Hutch Makeover

It's been a long time since I've posted a furniture makeover -- but I finally have one to share! It's a very simple project, but it took me almost a decade to complete it. :)

We inherited this hutch (it has a top too) from my mother-in-law when my husband's dear grandmother passed away. While we lived in Kansas City, we didn't have the room to use it in our home, so we kept it in our basement in storage. Once we moved into a larger space, I always had visions of transforming the bottom half into a TV stand/storage cabinet. After a few stops and starts over the last few years, I finally got it finished.

Isn't it lovely? And it was so easy to do. I took the doors off the front and filled in the holes with wood putty -- then sanded those down smooth. I took the hardware off the drawers and cleaned them and spray-painted them in my favorite color -- Oil-Rubbed Bronze!

Then it was time to paint. Again, it couldn't be easier. I was so afraid of this project initially because I thought I would have to strip and sand the finish off the hutch. Instead -- chalk paint to the rescue! It is the best, best paint to use for furniture makeovers. I just cleaned the hutch with a damp cloth, let it dry and started painting. No priming or anything -- just painting with the chalk paint. It covers everything.

I used Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Graphite. I LOVE this color. It's a dark, cool grey with a touch of blue. That first coat is a tough one -- it kind of looks terrible at first, to be honest. Very streaky and kind of makes you panic.

 

(I had painted that first drawer white a long time ago to see how it would look -- after three coats of chalk paint, you can't tell the difference between any of the drawers. It covers awesome!)

After three coats of chalk paint, I rubbed the entire piece and the drawer fronts with furniture wax to seal it. The wax gives the chalk paint a beautiful soft finish that I just love. 24 hours later, and I had a beautiful TV cabinet, ready to go in our family room.

 Before waxing, I used a bit of sandpaper to distress the edges a bit. I love how it turned out.

I also love that I was able to reuse the original hardware. A few coats of the oil-rubbed bronze spray paint and they looked brand new and lovely.

We love how it turned out! I can't wait to get started on my next furniture makeover...

Until next time,
Stay crafty!
Lissa :)