2 Furniture Flipping: Kristen’s Hutch

When Kristen sent this furniture flip guinea pig my way, my rehab wheels immediately started cranking. This beast of a hutch spells fun in my book and I couldn’t wait to get started…

First things first, let’s clean this guy up a little by kicking the two upper cabinet doors to the curb, along with the decorative molding resting just below the doors.



A definite piece of cake, but the next step took me a while to nail down…I brewed over a game plan for this guy for a solid week, pulling dozens of  possibilities from the furniture archives tucked away in all corners of my mind. Nothing felt quite right. What’s a home junkie to do when she catches a serious case of creative block?…Turn to Martha, of course! Silly, Cara.

After a quick flip through of the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, an audible sigh followed by a happy dance resulted from page 154. This is it! The inspiration I needed for Kristen’s hutch.

 
I know the angels sang to you as well. A rustically distressed storage option? I’m onboard any day, so let’s get crackin’—no worries, my friends. The aquatic china is not a part of the master plan…

One of my favorite qualities of this piece is how you can catch hints of  wood peeking through the paint. Good news about sticking to a distressed look? No priming involved, so we can jump head first into the fun part.



1. For this piece I wanted the distressed character to take center stage, not the pulls. These unfinished wooden knobs were the perfect fit for this projects since they can be painted, sanded and stained right along with the rest of the hutch.

2. As a base coat for the entire piece, a light creamy neutral gives us a head start on the old world feel we’re looking for.

3. Just like Martha’s photo, a chocolate brown paint on the two drawer fronts and bottom shelf adds interest and helps us visually separate the two functions this piece offers: concealed storage on the bottom and an open area for display on top.

4. Now that we are covered in paint, let’s really have some fun! Grab your sander and stain of your choosing (it looks like Martha’s piece went with a lighter, honey stain) and get creative. Sand to expose a hint of the wood underneath, stain to give the paint an aged look, use paint thinner to add a little wear and tear…the options are endless! There is no “right” way when it comes to distressing furniture, so get your hands dirty and have some fun!