A Touch of Pink
Find out more about this gorgeous, shabby chic desk by Mary from Orphans With MakeUp in Vanilla Frosting! She added a touch of Vintage Cupcake for a sweet, delicate look.
Hi, it’s Mary from Orphans With MakeUp and today I am sharing a beautiful roll-top desk makeover. I’ve been searching for a roll-top desk for a very long time but the ones I kept finding were usually very heavy and masculine-looking, until I saw this desk dating from the 1930’s. I loved the delicate legs and that’s the direction I went with, soft, feminine and shabby. Here is what she looked like before painting.
"Before"
So I started by giving the desk an overall light sanding. I was able to remove the top cover, which made it much easier to paint the desk. After sanding and a quick wipe-down, I painted the desk in Vanilla Frosting. Initially, I was going to leave the inside cubbies in its original wood, however, when I finished the white paint, it just was not right. It needed some softening and so I chose to paint the inside in Vintage Cupcake.
Work-in-progress picture after painting in "Vanilla Frosting"
After the first coat of the Vintage Cupcake, I mixed up a small batch of the pink and then added some “Vanilla Frosting” to it and painted a lighter coat of pink on top. This gave a slight layering effect. I also distressed to expose some of the original wood.
I love the added touch of pink. I think it really helped to soften this piece.
I also painted the bottom drawer with the pink mix.
After painting and distressing, I applied some Clear Wax and some Antiquing Wax on certain areas.
Original hardware
Original working lock and key
I love this new transformation. What a lovely spot to read a great novel or just pay some bills.
Hi, it’s Mary from Orphans With MakeUp and today I am sharing a beautiful roll-top desk makeover. I’ve been searching for a roll-top desk for a very long time but the ones I kept finding were usually very heavy and masculine-looking, until I saw this desk dating from the 1930’s. I loved the delicate legs and that’s the direction I went with, soft, feminine and shabby. Here is what she looked like before painting.
"Before"
So I started by giving the desk an overall light sanding. I was able to remove the top cover, which made it much easier to paint the desk. After sanding and a quick wipe-down, I painted the desk in Vanilla Frosting. Initially, I was going to leave the inside cubbies in its original wood, however, when I finished the white paint, it just was not right. It needed some softening and so I chose to paint the inside in Vintage Cupcake.
Work-in-progress picture after painting in "Vanilla Frosting"
After the first coat of the Vintage Cupcake, I mixed up a small batch of the pink and then added some “Vanilla Frosting” to it and painted a lighter coat of pink on top. This gave a slight layering effect. I also distressed to expose some of the original wood.
I love the added touch of pink. I think it really helped to soften this piece.
I also painted the bottom drawer with the pink mix.
After painting and distressing, I applied some Clear Wax and some Antiquing Wax on certain areas.
Original hardware
Original working lock and key
I love this new transformation. What a lovely spot to read a great novel or just pay some bills.
Mary {Orphans With MakeUp}
My name is Mary Vitullo. I am a wife and mother to three {almost} grown boys. I am a blogger at Orphans With Makeup in Saint-Hubert, Québec, a suburb of Montreal. My furniture and thrifted finds are my little “Orphans” and my paint is the “Makeup”. I have always been passionate about home decor and can never seem to quench my thirst for it. My blog is mainly about repurposing vintage and antique furniture and styling the finished pieces to show them in their best light.
Make sure to follow Mary’s blog Orphans With Makeup. You can also find Mary on Facebook and Pinterest!
