How Somewhat Quirky Design Made This Secretary is Beautiful Again!
This desk was a little worse for the wear, but mostly dried up and dirty. A little Paris Grey and Old White Chalk Paint can make all things new.
A couple of years dirt came off pretty easily with a good dusting and some mineral spirits.
I had to use Zinsser Clear Shellac over the whole piece because there was a lot of bleed through into the Old White paint. The finish on the back board of the piece was not as stable as the rest of the piece so the bleed through was extensive here.
The shellac did wonders for the finish! Makes me understand why people used to use it yearly to refresh their wood pieces.
The interior is beautifully antiqued.
All crackly and beautiful.
My favorite part is the silver leaf fretwork on the doors.
I was torn whether to polish the brass handles or to paint them. I always love the result when I paint them though.
I love it - from top to bottom!
You can see a lot more about how I accomplished this makeover by reading my blog post.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 8 comments
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So cute and I want to use white and grey, but haven't found the right piece!!! Very nice!!!
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Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!
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I love what you did with the secretary. I have the exact same one which I would like to redo. Would you share the paints you used and how you did the treatment on the fret work?