DIY Refinished Rattan Writers Desk

I am such a sucker for all things coastal and rattan. I love clean lines, bright colors, and natural wood. Maybe it’s my undying love for the ocean or it could be my search for brightness in my home that was so dark when we first moved in. Whatever the unconscious reason, I gravitate to rattan pieces regularly.

So when my murphy bed and built-ins were completed, I opened up an ENTIRE ROOM that allows me to furnish a brand new office, and you know what look I was going for? YUP. Rattan pieces.

The problem with that is rattan desks are becoming VERY popular and trendy right now. And trendy can equal costly. A desk that might have been overlooked by many last year now is being thrust into many home offices, and more people are wanting to covet the same look. My favorite piece that cost $100 last year now is going for $300 or more (World Market did just mark their CANE DESK down to $200!!).

That’s when DIY comes into the picture. I cannot justify putting pricey pieces into my home that can be recreated at a fraction of the cost.

So a little thrift shopping, a little sanding and paint, and add some cane webbing, and we’ve got ourselves a real cute coastal desk for just over $75!!

If you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in your area, you need to start visiting regularly. Imagine it being a giant thrift store full of only home improvement pieces. I’ve purchased my laundry room subway tile from there…

Our kids bathroom double sink from there…

And most recently, I purchased this writer’s desk from the ReStore and it cost me just $35!

Great condition with only minor scuffs along the legs and one mark on the top. Other than that, it’s a working writer’s desk with a whole lot of potential…for MUCH LESS than what you can find online. Plus, I didn’t have to put anything together. 🙂

To have my vision come to life, I purchased this CANE WEBBING RATTAN ROLL from Amazon. Each roll is 3 feet long and comes in 6 different widths to choose from. For this particular project, I went with the 13.8″ x 3′ roll because it costs only $16.99 and I didn’t need much for this project.

You will need to soak the webbing in a sink or tub for roughly 30 minutes. The roll arrives tightly wound and it’s difficult to work with. Within only a few minutes of soaking it, the cane webbing straightens out and loses all wrinkles within it. This makes it much easier to work with. Plus, as it shrinks, it will pull taut and give a nice, crisp, flat webbing on your furniture.

I found a $4 PVC trim piece at Lowe’s that was going to be the perfect size for this dresser. I wanted to have the front of the drawers and the sides to all have the caning, but I didn’t want to mess with an unfinished edge. This trim will cover nicely not take up too much space that the cane webbing won’t show.

I mitered these edges at 45 degrees and created a rectangular box like seen below. These were painted the same color as the desk, Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay, and set aside to dry.

Once the cane webbing was done soaking, I flattened it out and cut to fit the front of the drawers, and each of the apron boards of the desk. I attached these using a heavy duty staple gun (MY FAVORITE LINKED HERE) on each side.

*Note: Since the cane webbing has the holes throughout, I was able to easily position it on the drawer fronts to keep the hole for the hardware exposed. I just attached these GOLD PULLS and didn’t have to drill any additional holes.*

I used a nail gun to attach the painted trim pieces and filled with wood filler. I let it dry completely and then lightly sanded to get off the excess.

A quick touch-up paint and this desk is completely changed! From black and basic to coastal and clean.

TOTAL COST: $77!!

• Thrifted Writer’s Desk – $35
• Paint – leftover from previous project
• Gold Pulls – $21
• Cane Webbing – $17
• PVC Trim – $4

Would you rather buy it then build it? I’ve got you covered! Here are some of my very favorite writing desks on the market at all different price points!

1 // 3-Drawer Rattan Writing Desk

2 // Spindle Leg Blond Wood Desk

3 // 3-Drawer Gold Desk with Ivory Shagreen Top

4 // Wood & Cane Writing Desk Natural – Hearth & Hand

5 // Hazelnut Ribbed Wood Rianna Desk with Drawers

6 // Sauder County Line Writing Desk

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