This antique writing desk had been sitting in my stash for a while.  I love the shapely legs and gracefulness of this piece – but I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it.  It also had a couple of broken drawer fronts (the veneer broke off in the oddest place) and I wasn’t sure at first how to fix it.  

As I finally got around to repairing the drawers a client came to pick up a different piece and decided she wanted this one too.  She chose the design and I got to work! 

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I found this thin rope trim at the hardware store and figured it would be just the thing to repair the drawer fronts.  

All I did was cut the trim pieces to size (cut just a hair shorter than the drawer width to be sure the drawer opens and closes smoothly).  Add a thin bead of wood glue to each piece.  

And nail it in place with the brad nailer and 1.25″ brads.  Using glue AND nails is important because the nails hold the piece in place while the glue dries, and it makes for an extra tight bond.  

Once the pieces are attached, wipe away any excess glue with a damp paper towel while the glue is still wet.  

This is what I was left with.  Because the trim is a different color than the rest of the desk it looks a little odd, but at least the drawer fronts are fixed and she is ready for her makeover. 

I first painted the raw wood trim with General Finishes Dark Chocolate Milk Paint.  This allows me to distress this area if I choose to, and it will match the rest of the desk.  

The top of this piece was sanded to raw wood, stained with Water Based Wood Stain in Espresso, and sealed with three coats of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in the flat finish.  

The base was painted in Antique White Milk Paint.  It took 3 layers to cover fully.  Then I lightly distressed the edges, and she has a whole new look.

It has been so cold here in Western PA, this piece was actually painted in my office.  I can’t wait for some warmer weather so I can get back in my workshop.  

The top is beautiful and so smooth. I love the classic combination of the dark Espresso top and the Antique White base.  

I replaced the hardware with these knobs from Hobby Lobby.  They are just the perfect bit of bling and really bring the piece up to date.  It’s just the fun touch of sparkle this piece needed.  

See how nice the trim looks, now that it’s all finished the same way, I don’t think you’d ever know it wasn’t original.  I’m glad to save these drawers, they are solid wood and they pull so smoothly.  They don’t make furniture like this anymore.  

The first furniture makeover of 2018 in the books – a classic combination of Antique White and Espresso Wood Stain for the win! 

Happy Painting!

Jenni