Antique furniture pieces hold a special charm that speaks of history and craftsmanship. I’m sure you’ve come across a vintage secretary desk on one of your thrift store trips.
Secretaries are a piece of furniture that are often overlooked. They may be in great shape, but despite how tired and worn they may look, they are one of my favorite pieces of furniture to refinish!
In this blog post, I’ll share the general steps and products used in this secretary desk makeover.
Secretary Makeover Before
My client brought me this heirloom secretary desk. It had been sitting in storage for years. While it looked pretty rough shape cosmetically, the bones and craftsmanship of the piece were solid. Made from solid wood – I suspect mahogany – and drawers constructed with dovetail joinery it was a fantastic refinishing candidate.
Proper Prep is Key!
Proper prep of old pieces of furniture is crucial! If you skip out on the cleaning and sanding you’ll risk a finish that won’t withstand the test of time.
Disassemble & Clean
First you’ll want to clean your piece thoroughly. I like a good ol’ bucket of water and dawn dish soap to start.
They make some pretty cool brush drill attachments or you can just use a rag to wipe down the entire piece. I find it easier to get a thorough clean after disassembly, which is a daunting task because secretary desks have A LOT of pieces!
I even removed the original glass 1) because glass on one door was missing anyway and the other was looking a little dingy and 2) it would be easier to paint without paint/primer seeping behind the glass (which I’ve had happen before).
Scuff Sand
Next you’ll want to scuff sand the entire piece. A 220 grit sandpaper usually does the trick. Unless the original finish is flaking you shouldn’t have to go much higher.
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Prime with Stain Blocking Primer
A quality primer is also essential. Without it you risk poor adhesion or bleed through even after multiple coats of paint. I recommend a stain blocker primer – my favorite being Kilz Restoration. It performs like a shellac, but is water-based so you can easily spray it and clean up is a breeze compared to oil or shellac based products.
Fill Imperfections
Once the piece is primed with white primer you’ll start to notice all the imperfections. I like filling the larger divets with wood filler and reserving bondo glazing putty for the small pinholes and scratches.
For a short video on prep work check out Part 1 Reel over on the gram.
Painted Secretary Desk Design
After disassembling the entire piece, extensive cleaning, scuff sanding, priming and filling imperfections it was time for the fun part – the design!
Secretary paint colors
My client dreamt up the color palette with visions of teal and green. Not going to lie, I was hesitant. But by keeping the color scheme moody and earthy, I actually came to love the vision!
Interior Paint Color
For the inside of the secretary and inside of the cabinet we selected the color Earthen Ash by Wise Hour One Hour Enamel. It’s a beautiful earthy light green that compliments the exterior color beautifully.
We decided to keep the little drawers in the inside of the dropdown cabinet natural to bring in a little warmth to the cool toned scheme. To refresh the thirsty wood, I used WiseOwl Furniture Salve. All the different colors ended up contrasting each other perfectly.
Exterior Paint Color
For the exterior paint color I mixed up a custom blend of Abyss and Jett black by Wise Hour One Hour Enamel. Three parts Abyss to one part Jett Black made for the perfect moody teal color.
This was my first time creating a custom paint color, but it ended up being one for my favorite colors ever used in my furniture makeovers. I loved it so much I ended up using it to repaint my front door.
WISE OWL ONE HOUR ENAMEL
Wise Owl One Hour Enamel is my go to for painting furniture! It’s incredibly durable and does not require a topcoat! Like really, no topcoat.
There are plenty of “all in one paints” that claim to have a top coat in it, but none compare to OHE. I’m a big fan!
I’ve played around with lots of latex paint and they just take too long to cure for my liking. They end up feeling “sticky”.
Updating Secretary Hardware
With any furniture makeover there is always the option to add all new hardware. However, I love when all the existing hardware is accounted for and in great condition to be reused. Plus, when using original hardware you won’t have to fill old holes or drill new holes. That’s a big time saver.
My client opted to keep the original Chippendale style drawer pulls. First, I was skeptical, but I think the finished look speaks for itself. It’s so much fun to polish it up or spray paint hardware for a major impact, while still keeping true to the original character and style.
To polish up old hardware I use the following steps:
- boil in 50/50 water/vinegar for 10 mins
- sprinkle on a little Bar Keepers Friend
- scrub with 0000 fine steel wool until shiny
Cabinet Glass Replacement
For the last step, I replaced the glass in the cabinet doors. After I had the cabinet doors painted, I took them to Binswanger Glass to have the glass replaced. They always do such a nice job on mirror or glass replacements.
Secretary Makeover After
The best part was staging this beauty. The final result is simply stunning!
Let me know what you think! I hope this inspires you to snag a secretary desk next time you spot on at the thrift shop.
Girl Behind the Blog
I’m Jess, the creator of Oak & Grain. A mid-west girl at heart who now resides in Raleigh, NC. I love finding old things and giving them new purpose by way of refinishing or incorporating unexpected, overlooked thrift store finds in the modern home. I work full-time in medicine and I love dipping into my creative side and in the process, keeping my sanity. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube to see more behind the scenes action.