Secretary Makeover in Cartouche Green
We’re sharing a Secretary Makeover in Cartouche Green today!
This post was originally published in March 2020 and was updated in March 2025 to include additional photos.
Frequently, I work alongside my parents at their primary home and my childhood home helping them with decor, organizing, and DIY projects.
It’s always so much fun!
Some of the projects have been little tweaks and a quick refresh, while others have been full room makeovers.
Especially, when they decide to give the walls a fresh coat of paint.
While their primary home has always been very traditional, over the years, my parent’s have transitioned from a color palette of reds, camels and blacks to greens, blues and creamy whites.
Unsurprisingly, it’s made a huge difference in every space from the library to the bedrooms.
Shopping the House Before Buying New…
I’m a big believer in shopping your house before you buy anything new.
Especially, when you need a quick refresh or an easy makeover.
One of my aunts was getting ready to donate this secretary when she remembered by Mom was looking for a desk.
My Mom loved the curved lines of the secretary and how functional it would be in the bedroom.
But she didn’t care for the original ivory meets buttery yellow factory finish which didn’t really go with the other traditional elements in the room.
I knew we could make it work though.
Since my Mom is a very visual person, I asked her to style just the top of the secretary to see if she liked it in the bedroom.
And she loved it.
So, I set about painting the secretary a color that would complement the blue and white color palette she had already chosen for the twin bedroom refresh.
Choosing the Right Paint Color…
The first color we tried was beautiful.
But it felt more like a Robin’s Egg Blue than the muted green my Mom wanted.
So, we decided to change the paint color midstream to Amy Howard’s One Step Paint in Cartouche Green.
While it took longer to finish the secretary because we layered two different paint colors on top of each other, the result was perfect!
Keep in mind, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been painting furniture for years or just a few months, if you know something is not working out early on, don’t be afraid to stop immediately and reassess the situation.
Another thing to keep in mind, is how light reflects differently from room to room, and how it easily can change the tone and shade of the paint color throughout the day.
Most of the time a painted piece of furniture can be fixed…
- with a stain blocker
- by layering paint
- changing the paint color
- adding a special finish like glaze or dark wax
Not always, but most of the time.
So, don’t be afraid to reassess when needed!
If you’re new to painting furniture, you can find more information in our Chalk Painting 101 post here.
Creating a Complementary Contrast…
Once I finished the outside of the secretary makeover in Cartouche Green, I decided to leave the inside of the secretary with the original finish for a slight contrast.
I knew the contrast would make the items my Mom had been collecting to style the glass shelves really pop.
My Mom is literally the queen of styling shelves.
So, I just let her do her thing.
The minute she knows she’s going to be refreshing a shelf space, my Mom starts looking for interesting pieces to display.
I put all of her best tips in this post, 8 Easy Tips for Styling a Dining Room Hutch, but you can use them to decorate any shelf!
A Few of My Favorite Shelf Styling Tips…
Keep the color palette consistent.
Buy items with varying heights.
Style the middle shelf (or the shelf at eye level) FIRST.
Add interest with old or aged books.
Remember to incorporate bits of nature.
Almost all of the accessories my Mom used to style the shelves are either things she already had on hand or pieces she’s collected from thrift stores, charity shops, estate sales or from our many trips to Renningers.
We’ve had this desk chair for so long, I can’t remember not having it.
But, I’m sure it’s an estate sale find as well.
Secetary Makeover in Cartouche Green
All in all, we’re excited about the way the secretary makeover in Cartouche Green came together.
I swear, the power of paint gets me every time!
It’s one of the most budget friendly things you can do to update a room or a piece of furniture.
Let us know if you’re planning to paint anything soon or if you’re embracing dark wood this year!
Other Posts From Bliss Barracks You Might Enjoy:
Primary Bedroom Refresh in Blue and White
Blue and White Guest Bedroom Refresh
Bliss Barracks Lanai Makeover Reveal
Many blessings,
CoCo
This turned out beautifully, CoCo! Lovely color and styling, too! So nice you and your mother enjoy working on projects together…my daughter and I are like that, too!
I really appreciate it, Linda, thank you! I’ve worked on projects with my Mom for so long now it’s like I don’t ever remember not working on them with her 🙂 We have similar styles but they’re just different enough to keep things interesting. She and my Dad both are so creative which makes family work days a lot of un. I can’t wait to see what you and your daughter are up to this year. I know it’s going to be fabulous! Hugs, CoCo
It looks beautiful! I love how bright and warm it feels. Thanks for sharing!
Such a sweet thing to say, Traci, thank you! It’s crazy how one pop of color changed the space as much as it did but my Mom seems excited about it all which is exciting. Hope you have the best day, CoCo
A lovely piece, CoCo. Good job!
Thanks so much, Vee! I really appreciate it. We’ll be headed out treasure hunting later this week so hopefully, we’ll find everything we need to finish it all up 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Team Goat has done it again! The before and after of your painted secretary are night and day. You know how much we love blue and white – and the changes to Bliss Barracks are just beautiful. We can’t wait to see more! The Cartouche Green is the perfect blend. BTW – not sure if you heard, Amy Howard’s business is in Memphis and they were hit with a tornado over the weekend. She and Gene are fine…they are just working hard to get repairs done so that they can be up and running. Much love to you CoCo!
Oh my gosh, yes, I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for them! I know it’s going to be a lot of extra work but what a blessing they are ok. They’re both such nice people. I hope they’re back up and running soon. Thanks so much on your sweet comments about Bliss Barracks. My Mom’s sister could not believe the difference in the secretary. I think had she known it was going to be that drastic, she probably would have kept it ha ha! Sending you love and hugs and thanks for the update on Amy and Gene, CoCo
Coco, Love the new painted secretary. I have a cherry secretary in our bedroom that I have wanted to paint for years, but I just never seem to get around to it. This is definitely the inspiration I need. Your mom does do a great job of styling. Thanks so much for sharing at Tuesday Turn About.
I appreciate your kind words so much, Carol, thank you! I love your style so I’m sure your cherry secretary will be amazing too. Hugs, CoCo
Being able to re-love pieces you already have or acquire through family is the best! And you did a fabulous job:) Seriously, night and day! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. xo Kathleen
Thank you so much Kathleen! I’m always a little worried when I paint pieces that once lived in other family members homes so I’m excited that both my Mom and her sister were pleased with how this secretary came together. I miss painting all the time and it really did change the look of the room which was fun 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Greens, blues and grays can be so tricky! Right? They are like chameleons – changing color with the light and placement next to other colors. LOVE the Amy Howard color you chose. Your Mom’s shelfie skills are epic. Go CoCo’s Mom!
I adore how paint can completely transform a piece of furniture! The color you chose is so pretty and calming! We are building some new shelves and I need all the help I can get on styling pointers, so thanks!
It was as if it was always meant to be CoCo. I love the new color, it pops in the room. You always do such a lovely job in painting furniture, I wish I could just let go, and try something new. Your mom has quite an eye for styling, I do what I call playing with what I have around the house. Since I am not spending any money on new this year, I am going through our attic and basement to see what I can make over, and I have to say, I am kind of having fun. Plus, when you are not buying, you are forced to be more creative, something I love too!
I love this refresh! Both the blue and the green are beautiful! You have such a great vision for things!