Saturday, February 21, 2015

Paris Chic Secretary





This secretary desk has been in my stash for months, and all along I thought I would paint it white. But as I prepping the desk, the Paris shootings occurred, and all of my initial plans went right out the window.




It needed to be a Paris "Chic" secretary, so I pulled out my can of Annie Sloan Paris Grey and went to work. When I refinish secretary desks, I usually take everything apart: doors, shelves, backing, the insert and fretwork. This involves a TON of work, but I think this makes a huge difference in the end result. But this secretary had fixed fretwork and I so I had to carefully paint the fretwork while it was in place on the door.





I wanted a little pop of color and so I painted the interior in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg. The entire piece was sealed with clear and dark waxes. The dark wax added character and a natural patina to the little nicks that I intentionally left alone.






I decided to use the original hardware, but give it a little of bling! After I cleaned and primed the handles, I sprayed them in Rustoleum Metallic Finish and then gave them a coat of clear polyurethane spray for protection.



I wanted the insert to coordinate with the silver handles, so I used Rub 'n Buff in Silver Leaf on the edges. This was my first time using this product, and there was a little bit of a learning curve. I initially started using a little artist's brush for application, but found that I had more control by just using a small dab of it on the tip of my finger. I let it dry for a few hours, and then gently buffed the edges for shine! And for the final touch, I lined the small drawers with really pretty card stock I found at Joann's. 




I think this secretary desk turned out beautiful! It was as if it was always destined to have a little bit of "ooh la la"! And the white secretary desk, that was supposed to be? Well that's another project that I'll be sharing soon!

And while we're on the subject of secretary desks, I was so excited to have been asked to put together a board about secretary desk makeovers for Hometalk. Each of these desks show how with a little bit of paint and imagination, you can update a classic and timeless piece of furniture to fit today's modern lifestyles and decor! Stop on by and have a peek!



Have a great day!


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34 comments:

  1. Oh, your secretary turned out beautifully! I have a little desk style one but always wanted one like yours!
    Be a sweetie,
    shelia ;)

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  2. Your piece is scrumptious! I love the duck egg blue inside - a nice highlight. You're so right. Painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is so much easier than with traditional paint and its prep work. I'm glad you decided on these colors. White would be pretty, but the colors you chose couldn't be beat!
    Blessings~
    Kim @ Curtain Queen Creates

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  3. It looks great! love the surprise inside! I just painted a secretary too, but didn't paint the inside of the desk part...after seeing yours I might have enough courage to do that~
    Jenna

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'd love to see what you do to it:) And thanks for stopping by!

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  4. What a stunning makeover! I am impressed you painted inside all the little cubbie holes.....that is a lot of work!

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    1. Yes it was :) But having the right size brush for these small areas helped, too!

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  5. This piece is stunning! I think painting the inside with the Duck Egg color is what really pulls it all together.....truly beautiful.

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  6. Replies
    1. Thank you! It was a lot of work....but worth the effort!

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  7. I love what you did with the secretary. I have been searching for one.

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    1. I had four in my garage at one time this year! They just seemed to be landing in my lap....and now I haven't found any new ones! Good luck with your hunt!

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  8. This is beautiful... a wonderfully successful project!!! :)

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  9. Beautiful! I have a fondness for secretaries, and I'm still searching for the one I want. I'll know it when I find it. '-)

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  10. Beuatifully done Beth!!! What an amazing transformation. Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous secretary at Share Your Style this week, and have a wonderful weekend!
    XO Barbara

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    Replies
    1. It was my pleasure, Barbara! Thanks so much for stopping by:)

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  11. Replies
    1. Thanks, Darrielle! A lot of work....but a labor of love!

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  12. It's so pretty! I love the silver touches!

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    1. Thanks, Robin! The silver gave it a little bit of bling! Have a great weekend!

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  13. Beth it is lovely! I'm liking the combination of ASCP Paris Grey and Duck Egg Blue. At first glance I thought the pretty paper you used to line the drawer was fabric.
    Marie@The Interior Frugalista

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    1. Thanks, Marie. It does look like fabric - but it's card stock from the scrapbooking section!

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  14. Gorgeous piece and I love the colors you chose!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  15. Gorgeous piece and I love the colors you chose!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  16. Oh my goodness, what a fabulous piece and the colors are so sweet...elegant and charming! Beautiful!

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  17. Oh, Beth - very, very pretty! I also had a piece that I couldn't remove the fretwork from. I ended up sliding paper behind it and painting. I love this piece and what you did to it. Just lovely. Thanks for sharing on Inspiration Friday! Looking forward to sharing more of your work! Cheers!

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  18. This piece is so pretty! Adore the new color! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features at the Make it Pretty party. Here is the link to this week's party. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/03/make-it-pretty-monday-week-130.html Hope to see you again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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