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Discarded Rusty Old Pickup Truck Given New Life as a Creative Desk

creative office furniture

For many folks, a desk is an important part of their work life. If that's the case, then why own a conventional piece of furniture when you can have a desk that was once a truck? Yes, you read that right. In one of the most creative desk DIYs we've seen, an old truck was given a new life in a cozy office.

So, how exactly does someone turn a truck into a desk? Well to start, it helps if you own a restoration/hot rod garage. Jesse Barratt, the man behind this impressive DIY, said that a customer gave an entire truck to his shop, Blue Sky Performance & Restoration. When it arrived, he knew that it wasn't worth salvaging. “It would take over 100K to restore this truck front to back,” Barratt wrote. “It looks pretty good in the pictures but beauty was only skin deep on this ‘ole girl. The cab was so rotted out that it was falling down over the frame.”

After determining that this truck would never ride again, Barratt got to work. He removed the front grill and then sandblasted and primed it with epoxy. Any “rot holes” were filled with body filler, which made the Swiss cheese appearance of the metal disappear. Once patched, the unit was lifted and attached to a fabricated metal frame to ensure it would stay sturdy and level. Then, it was sanded smooth and primed.

A colorful paint job helped give the truck-desk some much-needed character. To pay tribute to its life on the road, Barratt painted a set of decorative pinstripe flames on the top of the hood. Done in a striking chartreuse, it's a welcome pop of color next to the deep, glittering turquoise.

With the paint job complete, the trim and lights were added; this marked the end of the work on the vehicle. The final step was to install a custom glass top that now rests on raised metal stands. That way, one can marvel over the custom flames without the risk of scratching them.

Barratt and his crew at Blue Sky intend to use the rest of the vehicle to make more furniture. “Some say it's a waste,” he said, “but the truck was going nowhere fast, so now it will live inside with people admiring the style of these old trucks for years to come!”

So, how did Jesse Barratt turn a truck into a creative desk?

how to build a unique desk

Here's what the truck looked like when it first arrived to the shop…

creative office furniture

After removing the front of the truck, Barratt primed the metal and filled the rot holes.

most creative desk diy

most creative desk diy

desk diy

Afterwards, it was sanded smooth.

desk diy

hot rod furniture

To make sure it'd be a stable desk, it was mounted to a metal frame.

desk diy

Painted pinstripe flames gave this desk some character.

hot rod furniture

unconventional furniture

unconventional furniture

unconventional furniture

Once the paint was sealed with clear coat, the lights and trim were installed.

how to build a unique desk

All that was left was a custom piece of glass for the desk top…

how to build a unique desk

With the glass installed, Barratt's impressive DIY was done!

creative furniture

how to build a unique desk

Jesse Barratt: Instagram
h/t [Reddit]

All images via Jesse Barratt.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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