Crafternoons.

We bought this desk last summer, at a thrift store, for $15. 

It is solid oak and still in really good condition.

(A new, very basic oak desk like this runs from about $150-$500)

Dan needed a desk to study at but we didn't want to spend very much on it.

This was the perfect fit for us.

While it worked out great that we got a quality desk for a small price, it wasn't very pretty.

My mother in law matched the paint to some samples from pottery barn so we could copy a desk 

that they sell that is beautiful.

(See below)

While my desk isn't at all similar to this one, 

I knew that matching the stain and white paint would make a world of a difference.

Here is a picture of my desk after the re-do.

It doesn't have the pegs or handles, but it turned out pretty dang cute.

How to:

Clean then power sand the whole desk.

Clean and tape. Stain the top. (best if desk is oak or pine)

Let the stain dry overnight.

Re-tape and paint the white.

I did two coats of the white paint. 

Paint 2-3 coats of clear seal on top of the stained top.

We found that the trick was buying the expensive white paint.
That is the only way it will look similar to the pottery barn style desk. 

Still the paint only costs about $20 max, and you don't need much.

It's amazing what a little sanding and paint can do to a piece of furniture.

Below is the desk that my mother in law re-did.

Her's turned out to be a lot more similar because of the style of the desk and drawers.

Also, her desk was pine so it absorbed the stain differently and turned out darker.