This child’s secretary desk gets a makeover using Sun Kissed Paint and an EASY floral detail! | Youtube Video

Hi, creative #sifamily! I found this sweet children’s secretary desk at my local Restore and had to bring it home. I’ve never seen one this small. It was so tiny and cute! I’ve given it a new look using sun-kissed paint and beautiful flowers. She’s fit for a princess now and I can’t wait to hear what you think.

It’s also Furniture Fixer Uppers Day and I’m joining my FFU crew and sharing links to their projects below. I hope you join me in visiting their before and afters. I can’t wait to see what these talented ladies do.

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Here’s the Restore desk I started with. It is a nice solid wood piece.

The drawer frame needed repair along with a crack in the base.

I’m not a fan of painting the inside of these secretary desks but they do look awesome when restyled. I’ve included a few I’ve restyled in the past in the “Related Posts” at the end of this tutorial. I also didn’t realize how much these desks cost brand new. I was scrolling to get some ideas for this makeover and wow, I couldn’t believe the prices of these secretary desks. The least expensive I found was $500 up to $4K!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE.  YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Childs Secretary Desk  – SALVAGED
Sand Pads | Shop Towels
Easy To Sand Wood Filler
Bosch Sander (25% OFF as of writing this!)
White Lightning Cleaner
Paint Brushes
Water Mister Bottle
Bohemian Wedding Transfer (ONLY $10 as of writing this!!)
Sun Kissed Silk Mineral Paint
Cape Current Silk Mineral Paint

PAINTED SECRETARY DESK

Here’s how it all came together…

CLEAN/PREP

I started by giving this piece a cleaning with White Lightning.  I wiped it down a few times until my sponge looked clean.

REMOVE ALL HARDWARE

All the hardware was removed including the hinges, sliding desk mechanism, and the wood knobs. I like to keep all the hardware from each project in a plastic container. This way it all stays together and I don’t lose anything.

REPAIRS

The repairs were minimal and easy. The base of the drawer frame needed to be glued and pushed in place. I also used some wood filler to fill in a crack at the base of this desk. Once this desk was clean and the repairs were made, I left it overnight to dry.

SANDING

The next morning I scuff-sanded the body and drawers and little chair with a 120-grit and my Bosch Sander. This gave the surface a little tooth for good paint adhesion. Then using a tack-cloth, I removed all the sanding dust before priming.

For the cubby holes and the wood filler repair, I used a 220 sanding sponge.

PAINTING

Now for the fun part!  I painted this secretary desk in this beautiful soft Sun Kissed Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint. The primer and topcoat is included in this formula.

The majority of this desk + chair took two coats. There were a few areas I went over with three coats as it was a light color going over an orange dark wood.

HOW TO APPLY A TRANSFER

To turn this into a sweet girls’ desk, I chose this Bohemian Wedding Transfer with gorgeous soft florals. I’m not sure if this transfer is being discontinued (or maybe it’s just on special) but this transfer is selling for ONLY $10 as of writing this post! I’ve used it for a few makeovers and I love it. The colors and florals are gorgeous and they can match up with a ton of paint colors.

Here are the 5 EASY steps I use to apply a furniture transfer:

Step #1 – Prepare The Surface

Clean, prep, sand and paint or stain to create a good base for the transfer.

Step #2 – Position The Transfer

Carefully position the transfer on the furniture to determine the placement BEFORE taking the backing off. Use painter’s tape to temporarily hold it in place if needed. Make sure it’s centered and aligned the way you want it to appear on the furniture.

Step #3 -Apply the Transfer

Once you’re satisfied with the position, start applying the transfer. Peel off the backing paper slowly and evenly, making sure the transfer adheres to the furniture surface. Use a flat tool/application stick to gently rub the transfer onto the furniture, starting from the center and working your way out to remove any air bubbles.

Step #4 – Smooth Out or Burnish

After the transfer is adhered, gently smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles using your fingers or a burnishing tool. Take your time with this step to ensure a smooth and seamless finish. If the transfer includes multiple pieces, repeat the process for each piece.

Step #5 -Seal the Transfer (Optional)

Depending on the type of transfer and the finish you desire, you may want to seal the transfer with a clear topcoat or furniture wax. This step helps protect the transfer from wear and tear and enhances its longevity. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific type of transfer you’re using.

MATCHING TRANSFER COLORS

Once I had the transfer design rubbed on, I thought it would be fun to pull some of the blue out of the florals and add it to some drawer detail. I ended up painting the cubby holes in this Cape Current Blue along with the inside of the large drawer and the small drawer that fit into the cubby.

FINISHING DETAILS

Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint doesn’t require a topcoat because the primer and topcoat are included. This is a huge time saver! But I did have a few touch-ups around the cubby holes where I accidentally got a little blue paint on the yellow.

I attached all the hardware while waiting for the cubby holes and inside drawer details to dry.

For the final touch, I painted the original wood knobs in Cape Current Blue. Applying 2-3 coats of LIGHT paint is the key to getting perfectly smooth-painted hardware. This goes for spray painting or brushing the paint on. It took two light coats of Cape Currant to get full coverage on these wood knobs.

THE FINISHED LOOK

Here’s the finished look. Isn’t she sweet!!!

The soft yellow is lovely and I think the florals are light enough so they don’t overpower the color.

Here’s a close-up of the floral design up top and on the drawers.

And what do you think of the blue knobs? It adds a little pop of fun, I think! What color would have you painted them?

There’s plenty of room to do a little homework in style as well. 😉

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YOUTUBE TUTORIAL

Here is the full step-by-step video tutorial below. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 46.3K so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already! So exciting, thank YOU!

And now for some FURNITURE FIXER UPPER FUN!

You’re going to LOVE what my creative FFU ladies do!  Below are the BEFORE photos. Visit the links to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well!

1. A RAY OF SUNLIGHT

2. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER

3. PETTICOAT JUNKTION

4. MY REPURPOSED LIFE

5. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)

Here’s another look at this child secretary’s desk before and after. I hope it inspired you and gave you some ideas for your upcoming furniture painting projects.

I just realized that I did a desk makeover for last month’s FFU tour which you can see here. You can let me know which one you prefer in the comments. I always love hearing from you, it makes my day! 🙂

Happy painting my friends!

Denise x

RELATED POSTS::

HOW TO MAKE PAINT LOOK LIKE WOOD

PAINTED SECRETARY DESK

MAGNOLIA PAINTED DESK

CHALK PAINTED THRIFT DESK

HOW TO REVAMP AN OLD DESK

BARBIE-INSPIRED PAINTED DESK

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