DIYer Repairs Mildewed 100-Year-Old Desk With Secret Typewriter Compartment to Perfection
"I can't say 'no' to furniture turds."
That's what DIY creator Grace (@atouchofgrace.diy) declared in the opening moments of a recent TikTok video, where she gave a total makeover to a vintage typewriter desk she got for free - and after seeing the state this desk was in, I have to agree that "furniture turd" was a pretty accurate description.
Fortunately, Grace has been renovating furniture for a while - and she managed to restore this desk to absolute perfection, resulting in an incredibly impressive furniture flip.
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How This DIYer Repaired an Antique Desk With a Secret Typewriter Compartment
"This early 1900s typewriter desk was in rough shape," Grace captioned her TikTok video. Not only was the desk completely covered in peeling wood veneer, but inside, there was tons of mildew, mysterious white powder and even spiders who had made themselves at home.
But Grace was able to see a diamond in the rough - namely, she fell in love with the secret compartment that was designed to keep a typewriter hidden away. You just lift the handle of the faux drawer that's front and center on the desk, and it opens up a swiveling cubby that can hold a typewriter (or laptop!).
So, Grace took the desk home and got to work. To get started, she scraped off all of the wood veneer, and was happy to find original wood grain hiding beneath it. She also sanded down all of the wood, cleaned it, and then covered it with a shellac grain sealer to smooth things out.
The drawers were struggling to open and close, as the wood had swollen. So, Grace used a table saw and electric sander to trim each drawer a bit, which helped them glide much more smoothly.
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And to repair the hidden typewriter compartment, Grace added a new piece of wood which she filled with mini cuts to make it flexible.
She did her best to clean out the drawers, but wound up covering the inside of each drawer with wallpaper.
And though she added new lockable wheels to each leg, Grace opted to reinstall the desk's original hardware after she removed and cleaned it - and with that, the desk's makeover was complete.
@atouchofgrace.diy Would you have saved this one… or put it on the burn pile? This early 1900s typewriter desk was in rough shape. Failing veneer, mildew, spiders living their best life inside… but I couldn't pass it up because of that hidden middle compartment. So I took it all the way back. Stripped off every bit of damaged veneer to reveal solid wormwood oak underneath, and that grain did not disappoint. Fixed the stuck drawers, found new writing boards, added lockable wheels for function, and kept the original wood handles to preserve its character. Locks are still original too, just waiting on a flat key to bring them back to life. This is one of those pieces that could go so many directions. A modern computer desk, a sewing table, even a kitchen island. From forgotten and falling apart… to functional and full of character again. So tell me, what would you use this for? . . . #furnitureflip#furnituremakeover#diyfurniture#refinishedfurniture#vintagemakeover flipping furniture, furniture artist, antique desk makeover, typewriter desk, wood furniture restoration, vintage furniture flip, before and after furniture, furniture upcycle
original sound - GRACE A Touch of Grace DIY
The Typewriter Desk Furniture Flip Was Incredible
Grace was so happy with how her labor of love turned out. "From forgotten and falling apart… to functional and full of character again," she wrote.
"THIS is furniture flipping!!!! Incredible," someone commented on her video. "Probably the best restoration I ever saw," someone else added.
"Best furniture restoration I've seen in a minute on here. you did an amazing job on bringing it back to life," wrote another commenter.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 4:40 PM.