Saturday, October 11, 2014

An Old Secretary With a Modern Twist





Secretary desks are one of my favorite pieces of furniture to repurpose and reimagine. They're so versatile - you can put them in a living room, family room, kitchen, bedroom - even a bathroom!

I had previously refinished a tall Queen Anne secretary in black milk paint (The Secretary That Caused a Traffic Jam), so I wanted to change things up a little bit on the next one. This secretary was in excellent condition, and just had a few spots that needed to be filled and sanded before painting. My vision for this piece was to add a funky fabric in the back for a little pop of color and the body painted in French Linen by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.



There was a lot of disassembling that I had to do to achieve this vision. I had to take the back board off, the mahogany insert out, and the upper doors off. I wanted the lattice to be painted on the reverse side as well, so I carefully popped the molding off, pulled out the lattice and painted both sides. I have to say this was such an easier way to paint the lattice. It sure beat taping off each diamond, and then having to painstakingly scrape any residual paint off the glass when I was done!

The fabric backing was really easy to do. First I primed the back piece because my fabric had a white background and I didn't want a shadow from the mahogany finish. And then I measured and leveled the design so it was straight, and sprayed the back with fabric adhesive spray. And very quickly (it sets up really fast), used a ruler to smooth out the fabric and eliminate any air bubbles.

After it was all put back together, she was a stunner!









I love the curved front of these drawers! I painted the existing hardware the same color because I wanted the fabric to be the focal point.




I left the original mahogany insert alone - it was gorgeous and I liked the contrast of the paint and wood finish.





The fabric covered the entire back of the unit. Don't you just love how it peeks through the slots? I also painted the entire inside of the desk in French Linen in case the future owner would want to take out the insert.





Love the lines at the top and the finial!




A close up of the fabric backing. So pretty!




I cried a little bit when I sold her....but it went to a really good home. I gave the leftover fabric to my client in case she wanted to make a coordinating pillow. I'm working on a china cabinet with similar lines right now and I'm sure I'll cry when this one is sold, too!





Have a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by!

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28 comments:

  1. That looks like a ton of work but you really transformed the piece of furniture into a work of art! I'd love to have something like that in my home.

    Thank you for your sweet comment about my porch today. :)

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    1. Thanks, Stacey. It was a labor of love! And you're welcome about your porch. Will you come do mine? :)

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  2. You've done a beautiful job with it. Amazing!

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    1. Thanks for the sweet words...I kind of miss it a little bit!

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  3. Beautiful transformation! How smart of you to remove the back and cover it with fabric!

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    1. The best thing about it is it could easily be changed in the future if you get tired of the fabric! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. Yes, she is a stunner! The fabric you chose is perfect with the paint.
    Blessings~
    Kim @ Curtain Queen Creates

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    1. Thanks...I was strolling down the fabric aisle with my paint stick in my hand, and I soon as I saw it, I knew it was "the one"! Thanks for the visit!

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  5. Just lovely! Visiting from The Scoop.
    Sheila@mykentuckyliving

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  6. So so so gorgeous! Love the fabric inside!

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  7. Very pretty! It is really just stunning. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from MMS.

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  8. It's GORGEOUS!!! Secretaries are hard to come by, around here anyway! I just love it, great work!

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    1. Thanks Alison! Secretaries are pretty scarce around here, too. But when I see one I pounce on it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. Looks great! I'm partial to French Linen... such a beautiful color. Love the pop of yellow as well. Visiting from MMS.

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    1. I love French Linen, too! It's a great neutral color that can go with a variety of decor. Thanks for the visit from MMS!

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  10. Love what you did with this piece! The color and the fabric peeking through is a great affect!
    Gorgeous!
    Patti

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    1. I loved the fabric peeking through, too! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  11. That fabric really elevates the whole piece! And those curvy drawers are so unique. Featured you at our party this morning. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks, Sharon, for featuring my desk! I always look forward to your party for inspirational ideas!

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  12. You were our featured blogger over at ReLoved Fridays! Thanks for linking up! I hope to see you next week!

    Kelsey @ The Vintage Storehouse & Co.

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  13. I love it. I have the same desk it's a Winchester Secretary Desk. I haven't painted mine yet, but I love how yours has turned out. Thank you for sharing!

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Retro Repin! I featured it and hope you'll stop by to link up again :)

    Robin
    http://redoityourselfinspirations.blogspot.com/2015/01/retro-re-pin-party-25.html

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    1. Wow, Robin! This is so exciting! Thanks so much....love your pinning party!

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