Top of Mid Century Modern Hutch Transformation!

When I saw it on Facebook Marketplace, the seller said that it was one piece, that it wouldn’t come apart. After I showed the pictures to a fellow refinisher, he told me that he was almost certain it was two pieces. I took a drive to see it and after really taking a look, the owner and I determined that it was actually only fastened on either end with velcro strips. After being in place for the last 20-30 years, it seemed that it needed a *little* prodding to come apart – to put it mildly. But it did and it was incredible!

I love repurposing vintage pieces. I took this hutch and made it two separate pieces. The top was made into a modern display cabinet (see how below!) and the bottom refinished into a modern sideboard. Click here to see that makeover!

I had seen a gorgeous makeover by Sara Chen Design. It was definitely my inspiration for this piece.

Click here for a list of basic supplies you’ll need for your chalk paint project and here for the typical steps.

Materials:

Annie Sloan chalk paint (Athenian Black)
Annie Sloan clear wax
Fusion Mineral Paint’s hemp oil
Rust-Oluem’s Paint & Primer in Copper Rose

How I refinished this piece:

When I took this piece apart, I could see the amazing wood that lay beneath. Using my Dewalt orbital saw, I sanded the top, inside two shelves and back side of the doors to bare wood.

There is a small ridge at the back of each shelf where originally plate would have been stood up and displayed. When I sanded this, it was before I received my Surfprep sanding system so getting right to the edges was near impossible. I decided to tape the along that line and leave a little gap along the side edges. These knew that these areas could be easily painted.

I covered the exposed wood with two layers of newspaper and laid the piece on its back before I started painting.

To paint the doors I used this amazing trick I learned from the Vintage Sisters Saskatchewan– playing cards along the edges instead of tape! It made a world of difference for me. No paint along the edges.

The paint was sealed with Annie Sloan clear wax. For tips on waxing, click here.

To enhance that amazing wood grain as well as protect it, I used hemp oil from Fusion Mineral Paint.

The original hinges were spray painted with Rust-Oleum Canada’s Copper Rose to match the new, cone shaped hardware I used on the doors. New 20” hairpin legs from Amazon were installed.