Let me start this blog by saying that almost any piece of furniture is worth saving. I take pride in finding or being gifted with a piece of furniture that the previous owner deemed as trash and bringing it back to a work of quality design. That being said, almost every piece of furniture in my home has been gifted to me so that I could restyle it and make it my own.

I’ve been quite busy working on several restoration projects simultaneously. I recently completed an antique French writing desk that had suffered years of use and abuse. This was my great grandmother’s desk, purchased new in New York back in the late teens/early 1920’s. It has exquisite wood carvings just above the 2 front legs, and locking drawers (I have yet to find the skeleton keys, but I have some from her so I shall have to try them all).

Over its almost 100 year lifespan it’s been handed down to my grandma and then to her children to use for homework or as a vanity. At one point, several of my aunts used the same paint which was used to repaint my grandma’s kitchen (a terribly scary muddy brick color) and slather it all over the desk. The desk remained that color for the next 35+ years until I inherited the desk and decided to strip it down and create a jewel.

The 4 layers of paint was so thickly laid on that it was difficult to see how delicate and graceful it was in its former glory. It became my mission to chisel it all away, thus creating a lasting tribute to my great grandmother and something I’m proud use and one day hand down to my children.

I chose Valspar’s Tantalizing Teal to paint this elegant masterpiece because I had heard that my great grandmother, who had passed when I was a baby, was charismatic and lived life to the fullest. I also found some antique drawer pulls in my garage (I love what people give me) and used those rather than the simple wood knobs to dress up this vintage marvel. The end result was a piece that is full of vigor and creates inspiration. Yes it’s small, but perfect for writing a letter or for a laptop.

Stay tuned for more stories of my refinished finds.