Before & After: Secretary Turned Shiny and Sleek

It takes some serious vision and determination to buy this enormous desk on Ebay for $15.50 in Vienna, Austria. Transportation of the beast alone is hard to execute. But this didn’t stop Liza, who knew she could transform it with some high-gloss paint and a bit of elbow grease. She and her husband brought back the desk via cab from the owner’s apartment, and the taxi ride ended up costing more then the desk!

The desk has been reincarnated as a sophisticated piece of storage that has a vintage feel with a fresh finish. Liza’s process involved primer, taking off the hardware and cleaning it with a solution of vinegar, salt and warm water, and, of course, two coats of high-gloss paint. She went with a gray color called “Jewels” by Dulox.

And she didn’t ignore this inside part, which has a neat center fold cubby that locks with a key.

The light blue color was a last minute decision when she found some leftover from an earlier project. It absolutely makes the piece. Who doesn’t like a little surprise when you open a desk? She plans to use it to store her painting supplies in her corner studio.

Find out more about her process at Mel & Liza.

(Images via Mel & Liza)