Desk turned Vanity

Is it really July already?  Summer is moving along at it's usual pace.  At the beginning of the summer we had a garage sale and in a spur of the moment decision decided to sell my vanity which I have had since late elementary school.  It has followed me from place to place over the years and despite the floral padded seat and the yellow gold that has clashed with pretty much every room it has resided in, I used it faithfully day in and out. 

Besides the fact that it was in style a few decades ago, there were a few negatives to the function of this particular piece of furniture.  For one thing, there were no drawers of any sort so my make-up, curling irons, and other random items could never really be hidden away.  Another symptom it deveolped over the years was a broken leg.  This made for a balancing act most of the time while I tried to apply my makeup.  Needless to say, it was time to begin looking for a replacement and where other would I turn than to my new lifeline of information, pinterest. 

After only a few clicks in I was drawn to the re purposed desks, end tables, and decorative tables that now took on the new identity of a vanity.  After a few seasons of garage sailing (yes, you heard me correctly, it takes a while when you are looking for something specific via garage sales)  I found just the thing for $5.  I also picked up a little chair along the way for 75 cents which received a facelift as well.  I am very happy with the end result and not only that, but the frugal find it turned out to be.  I actually came out $1.25 ahead after selling my old vanity.  That's pretty much a McDonalds hot fudge sundae which sounds amazing on this hot summer evening......Anyway, the vanity....

The Desk Before..... I think it is a desk at least.  Not sure what those "arms" were all about on it. 

My 75 cent chair that I am pretty sure was a garden ornament in it's previous life.

Nothing a little wire brush, spray paint, and fabric scrap couldn't help!  I found the fabric on clearance at our fabric store in town.  It was a discontinued sample. 

I wasn't a fan of the original hardware so I went to Rebuilding Hope, a construction thrift store here in Eau Claire, and found a few pieces with "style".

The finished product!  I LOVE all the storage space in it.  I didn't even come close to filling it up and the shelves along the back are even better! 

I found this IKEA spice rack at a garage sale for $1 with 6 of the glass jars (2 pictured here).  After a little paint this was a great way to store my "everyday" items.  I may add another one in the future. 

Eventually, I would like to find a mirror to hang on the wall behind it.  For now I am stealing the one out of my guest room in the basement.  Maybe the mirror will be my next frugal find??..