This before and after was a curb alert disaster when it was found by Sunset Magazine. Read about how they turned this vanity from scrap to slick.
Some interesting materials and tools from this story:
Preval spray gun @ Preval
Mona Lisa gold leaf kit @ Dick Blick
DecoColor Liquid Gold Opaque Paint Marker @ Hobby Lobby
As Is Home 
What what color was used on the desk?
They used Farrow & Ball’s Charlotte’s Locks.
http://www.sunset.com/m/home/decorating/reinvented-desk-00418000070859/