Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A Secretary Desk Makeover

This desk Jason bought for me on Craigslist took me over a year and a half to finish, mainly because I had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I debated painting it a bright color, like yellow or green.  Maybe a glossy black?  Perhaps white with a splashy, fun wallpaper on the inside?  You all know me though, right?  Color scares me sometimes.  What if I tire of it in a month?  It was a thorn I tell you, sitting there in the basement in all of its brown glory.

I ended up doing what I always do.  I painted the exterior of the desk white and gave it a gray paint job on the inside.  To make it a little more exciting, I lined the drawers with some wrapping paper and added some bright accessories that I can swap out for anything else that I'm loving, whenever the mood strikes.

So, here is another white, neutral makeover by me.  The good news is that I love this little secretary desk.  It reminds me of my Grandma Esther, who had one too, and filled it with pretty things and special memories.  Mine holds all of my favorite treasures and is a fun place to sit and write a letter, surf the Internet, or make a to do list.   I hope you like it, too!


Just to refresh your memory, because this desk has been on the ol' to do list for a long time, here are some pictures of what the desk looked like before the makeover.



Here are some pictures of the desk after the makeover.  Actually, I lied.  Here are a ton of after pictures.  Enjoy!



















Thank you for reading!  I'll be back soon.

*****

In case you are curious, here are the specifics about the products I used on this project.

Paint colors:  

Primer:  Rust-oleum Spray Paint Primer
Exterior:  White by Olympic
Interior:  Behr color matched to Martha Stewart's Cobblestone

Hardware:

Liberty 35mm pendant knob/ Bronze Antique, purchased from the Home Depot
The two small round knobs and the hinges are the original hardware.


I'm linking up to:

18 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! It is beyond stunning! WOW! And it is just as fun on the inside as it is on the outside!

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  2. This is beautiful. Your shelf-styling is top notch.

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  3. Guess who? I am now inspired to paint the midget desk! Love you!

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  4. It's perfect Lizette ! hope you are doing well....hugs.

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  5. Beautiful!! I love white furniture -- it always looks so clean & fresh, and I never, ever get tired of it! Thanks for sharing your paint info! Did you use spray paint on the exterior? I have a dresser I need to make over (in white, of course!) and I've been toying around with the idea of spray paint. Did you have to seal it or anything?

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  6. This is gorgeous! I just "donated" my secretary desk to hubby's office space, but now I may need to steal it back... ;) Thanks for the inspiration!

    ~Abby =)

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  7. Beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  8. Shut the front door! This can't even be real. It is the most beautiful workspace I have ever laid eyes on. Such an incredible transformation, and all of the organization has me swooning and swooning some more.

    So very lovely, thank you so much for linking up!

    xo,
    Jen

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  9. This is so great! Congrats on your feature at IHeart Organizing!

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  10. This is so lovely!!! (and I don't even mean to be referencing your blog title; that is just the first word that came to mind!) Nice job!

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  11. Beautiful! I'm the same way with colours - "but what if I don't like it in a month or two??" and go for the safe white everything with a splash of interchangeable colours. I just love it!

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  12. Just found you and I'm in LOVE! I have a nasty secretary desk in my basement that I now want to re-do. Two questions, where did you find the insert to divide all of the space inside the desk part? And is the chair just a kitchen chair you pull over when you pull the desk out? This piece is AMAZING! I can't wait to see what else you have done!!

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  13. That desk is awesome! Such a lovely transformation, and they are perfect for any office space.

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  14. Really looks nice. I have been searching for "how" to do the intricate inside. I have one with a milkwash finish that I would like to do a pottery barn finish on but the inside of the desk really has me baffled. Did you remove all the shelves and drawers?.. I can't imagine not removing them but I can't see how to get them out without tearing them up either.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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  15. Your layout is beautiful! Would you mind sharing where you got the white Dixie statue on the top shelf? I would love to find one for my daughter. Thank you in advance.

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  16. Looks really nice! Just moved into a Co working Space Warrington called St James Business Centre. Will keep this in mind.

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  17. I ended up doing what I always do. I painted the exterior of the desk white and gave it a gray paint job on the inside. To make it a little more exciting, I lined the drawers with some wrapping paper and added some bright accessories that I can swap out for anything else that I'm loving, whenever the mood strikes.

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