Bookcase to Secretary Desk + Custom Stencils

I love thrifting - you never know what you'll find! When I first saw this bookcase across room in Goodwill, I quickly sprinted over! I was in love with the arched top, the unique molding on the doors, and most of all the price, it was only $30!!

It felt dark, heavy and unbalanced, but nothing that a little paint and little re configuration couldn't fix!

By moving the drop down panel directly above the doors, it felt more balanced since the closed areas were together with the open shelving on top. Plus now it could double as a secretary desk!

Here's how we did it:

First we removed the back panel - it was easier to move the shelves, plus stenciling the back outside of the bookshelf is much easier!

To be desk height, the middle shelf needed to be raised about an inch (since we were adding feet, we took into account that measurement too). We added wood, some wood glue and clamped.

Next, we filled in all the damaged areas with wood filler and once dry, the entire piece was sanded with an orbital sander (medium 100 grit sandpaper and then finished with a fine 220 grit sandpaper).

Then, we wiped it with a mircrofiber cloth to remove all of the dust. For paint, my preference is an oil based primer, such as, Zinsser Cover Stain - it leaves a super durable base coat and it prevents the stain from bleeding through light colors. For the top coat I used Sherwin Williams Pro - Classic, a water based enamel like paint that leaves a super hard finish.

I used a smooth 6" foam roller to apply both (2 coats each, and lightly sanding with a fine grit sandpaper, and wiping the dust off in between coats)

Next, my favorite part, stenciling! It's one of the easiest ways to take a project from ok to WOW for a budget friendly price.

For the wall stencil, we drew the pattern in Adobe Illustrator, cut 9 sheets of thin plastic on our Silhouette Cameo and taped together. I love the large scale!

Prior to reattaching the back panel, I stenciled a smaller Moroccan trellis stencil in a deep turquoise. To finish it off, I created a border stencil for the fold out desk.

I love the pop of color and pattern that it adds.

To prevent it from looking bottom heavy, we added small feet (re purposed a section of spindle railing) to give it a little lift.

I love how a chair can be pulled up to use the desk, and then neatly tucked away. Perfect for a smaller home!

I picked up a few brass candlesticks and vases from a local thrift store for only a few dollars each.

The pencil cup and vase are votive holders from Target.

I'm always amazed by the power of paint! I LOVE the transformation! I'm so glad that I looked past the worn stain, damaged wood, and awkward door placement - it's now one of my favorite pieces!