While perusing our local Habitat ReStore, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted a tall, antique Larkin secretary desk with lots of curvy lines and character. I liked how unusual the shape was and could imagine transforming it into a nice organizational piece for my entryway. It had a long way to go to get there, but it had such potential that I brought it home with me.

The scroll detail on the front of the drop-down desk was partially missing, so rather than try to repair it, I removed it completely. This helped streamlined the look and made the piece more modern.

To visually lighten this hefty piece of furniture a bit, I removed the door on the bottom right. This exposed a cubby that would be perfect for tucking a basket into later, for storing gloves, hats, or scarves.

The back pieces were already falling off and were in terrible shape, so I replaced them. I purchased a new piece of shelf backer board, traced the current pieces to get the right shape, and cut them out with my jigsaw.

To add a pop of fun style and color, I covered the backer boards with a floral mandala wallpaper design from Spoonflower to adhere to the inside-back. This was a perfect opportunity to use a bold pattern, since it will eventually be partially hidden by the items hanging or sitting in front of it.

I added the wallpaper to the boards but did not attach the boards to the cabinet yet — better to wait until after the paint, so they don't get messed up!

With the repairs done, the next step was to thoroughly cleaned the whole piece, then tape off the mirror so I could start painting.

For that factory-smooth finish, I used my HomeRight Finish Max paint sprayer to apply the paint. I had the whole thing painted with a flawless finish in less than 20 minutes!

After the paint dried, I added brass under-shelf coat hooks.

Then I used my Arrow electric staple and nail gun to tack those beautifully-wallpapered new backer boards onto the back of the cabinet.

The original wooden knobs were fine, but I opted to replace them with some pretty brass pulls from IKEA. They are so much more chic and coordinate well with the other brass details I added.

I had some remnants of the wallpaper left over, so I cut out some elements and adhered them to the sides of the small, interior drawer. This made a perfect surprise accent.

For some additional flare, I used a gold Chalkola acrylic paint pen to accent the groove on the drawer front. COUPON: get 10% off Chalkola markers on Amazon with code CHALKOLA10

These tiny details make all the difference!

I couldn't stop adding accents of gold, so I used the paint pen again to color a little piece of trim on one of the shelves. This little detail really makes that element stand out so much more.

I love how this piece went from a broken-down, dark brown disaster to this bright and functional piece I can proudly display in my entryway.

This entryway storage cabinet would make a great place to charge a phone, too, so I cut a small hole in the back and ran a cord through it. I added a wireless charging pad, and now it's the perfect drop spot for guests or family members who need a quick charge.

See how cute that little drawer is with the fun accents of gold and wallpaper?

This cabinet is loaded with opportunities for storage. The top shelf works great for a hat, and I added a stray to another shelf to help corral sunglasses, keys, and spare change.

I did add one new shelf on the left, under the coat hanging area, creating a perfect nook for storing a coupl pairs of shoes.

And on the right side, where that door used to be, there's now a cute storage basket that I painted pink to coordinate with the wallpaper.

This is the perfect piece for storing those items that you need as you go in and out of your home. I just love it!

Now, to keep my family from trying to cram all of their things in here!