When I have an idea in mind, I tend to be like a dog with a bone. That was the case when I decided that I *really* needed a secretary style desk like the one I had seen here on Brooke’s (Nesting With Grace) blog. Sadly, this desk was discontinued, and despite my searching for months, I couldn’t find anything that I loved quite as much. So, the wheels began to turn and while studying said desk, I realized how similar it was to an upright dresser. And, so, this DIY was born!
The before:
When I came across this old dresser on Facebook Marketplace, I knew it was the one. The shape, style, size, and price ($80) were all right, and it was in great shape for the most part. The fact that it was a solid wood piece that would stand the test of time made it even better. I was excited to get started – so much so that I hardly got any before photos (oops!).
Prepping:
I began by giving it a thorough cleaning and allowing it to air out for a few days. All of the drawers were removed, and I vacuumed it out really well with my shop-vac. It smelled a bit like an old antique shop, so I used a mixture of vinegar and water (1:3 ratio) to spray it down.
Next, I removed the supports/tracks for the top two drawers. I left the support where the second drawer sat, because I would later use that as part of my desk support. I also added a couple of extra supports, using construction adhesive and nails.
For the flip-down part of the desk, I knew I wanted to use the faces of the top two drawers. So, I removed those using this tool and then attached them using wood glue and pocket holes made with my (kreg jig). It worked so perfectly!
I then glued on a piece of nice, sanded plywood that I had cut to size. This would serve as my “work space,” so I wanted it to be really smooth! Spending the extra $14 on nice plywood was so worth it!
There was also a bit of sanding and repairing to be done. I filled a lot of holes with wood filler and sanded everything smooth. This took me several days, but I am so glad I took the time to do it! For the final all-over sanding, I used 80 grit , then 220 grit, then 400 grit paper. This made for a super smooth and easy-to-paint surface.
Painting:
Finally, it was time to paint! As you can tell, I saved the desk top logistics for last. I honestly had to really think over how I was going to go about doing it the right way. So I ordered my hinges and got to painting while I mulled that over. I primed first with this, then applied two coats of Gabriel’s Gray paint from The Chippy Barn.
This paint is such a dream to work with (you can also find my very own curated color, Seaside Cliff, here)! Between each coat, I sanded with 400 grit sandpaper, then wiped it down with a damp cloth. Those extra steps were so worth the time, because I ended up with a much more professional finish.
Once the hinges arrived, I sprayed all of the hardware (drawer pulls, screws, and hinges) with a matte black spray paint and let it thoroughly dry. For the flip-top, I glued the hardware back in using construction adhesive, since I couldn’t screw them in.
Creating the Flip-Top (and hitting a few snags):
All was going well, and then…I hit some snags. And (spoiler-alert) it all ended up ok in the end, but it definitely took some perseverance to figure it all out. For the stationary part of the desk top, I used a piece of 1×16 that I had left over from my pantry project. But, when I went to attach the flip-down part, I realized I hadn’t accounted for the extra inch that the hinge would create. So, I had to trim a bit off of the dresser top (a lengthy process with the tool I had to use). That thankfully solved that problem!
There was still a not-so-pretty flaw left to deal with. I had (somewhat sloppily) notched out a place for my hinges, somehow not realizing that those notches would be visible.
So, I had to work to fill them in and hope they’d turn out smooth and pretty in the end (they did, for the most part). Sometimes, I think we are so close to a project that we forget the big picture and we focus too much on those details!
The desk top was finally in and working smoothly, so I added the magnets that would keep the desk closed when not in use. I attached the metal pieces on to the desk top and then concealed them with paint. I do plan to add a third magnet for a bit of extra strength.
The Finished Product:
Voila! She was complete! Styling was so fun, and I loved being able to bring some function in as well. Styling sources are linked in the slides at the bottom of this page.
What do you think? Is this a project you’d like to try? Don’t be a stranger! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!
Note: After some use, I plan to replace these hinges with something different. They are excellent and would likely work in most cases, but because my flip-top is so heavy from using the drawer faces, I need proper “desk stays” to support the lid. I will certainly update here once I change that up!
Such a cute project!! Well done!
So kind of you, Erin! Thank you so much!