Sometimes my thrifting and DIYing ways can seem strange to my family. But I know my Mom is coming around because she asked me to makeover a secretary desk for her on a recent visit.
And the backstory on this desk? My parents rescued it from a neighbor’s basement 35+ years ago. Junk is my blood! I knew it!
My Mom wanted the desk to have a more feminine feel in the little alcove off the master bedroom. She was thinking more “ladies writing desk”. We decided Old White chalk paint and dark wax would do the trick.
I took the bold move of painting the desk right in the alcove. My father would flip if any paint ended up on the rug or walls but I was pretty confident I could contain the mess to the drop cloth. (Plus chalk paint cleans up easily with water.)
After two coats of Old White I heavily distressed the piece and waxed with clear wax to seal the paint – otherwise the dark wax will stain the paint. Over the clear wax I did a little “wax on, wax off” with the dark wax just to highlight the distressing and details. I also replaced the original porcelain knobs with crystal pulls from Target.
This picture doesn’t do it justice. You have to see the details.
My Mom loves the new look! She just needs to find the right chair to complete her ladies writing nook. Luckily she has a junk-lovin daughter on the look out for the perfect one!