Vintage Sewing Desk

A vintage sewing desk in the kitchen? Yes! I got this vintage sewing cabinet/desk from my neighbor Rodney for FREE! I was in need of storage for the kitchen in addition to having a place to put a t.v. Real people watch t.v. and need places to put them.

The vintage sewing desk was in decent shape but it needed a thorough cleaning. It smelled musty and moldy from being stored in the garage.

Remove old components from vintage sewing desk

The first order of business was to remove the components of the sewing machine cabinet. The sewing machine had already been removed, but some parts needed to be removed.

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Clean wood on sewing cabinet

After removing the parts I gathered some cleaning supplies including a bucket of water, latex gloves, a rag and TSP.

The TSP really made a huge difference and did a great job of removing the mold and mildew.

Wash Vintage Sewing Desk

It was rather difficult to get into all the nooks and crannies. Using a hose made it easier to clean all the small places. I was able to use the hose on the wood desk because it was a very warm/sunny day. The sun and breeze quickly dried the wooden desk without damaging it.

Paint primer coat of chalky paint

I allowed the desk to dry completely before painting it with my Super Finish Max Extra. As always I started out with my diy chalky paint primer made with plaster of paris.

I mixed that with black paint to use as a basecoat. When painting furniture red, it’s best to have black as a basecoat or primer.

Second guess yourself about paint choice

This is where it almost went wrong. I used an oops paint that I thought was red, but it ended up being a little too rust to suit me. Luckily the paint dried really quickly and I was able to do another coat of yet another color.

Plan B–New color of paint

This is chalk type paint from Heirloom Traditions. The color is Peppery. I love red glazed furniture. I’m not a huge fan of regular red projects.

The weather took a turn for the worse, and we had many days of rain.

Glaze RED furniture to age

I brought the vintage sewing desk indoors. Yep, put it right in the living room on a vinyl table cloth. I broke out my favorite Smoked Glaze, applying it with a cheap chip brush. I love these brushes because a) they don’t waste a lot of paint and b) they are so easy to clean. They really just get better with age.

Watch my video of How To Glaze Painted Furniture

Not only does the smoked glaze add a wash to the paint, it also seals the paint. You can see the difference in the drawers before and after.

Spray paint original sewing cabinet hardware

The original hardware would remain on the sewing cabinet, but it needed a new outfit!

Remember it’s been raining? I put the hardware on a paper plate, ran out to the garage, sprayed it, brought the paint and the hardware back in to dry. Then I did that two more times with more light coats, bringing it in each tie so it could dry.

Hole made with hole saw allows surge protector to be tucked out of sight.

The cabinet that the t.v. has been on for years wouldn’t sit close to the wall. I was tired of that, so I made some changes to this desk I’ll be using for storage in the kitchen. I used a hole saw on my drill to make a hole for the plug. There is room under the bottom drawer to accommodate the surge protector. The cords flow under the side of the desk where the molding rests off the floor. You will notice I put felt pads on the desk to keep it from scratching my new laminate floor.

Wax paper keeps items from sticking to freshly painted furniture project

Here’s a great tip to keep appliances and other items from sticking to freshly painted furniture. Wax paper is my secret. T.V.’s have those little rubber feet that can leave marks on furniture. I’ll leave the wax paper in place for a couple of weeks until the paint has time to completely cure. Save this tip on Pinterest!

Glazed Red Vintage Sewing Desk T.V. Stand & Storage for Kitchen

I love the way the new desk offers extra storage in the kitchen. I also love how it pulls out the glazed red in the Bless The Food Sign I made.

Next up? Hopefully a new kitchen table. I got a great deal on this small kitchen table years ago, but the supports can really do a number on your knees! I want to make a customized table to fit my small space.

Do you think it’s odd to use a desk in the kitchen for storage?

Desk Knee Hole Accommodates Dog Bed

This is what intrigued me about putting a desk in the kitchen. Lulu Mae’s bed gets kicked around from one place to another every day. Now she has her own space and she’ll feel safe being out of the way. She has a soft bed in every room in the house.

The drawers will come in handy for her leash and other supplies as well as the remote and random coasters.