Vintage Secretary Desk Makeover

I love our little office so much, especially after my recent makeover of the space and after adding the lovely French daybed. We have a little desk in the corner that holds our laptop and office supplies but I've never loved it and it didn't quite go with the feel of the rest of the room. I imagined a secretary desk with a hutch for displaying. So, I started searching Facebook marketplace and Offerup. I had been looking on and off for a few days when I came across one that caught my eye. The piece had a stunning French look to it with beautiful curved details.  The fact that it was a secretary hutch and that it was the perfect size for this space, I simply couldn't pass it up. It was perfect!  I showed my husband and he was not impressed. You see, its original finish was not what I would call attractive and as husband's go, they often don't see the potential. But I did! And I could see her all dressed up and pretty. All she needed was a little paint. I messaged the seller and made plans to pick it up the next day.

​Here she is right after bringing her home. It's not bad just not my taste.

I pretty much knew I wanted a soft bluish gray color, so I mixed some Shutter Gray and Ironstone  milk paint together and came up with the perfect shade. Since the finish was very shiny I added the bonding agent which helps the milk paint adhere. I still ended up with some chipping which I really liked!  I painted the inside with Farmhouse White, the most perfect white! Once dry, I sanded the whole piece down. Sometimes, with milk paint, you can end up with tiny little lumps in your finish.
A quick light sanding with a sanding block leaves the surface buttery smooth! I distressed the edges and detailed parts. Finally, I sealed it with some hemp oil. All the products I used for this piece were from Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint line. 

Didn't she turn out pretty? Now she looks like she belongs in the space and I have lots of storage for all our office supplies. I kept the original hardware except for the hardware on the little drawers. I changed them out for little vintage glass knobs, so much better!

I have wanted to start a vintage trophy collection for a while and now that I have my new secretary hutch desk, I am motivated to finally start one! I'm planning on getting a few more, but this is a great start! Aren't they just lovely? And that patina! *sigh*.  The photo of the little boy in the frame is my Dad! He was such a cutie! Don't you think? :)

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little post and I encourage you to look past a not so pretty exterior and see the potential of what it could be!

xo, René