How To Turn A Vintage Desk Into The Perfect Vanity

Thrifting and antiquing often yields beautiful pieces for your home, but not always in the form you are seeking. While you may be looking for the perfect rare vintage vanity find as these vintage bedroom amenities come back into style, you may be overlooking other pieces of furniture that can be easily adapted to serve as vanities, like console tables or desks. These furnishings are often exquisite in their own right and for their original purpose, but can be adapted into stunning vanities with just a few touches like paint, stain, paper, and a mirror.

While old desks, on the whole, are more streamlined than many vintage vanities, the drawers and storage cubbies below make the piece perfect for all your needs as a vanity, allowing lots of storage inside, a comfortable amount of space underneath for your legs, and a sense of vintage style that can be adapted to your decor and home aesthetic. While beautiful antique desks may cost more than new pre-fab pieces from retailers like IKEA, you can often find older models for a bargain at thrift stores, some with cosmetic damage and wear that can be remedied by many of the changes you will be making to the desk. This upcycle works both ways, since you can also repurpose an old vanity into a stylish desk if you need one. Antique writing desks, which usually have a more slender and dainty profile, work well for this upcycle, but you could also use more spacious tanker desks for more surface area to get ready and deeper drawers for storage. Secretary desks and roll top desks are also great options with additional storage on top. This is also a great chance to repurpose a worn-out desk that you love but have outgrown in your home office.  

Begin by cleaning the desk thoroughly, using a solution of vinegar and water to wipe down the crevices and curves, as well as the interior of drawers and underside of the piece. You will also want to repair any loose legs, fill holes with wood putty, and sand down any imperfections. Many DIYers choose to paint their desk vanity, but you can also restrain the piece in whole or in parts, like leaving the top in a natural wood, and using chalk paint on the base. To remove decades of previous paint layers, try Citrusstrip gel before scraping it away. You can also sand away any existing stain and restrain it with gel stain. Make sure to add a protective clear topcoat like polyurethane or Minwax over your paint or stain. This is especially important on top, where you will want the surface to be easily cleaned and impervious to things like cosmetic stains or moisture.

Since vanities are often more ornate than desks, you may also want to add some other details like wood moldings or decorative appliques. Before painting or staining your piece, apply these with wood glue to the surface of drawers or edges. After you've painted them to look original to the piece, you can also highlight them with some Rub & Buff to give them more depth and patina. This is also a great chance to change out the hardware of the piece to fit the style of your space, whether that is frilly and romantic or more staid and geometric. You can also add more uniqueness to your vanity desk by adding hand painted details, stenciling, decoupage paper, or decorative transfers to the drawers or sides.

You can't have a proper vanity table without a mirror. Choose a large wall mounted mirror if you want more reflective coverage, or use a smaller mirror leaning against the wall. You can even DIY a show-stopping vanity mirror with an IKEA mirror and a TikTok hack. Other great options include standing round cosmetic magnifying mirrors or tri-fold mirrors that allow you to see multiple sides of your reflection at once. Lighting is also important, so make sure to add an accent or task lamp. You could also use vintage sconces on either side of the mirror for a nice even glow.

In the drawers, add some decorative shelf liner or contact paper for a pop of pattern when you open them. You could also paint them a complimentary color. A glossy finishing will make them easy to clean if you spill things like eyeshadow or blush inside. To organize your cosmetics and jewelry, add some inexpensive acrylic boxes or use pretty vintage containers small enough to fit inside the drawers. You can also add slender stacking organizer drawers on top for extra storage if needed.