I have been wanting to add a pattern to a piece for awhile!  

When I got this finished it just needed something, the WOW factor.  

How I refinished this desk:

 First, I removed all of the hardware, next I sanded it down to rough up the clear coat on the desk and make sure any and all imperfections were sanded out the best they could be.  Next I primed everything to ensure the paint would really stick well.  After the primer dried I ran a 220 grit sand paper over everything to ensure a smooth finish.  I wiped it down to remove any dust and then I added the paint color.  When painting less is always more.  The less paint on the desk the less likely it will chip and peel. After it was painted I added the stencil!  I added a little bit of white to my paint color so the stenciled part would be a little lighter, to give a subtle contrast.  Once the stenciling was all dried I ran sand paper over everything to antique it a bit and add more character.  Sanding something can really help to bring out the pieces own character.  Once I liked how it was antiqued I sprayed it with Mini Waxes Poly Acrylic to help protect the piece! 

I  also turned this old cupboard into a chalkboard with knobs for hanging items on.