could track what colors were used when), a wood conditioner that would work with the type of paint you'd like to use, and then get the paint custom-matched to your clock or even the original paint (if it's thick enough see if you can bring in a paint chip). Or collect all the pale pink paint chips from the store and see if any of them match your desk.

Good luck! DIY is not so bad if it's just painting or refinishing. You just need a space that can get messy, like a garage or well-ventilated basement and a tarp. We're currently using our giant screened porch to paint/stain a 7 foot bookcase. You can do it!

What a treasure to have a desk your granddad and aunt sat at. And I'm 100% with vintagejenta! Take your time, you know it'll be worth it. P.S. I have a metal lamp almost exactly like yours, picked up while thrifting. It took paint so well - I sprayed mine "hammered pewter". I'm crazy for it and will have that lamp forever! Sweet project, Sarah.

Hi this is the Sarah who submitted this question. My mother just reminded me it was her childhood best (and my godfather) who had painted it pink for my aunt (my mother's sister) after my grandfather gave it to her. Her name is written in crayon in one of the drawers.

I kind of just loved everything in this pale pink (the lamp was my grandmother's...so many heirlooms!) but so far I am really considering the glossy teal!

Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming. :)

p.s. I am so embarrassed about how messy everything is around it - now I wish I had cleared everything away before submitting photos! oops.

Hi Sarah, I love the desk. And don't worry about the stuff around it. Has a very AT look to me! Here's my 2 cents worth.

There is a paint color by Behr called Bleached Shell. It's the warmest white I've ever seen, or perhaps it's the palest pink I've ever seen! That might be a color to use that will honor the pink without overdoing it. Then, just to give a nod to the color your family had used; paint the inside of the drawers whatever shade of pink you want. If you can find hardware that will fit the same hole spacing, you might want to change that out as well...or not!

I just finished upcycling an old desk that had great bones but a few flaws (oh, and identical hardware to yours.) I painted it an antique white all over, then covered the drawer fronts and top with old, coffee stained, sheet music to hide the flaws. I then painted the inside of the drawers turquoise for a surprise pop of color. I was never able to find hardware to fit the current holes so I'm using the original hardware. However, to my delight; it looks fab.

Whatever you decide to do, take your time and have fun doing it! I hope we'll get to see the before/after later here on AT!

If it's solid wood, AbigailC's suggestion of acid dipping is a great and comprehensive way to get it back to the natural wood. Then the classiest, most timeless thing to do would be to give it a little furniture oil and introduce colour through accessories.

If, however, it's partly veneered then your options are more limited - acid dipping will ruin the veneers, as will stripping or even heavy sanding. In that case it would be wisest to just sand it back then repaint it. Your vintage pink does seem to be a pretty option, one which suits the era of the desk and your own tastes.

Thank you so much for all the advice!! I am thinking of stripping it, sanding it, and painting it a glossy teal as previously suggested.

I have the week off next week and want to take in this project, but I am afraid to do it by myself is a first timer!

Any advice?