I've been looking on and off for some time for a desk that I can use as a makeup table vanity. I do have a desk that belonged to my grandfather that most likely was around when my mother was a child. Least to say it's solid wood. But it's your standard office type desk. With one center drawer and three fairly narrow, deep and long drawers on each side.
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It's something like this, but has three drawers on each side instead of four.
Right now it's in my girls bedroom, supposed to be used for their vanity..... but it's more like a catch all for everything. I was going to take it back, but I really wanted something a bit different and I really wanted a hutch on it to display things like perfume bottles. One of these days it will get repainted and maybe my youngest will use it since my oldest will most likely be moving out this fall.
I do have another desk that is mine whenever I go out to the farm to pick it up. But it's a roll top desk that is heavily carved made of teak from our years in Indonesia. I was a teenager when we lived there. But that is something that I want to use as a desk, home office area rather than a makeup vanity.
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This is just a google image find just to give you an idea of what it looks like. Gorgeous to say the least. But I already have in my home my sweet 16 birthday gifts. Hand carved full size, (extra large) rocking chair as well as a hand carved (hope) chest. I won't post picts of them at the moment but I want to place the three items close together. But also my bedroom isn't big enough for our queen bed, bedroom set and a roll top desk, huge rocking chair and chest.
Oh wait I do have my prom pict, of me sitting in the rocking chair that is my mothers. Mine rocking chair is not exact but similar. I did design my prom dress and a seamstress sewed it for me. It was common over in Indonesia as ready made dresses just were not to be found in the 1980's. Holding a porcelain doll that normally sat in the chair for decor. Ignore the ugly curtains in the background. But we had wall to wall, floor to ceiling glass walls and sliding doors all over the house. The curtains came with the house and were very ugly, but it's what most others had as well in their houses.
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So while we don't have a shortage of desks at home it's a matter of finding the right desk that I envision as my vanity. Yesterday I promised my doctor that I would work on 1 goal in this next month. I have quite a variety of health issues, and newly type 3C diabetic is one of them. Type 3C is from pancreatic cancer or rather having 3/4 of my pancreas removed. My pancreas, or what's left finally decided it was time to give up and stop producing enough insulin. Being diabetic isn't new to me and I've been on insulin for a couple of years now. But I just can't quite get it to check my blood sugars multiple times a day, and for now I just need two shots of long acting insulin a day to keep me in line. So I don't need to calculate my carbs/sugars with how much insulin to take before a meal along with my current blood sugar number. So my doctor and I set a goal to get in the habit of doing, checking my morning blood sugar and eating breakfast. I have never been a breakfast eater even as a teen when I had a maid to make it for me and clean up. (common job of the locals, everyone had them) So part of that goal for me, is not just doing that, but also getting dressed and putting some makeup on everyday. As a stay at home mom and one that feels cruddy most days, I don't often "get dressed", other than to dress in lounge like clothing. Okay that might not change so much but having a vanity is something I have wanted for a very long time.
As a teen I had one when we lived overseas and I loved to be able to fix my hair and makeup there in the morning and get ready for bed at the end of the day.
My search for a vanity hasn't been serious I guess one would say, as it also meant I needed to reorganize my bedroom to make room, as well as clean a corner that has been turned into a catch all for a number of years now. Since I got sick......
So tonight while at my local thrift store to look for a blow dryer for my little maltese dog I turned at I heard harps playing and the angelic glow around a piece of furniture. My little puppy is white and they seem to get dirty much faster, and he is so tiny and need to be dried quickly after their baths. He will be groomed at the groomers, how convenient that my neighbor is a groomer, but between hair cuts, I'll just bath him. And he needs his own instead of borrowing my oldest daughters dryer. I just let my hair dry naturally.
So while at the thrift store I a regular school type home desk, it had a hutch and was perfect in my eyes. The hutches shelves were perfect to display perfume bottles, and a nice large desk surface to place my plastic desk top drawers to organize my makeup. And I can place my larger 6 drawer unit either under it or to the side of it.
It's a tad different than most desks I have seen, with how the hutch is styled. I paid for the desk, $40 and will pick it up later. I wish I took a photo of it. My youngest daughter works in the store doing odd jobs with her best friend that her mom wants them to do. It's a bit of petty cash for both girls, plus it helps the owner and mom of my daughters BFF. I texted her to take a photo of it, but who knows if she will read my message or not. But I'm thankful I went in there tonight and saw that. I'll pick out a chair to recover later......
It has the drawer for the keyboard but I think I will put sides on that, so it's more like a drawer than a pull out shelf.
I can't find anything on google that resembles that hutch portion on the desk. So you will just have to wait till I have an actual photograph of the desk.
Now to decide what to do with it as far as refinishing it. Currently it's your standard desk, light brownish color. Paint, mod podge, faux finish..... what look to give it.........
The left side on the bottom has shelves that run along the length of the desk that is as deep as it shows on that side. The right side has two drawers. The upper not as deep as the lower. It does have that center pull out tray for your keyboard. But since this is going to be a makeup vanity, I'm going to add sides to the drawer and place organizers made from foam board. In the area openings where you could see the wall, I plan on putting picture frams that are filled with encouraging words! I think it's going to look fabulous when I'm done.
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close up of the hutch, which I love
Now I have a place to put and use my tri-fold lighted makeup mirror. Yeah!!!! I had a similar one in the 1980's and bought one for my daughters. But they never used it, so it went back into my room, to await a time when I had a place to put it. You can still buy them on amazon. They aren't as fancy as the other styles, that have a more victorian look to it. But hey what can I say, but it shows my age and I like it has the double sided mirror for regular size and enlarged as well as the lighting options depending on how you want to apply your makeup to look it's best under the lighting you will be under.
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But you can find many desks these days that are a number of styles to find just the right look your looking for. Me, I'm actually pretty easy, and low maintenance so it doesn't take much to make me happy. But it's all in what you make of it. A bit of paint, or mod podge and you will be surprised at what looks you can achieve with a simple desk. However I do think a hutch can really make a difference especially for displaying.
Here are a few links to my pinterest account and specific boards.
I like to keep boards very specific to make it easier to find ideas later. I post ideas, not just for others, but myself as well.
These boards are all a labor of love and I continue to add pictures to the boards as I find them. As I am inspired or think others will be inspired. Links open to a new page so you won't lose your spot.
Beauty Room Area
Some of these are DIY projects or just ideas for around the space that you have dedicated to your beauty makeup needs.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/44-beauty-room-area-~~-some-diy-projects/
Makeup Tables
These are ideas in general, some are very creative in making their makeup tables, while others a little less so. But overall just use them to get inspiration for your own spaces.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/47-makeup-table/
TOP Of Makeup Tables
I think the top space deserves it's own board as there are a number of ways to organize and display and use that space. Again get inspired by these pictures.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/48-top-of-makeup-table/
Drawers & Drawer Units
I have a board just for these two as they are very specific. But there are some great ways to organize these spaces, that can be changed as your needs change. Without costing an arm and a leg.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/49-drawers-drawer-units/
Shelves & Shelf Units
Displaying on a shelf is very visible so you want the space to look pretty and not cluttered. Thus they deserve their own board.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/50-shelves-shelf-units/
Organizing Jewelry
Because jewelry is just an extension of who we are and how we show ourselves to others, so keeping everything organized is pretty important.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/52-organizing-jewelry/
Organizing Perfume & Body Sprays
Unless you are allergic or don't care for them, then you might have a small or large collection of various perfumes and body sprays. You can either just place them on a shelf, much like a store would line up bottles, except yours would vary in both depth and length. Or you can use some techniques and find a way to display them so they look a little pretty.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/51-display-perfume-body-sprays/
Organizing Nail Polish & Other Manicure Needs
If you do your own nails, then chances are you have a small supply of items needed. Or a larger supply if you love to collect nail polish and use acrylic nails over your real nails. I couldn't grow my nails to save my life if I had to, so you can guess that I have a need to keep these items organized.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/53-organizing-nail-polish-other-supplies/
Last but not least, remember to encourage yourself.
By posting various quotes on the wall directly or in picture frames. Change them often because if you make it a DIY project it can be very inexpensive. But there are so many wonderful quotes that can be used. Here is my board where you can get some ideas, not just for the actual quotes but how to display them as well.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/54-wall-picture-quotes-inspiration/
I also have a board for more generalized inspiring quotes and encouraging words and stories. You may find some inspiration there as well.
https://www.pinterest.com/M54A823G547C/55-words-of-encouragement/
