OK ladies, why do we feel like a gigantic china hutch is something we have to cross off the list of must-haves when first furnishing a home?
Maybe a better question is, what do we do with our beloved hutch when we no longer cherish it in a way we once did?
Mine sat in storage and then in the garage for nearly three years.
Then the night before I was planning to put it out for our annual yard sale, I had a bit of panic and decided I just couldn’t sell it.
I decided I would paint it and give it a new life!
Here is my hutch before:
And tada! The After:
I was originally planning to change out the feet, but once I got it painted I decided they could stay Now I just need to paint them.
I love it more than I ever did and to think it sat in storage for almost three years! This was my very first chalk-painted piece. I used Annie Sloan’s Old White, and sealed it with her clear soft wax.
UPDATE:
I did finish painting the feet… and the Fall decor is long gone.
And I still love it!
UPDATE AGAIN:
It’s been a few years since I originally shared this hutch, and it is still going strong in my dining space:
I changed it up a bit by adding this pretty damask paper to the back. See more details HERE.
I also painted this dining room table to match:
Check out how it turned out HERE!
XOXO,
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Teresa says
I love this piece. Just wondering if you sanded it or used chalk paint? I have a couple of these that I loathe, but after seeing yours I’m ready to redo mine 😉
Christy K. James says
Thanks Teresa! This was my first experience with chalk paint!
Zuni says
What a shame if you had gotten rid of this (now) awesome piece that allows you to fill a wall with useful storage and a place to display things that make a house a home! You did a wonderful job on it! I could never part with my china cabinet, and just got up the nerve to remove the doors–so glad I did! I looks great! ~Zuni
karen@somewhatquirky says
Nice job! It looks great. Love the staging.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Karen!
The French Hens Nest says
Christy, I love how your china cabinet turned out! You were going to get rid of it! Whew, that was close!
Love your blog and going to join. Hope you will check us out.
Linda at The French Hens Nest
MrsSW says
That looks wonderful! I too have one of those monstrous pieces of furniture and have been giving a lot of thought to painting it. What prep did you do to yours before applying the paint?
Christy K. James says
I used Annie Sloan chalk paint which requires no sanding or priming. I just wiped it down really well to make sure it was clean and started painting! Good luck with yours:)
MrsSW says
Thank you, Christy – just one more question – has it held up OK?
Christy K. James says
Absolutely! Not sure if you’ve tried chalk paint yet, but you apply a clear wax after painting. It acts as a protective layer much like a varnish. My china cabinet gets a lot of use since I actually use it to store craft papers and supplies and its held up fantastic 🙂
MrsSW says
Great! Thank you very much for the info. Not sure how we’ll manage because the thing really is a monster and too much for us to move. There is also a huge table and six chairs. I already have the fabric to recover the chairs with. It’s going to look fantastic! : )
Christy K. James says
Best of luck to you! I know all your hard work will pay off 🙂
Janet Ormerod says
I am so inspired by your pictures of the hutch and earlier pictures of the chairs. The transformation from the orignal colour to the chalk painted look is amazing. I have stressed over how to change the look of some very good pieces of furniture I have that are too colonial looking and I want something more updated. My husband said to sell the pieces, but I still love the curved lines and the fact that they are well made so after seeing your post I am now considering the challenge of painting the pieces.
Christy K. James says
I was ready to sell my hutch, Janet. It just didn’t match my decor anymore at all, but I’m so glad I decided to paint it. It gave it a whole new life! I think if you’re considering selling your pieces anyway, you have nothing to lose, right? You can change the whole feel with paint! 🙂
Denise Tremaine says
I absolutely love the makeover to your hutch and dining room set. I am wanting to do the same to mine. Can you tell me how many 8oz or 16oz cans it took to complete the project? I don’t even know where to start. Thanks for the inspiration!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Denise! Two quarts should be enough to do the dining table and chairs and hutch. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. It’s about $38 a quart, but goes a long way! You can google her paint to find retailers near you and some great tutorials on how to use it. Good luck with your project! 🙂
Denise Tremaine says
Great, thank you so much…can’t wait to get started! 🙂
Christy K. James says
You’re so welcome. Good luck. 🙂
Monica says
This piece looks wonderful. I have never used the Old White, but you have inspired me to try it.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Monica! I love to mix old white and pure white also. 🙂
Julie B. says
Isn’t it fun to see how your style and abilities have evolved and continue to get better?! God is so good to give us minds that just keep on learnin’! I’ll be working on my TV console some more tonight… I’m using your chalk recipe and it’s working great! I may PM you on FB in a bit…. like right now!
Christy says
Yeah girl, I’ve come a long way, and more importantly, my photography has vastly improved since those early days ha ha! I have learned SO much! Glad you are enjoying looking back through some of my older posts…the china cabinet was my very first chalk paint project and it is still going strong. 🙂
Julie B. says
Yep, when I said ‘abilities’ I was TOTALLY including your photography! You’ve come a long way!
Christy says
Thank you, Julie 🙂