Ugly To Farmhouse
Have you seen those 1980 something oak hutches everywhere? They are almost a dime a dozen. Well, those can be turned ugly to Farmhouse in a jiffy. Find one with good bones. Are drawers in working order? Doors true to shape, not bowing? Top not warped? If not you have found the diamond in the rough.
So some of those well-loved hutches do need some repairs. This hutch was missing glass. But this is the time to evaluate and repair what needs to be done.
Now that you found it! clean it!
Now to clean! Clean scrub and clean some more. There is 20 years of gunk, dust and pledge build up on this piece. I know I know….. no prep! No sanding! Which so many paint companies say. However, your finish will only be as good as your base you are working with.
Paint it!
I use Rethunk Junk by Laura paint. The prep they have formulated is amazing! A few good sprays and wipe! Usually, 2-3 times is enough unless its really really dirty.
So we have done our repairs, the piece is clean and ready to paint, RIGHT? Well…in true farmhouse fashion we are painting white. When painting a dark wood a light color it takes so many coats of paint and possible bleed though ( this is where the tannin’s in the wood show through our paint) And it doesn’t always show up right away. Could be days, weeks or even months later. I always use a blocking primer. This stops the wood from bleeding through and also helps use less paint. Think about it, 4 coats of paint or 3 coats and 1 coat of primer! Saves a little bit of money and big headaches later.
Now !!! Time to paint! Choosing the paint is so important. There are so many different brands out there. I’ve used a few. I used Linen by Rethunk Junk by Laura. It is a resin paint. It applies similar to chalk style however no wax is necessary. You need a good quality brush. Synthetic brushes are good they don’t leave behind bristles. Natural brushes are good but with a heavy hand can leave brush strokes in the paint. Your key with each layer of paint is thin even coats.
So, 1 coat blocking primer, 3 coats linen. Now the fun part. I mixed one 8 oz container dark glaze and one 8 oz container of tuff top in an old pickle jar. Brush it on and wipe it off. It’s really that simple. If it is not dark enough let it dry and do it again. Repeat until you get the look you want.
Next Step, the inside of the hutch top. We removed the back panel and found a white wood distressed contact paper. While the back was off I painted the inside semisweet. Since this is a 2 piece hutch it makes it easier to stain the top. I like the look of the distressed stained top. I used 2 coats of Retique it then a coat of Kona. Let it dry and repeated 4 times.
Now to put it all back together. Hutch doors on top. Put chicken wire where the glass was. New Oil rubbed bronze hardware. The doors and drawers go back on. And I’ve learned the hard way, felt tape goes on the bottom of the hutch top!!! I’ve scratched too many pieces to even take the chance anymore. Every hutch tops get it!
Now the hutch was missing the shelf on the top. We took the measurements to a local glass shop and they cut it to fit. Cost about $20.
So as we put the door back on they were really loose. Here is a trick! Toothpicks! A drop or two of wood glue into the screw holes and break off a piece of toothpick into the hole. Once dry, install the hardware screws. This provides extra bite for the screws, especially in the holes that may be loose or stripped out.
Viola!!!! Ugly to Farmhouse
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