Hutch Made Modern

Happy 2014 Everyone!  How is the resolution making process going for you?  Did you wake up this morning super refreshed and ready to start your year long trek of doing something that's typically against your nature?  Maybe you woke up with a two day hangover?  This is why our home tries to have several resolutions... one is bound to work out for the year, right?  So far we are starting off on the right foot with another DIY blog post!  Fist pumps!

A few years ago I ventured into a consignment shop on Broadway during my lunch break.  Sitting in the corner of ReFashion Consignments was the sickest looking hutch I have ever seen.  I'd been checking out what would be considered "home staples" online around this time, and by golly this was on the list!  With a price tag of 75 bucks you just couldn't go wrong!  Ya couldn't!

As excited as I initially was about this piece, me and the hubs had a very traumatic evening trying to get this P.O.S home.  It all started with snow and a manual truck with a backwards clutch.  I would have almost been okay leaving it on the side of the road.

The biggest mistake was picking this up during rush hour traffic on Broadway in a truck that stalls at intersections, during a snowstorm.  Recipe for disaster?  Yep.  The next mistake was the fact that we are relatively average-sized people.  The sales lady was insistent about the 200 pound hutch being a solid piece.  Shit.  She also made it clear that we needed to carry it out by ourselves.  Shittier.  It took us 15 minutes to move it five feet.  We still had 30 feet to go.  I couldn't help but look pitifully into the eyes of the shoppers who were all thinking the same thing... "sucks to be you."  One guy couldn't take our pain anymore and decided to help us out.  (Wherever you are, seriously, thank you)  He and Shane managed to get the piece loaded into the bed of the truck.  As soon as we laid it down in the bed, the piece broke!  It split in two!!!  Or so we thought.  Turns out it WAS NOT a solid piece in the first place.  Needless to say, unloading was a tad easier than loading.

Once the two pieces were safe in the kitchen, it was time to get crackin':

Step 1:  The finish of the wood was a shiny veneer.  The veneer had little to no wear on it, but it was fugly and had to go.  When you are working with a surface that has any sort of sheen to it, it is best to lightly sand the piece with 100 grit sandpaper.  Give it a good wipe down once you are finished so you aren't getting debris mixed in your paint.

Step 2:  Use an oil based primer, like Zinseer Smart Prime, on your piece.  You can pick this up at any local hardware store.  When you are painting it, there will be some spots that are thicker with paint than others.  No worries though.  Just as long at the surface is covered, that is all that matters.  You can use either a paint brush or a foam roller.  Because this is only primer, using a foam roller for larger flat surfaces will cut your time in half.  You can use the paint brush to cover areas with moulding or fine details.  **Tip:  You really want to avoid globbing the paint on.  This causes drip marks and even worse, frustration and abandonment.  Two thin coats will take less time than one thick coat and additional sanding.

Step 3:  Go to your favorite paint store and pick up a latex paint base in a semi gloss finish to complete your look.  In this case I picked up White Dove by Benjamin Moore.  If this is your first major painting piece, you can stick with your foam roller.  Keep in mind that multiple thin coats are best.  If you are a little bit more advanced with your painting skills, you can use a small brush and apply light brush strokes.  The more coats you do, the less your brush strokes will show up.  Two coats is passable, three is exceptional.  (Note:  Even if you are using a 2 in 1 primer, you may still get chips in your paint.  Always use a primer before your actual paint color no matter what.  Just do it.)


               (White Dove by Benjamin Moore)

Step 4 (Going the extra mile):  Once you feel good about how the color turned out, you can either leave the piece as is or you can add a couple of years to it.  This is never a bad idea if you have kids who like to color on furniture, or if your furniture piece will be in a high traffic area.  Use a brush to apply a clear water-based poly and cover your piece from head to toe.  I like to use Minwax Water-Based Poly in Clear Gloss.  This will give it a nice sheen and better yet, a chip free and easy wipeable surface!  Score!

Step 5:  Let your piece dry.  If you have glass windows on your hutch, like I did, or another piece of furniture you are working on, you can use this time to easily clean up the glass.  Lightly scrape it with a plastic blade or putty knife.  To avoid this step all together, make sure you tape off your glass before you start painting.  Windex also does wonders getting that extra paint off.

Wa-la!



Circa 2012.  There has been some changes with this piece since 2012.  Another post to come on these particular ch-ch-changes.  It served its purpose for how it looked then, but I have to tell ya, it still looks a hellavalot better then it's initial brown stained surface.

Total project cost: $90.00 with tax

Happy painting, folks!