FrogTape® Paintover Challenge™ Week 2: DIY Floating Desk

I am having so much fun participating in this year’s FrogTape® Paintover Challenge™. If you missed Week 1, you can find that post here where I explained what the challenge is and what my plans are. I’m making over our guest bedroom, and today I’m sharing the DIY floating desk I built for the room.

(P.S. The winner of the challenge will be awarded $10,000 toward their favorite charity, and you’ll have an opportunity to vote for your favorite very soon!)

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by FrogTape®. All opinions are my own.

First, let’s check out the progress I’ve made. I painted the walls a pretty powder blue, using FrogTape® to get crisp, sharp lines. I can’t wait to share the entire room with you soon!

One thing that I knew I wanted to incorporate into the space was a desk, so I decided to build a floating desk and paint a geometric design on top using FrogTape®.

I opted to use the Delicate Surface tape since the surface was freshly stained. This technique could be used on an existing desk if you don’t want to build one from scratch.

(Affiliate links included below.)

Project Materials:

Disclosure: Affiliate links included. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FrogTape® Delicate Surface
(2) – 15.75″ x 4′ laminated spruce project panels (I opted for these since I don’t have a planer or a jointer to get my boards smooth and flat if I laminated them myself, plus this is a major time saver. I picked these up at the Home Depot.)
(2) – 1×4 boards cut to 15.75″ long
(2) – 1×4 boards cut to 13.75″ long
1 – 2×4 cut to fit vertically along the back of the desk (optional, used for added support)
2 shelf brackets (Mine are from IKEA)
Wood Stain (I used Varathane Special Walnut)
Sander
Drill
Circular Saw
Speed Square
Pocket hole jig
1″ pocket hole screws
1″ wood screws
White paint
Paint Roller
Saw
X-Acto knife
Spray Primer (for shelf brackets)
Gold Spray Paint

DIY Floating Desk Tutorial

Step 1

First, cut your boards to the dimensions listed above (or customize the size to your preference), and sand.

Step 2

Choose the board that you want to use for the desktop and lay it on the ground upside down, then attach your 1×4 pieces using pocket holes.

Your two longer pieces will be the sides, and the two shorter pieces will be the inside dividers. I opted to have a long cubby in the middle with two smaller ones on each side, but you can configure yours however you choose.

I simply measured to the halfway point, marked it and then measured halfway between that to the end and marked those, and those two spots are where I attached my inner divider boards.

I made the inner boards shorter so that I could hang the desk on a 2×4 attached to the wall studs (similar to a french cleat) for added support, and the desk would still attach flush against the wall.

Step 3

Lay what will be your desk bottom on top (so the desk is upside down at this point) and screw it on using regular screws, and then flip the whole thing over. I opted to use pocket holes for the other side so the screws wouldn’t be visible from the top.

Step 4

Stain your desk. I opted to use Varathane Special Walnut. Let it dry completely.

Step 5

Now for the fun part! I used FrogTape® Delicate Surface to tape off a geometric design on top of the desk.

To create this design, I measured the halfway point of each side and marked it, and then I measured 8″ from each end and marked that too. Then, I stuck my FrogTape® on, using the marks to line up the tape.

This created an angle on each end, and from there I kept taping and following this design, using the previous strip of tape as a guide, until I got to the middle.

I wanted the marks to be equally spaced, so I attached each piece of tape next to the the one right before it, and marked an “X” on every other strip so that I could easily keep track of which ones to peel off before painting.

Step 6

I went ahead and removed every other strip, using an X-Acto knife to cut the excess tape away as I went along, creating crisp angles. Then, I added a couple of strips on each side that ran the opposite direction from the rest, creating a bit of a criss-cross.

Step 7

Next, I painted over the entire surface of the desktop. I applied two coats (I used Behr Ultra White 52), allowing the first coat to dry thoroughly before adding the second.

Step 8

While the second coat was damp, I peeled away the tape. SO satisfying seeing those crisp lines! I added a Polycrylic topcoat to protect the finish.

Step 9

Hanging the desk required some trial and error. First, I attached a 2×4 to the studs in the wall, hoping that I could then attach the desk to that. However, the desk was too wide and drooped a bit.

I opted to use some shelf brackets to make sure the desk was sturdy and level, and I ended up liking the look better in the end anyway. I had a couple of IKEA shelf brackets in the basement which I had never used, so I spray painted those gold and then attached them to the wall and to the bottom of the desk. Problem solved.

I know you’re getting a sneak peek here, but stay tuned for the full room reveal soon! I absolutely love this desk and the design created with FrogTape® absolutely MAKES this piece. It adds something totally unique and I love it. This could be customized in so many different ways too by varying the pattern and color scheme.

Check out the video tutorial on YouTube, here:

You Might Also Like: