After work yesterday, I decided to really devote some time and elbow grease into getting the china hutch finished - and boy did it pay off! Earlier this week I primed, added two coats of chalk paint and one coat of a wax sealant, but I was growing discouraged not seeing a drastic improvement/change in the overall piece. So rather that utilizing the existing hardware, I decided to make a trip to Lowes and invest in some lovely new knobs, drawer pulls and latches. It certainly did the trick!
Here is the before picture of the Hutch... chipped and faded blue, dingy hardare... but I saw it's potential!
Before I get ahead of myself, let me go through each step I've taken to transform this piece. First off - whenever considering to buy a used piece of furniture, do yourself a favor and ensure the following:
~Is it made of Solid Wood?
Good furniture is made of solid wood, so steer away from partical board and remember pine is the softest in comparision to cherry, maple, oak - so it is more vulnerable to nicks and scratches.
~Are the legs and/or Base study and in good condition?
While you ca use a good wood putty/filler to fix corners, gashes, scratches, etc. - the base and legs of the furniture are the most important areas so be sure they are nice and strong.
~Inspect the hardware, drawers and any other moving parts.
The guides built into drawers that operate the sliding mechanism get a lot of usage over time, so ensure you take the time to open and close the drawers and check out what shape those babies are in. Also consider the existing hardware. Is it too your liking? Is it in your budget to replace? You can always transform hardware with a couple coats of your favorite spray paint - but be sure you are willing to spend the extra trime and money to do so.
So now that you know what to look for, the next question is where to look! My favorite hunting grounds for old furniture steals are craigslist, thirft stores and yard sales. And I was lucky enough to find this hutch on craigslist from a sweet old lady that just wanted it out of her home!
Day One!
I've never used chalk paint before, but with all the current raves on Annie Sloans' chalk paint, I've been itching to try it out myself. The best things about chalk paint are no sanding and no priming... but considering this hutch was a deep blue and I was going to a creamey white, I took no chances. So day one was spent removing all hardware from the hutch, filling in any gashes I disliked with a wood putty composite, and finally applying a coat of white spray paint.
For the wood filler, I used Minwax Stainable Wood Filler. It's affordable and easy to sand down. You can apply it with a putty knife, but I just use my fingers. Note you do want to add a little extra as you will be sanding it down for a smooth finish so keep that in mind when applying. You don't actually want it flush with the current wood grain, and some extra, or as we say in Lousiana "lagniappe"!
I then decided I wasn't too fond of the third cabinet door at the top of the hutch, so I removed the interior hardware, sanded the door frame to ensure a smooth finish and filled in the screw holes from the old door latches. Now, a little patience to allow the wood filler to harden and spray paint to dry...
Day Two!
Since the Annie Sloan chalk paint was a tad to pricey for my taste, I researched online (pinterest, of course!) and learned about some DIY chalk recipes. I came across this adorable link www.classyclutter.net (seriously, go check out these gals Jen & Scarlett and their projects, amazing stuff) and decided to give it a try.
The formula for the chalk paint is as follows:
1 Cup of flax latex paint
1-2 tablespoons of unsanded grout
1 tablespoon of water
I mixed the grout and water to work out the dry clumps, then added the paint and gave it a really thorough stir. After lightly sanding the wood filler down, it was time to begin painting! I applied the homemade chalk paint with a simple paintbrush, nothing fancy. The paint I choose was Valspar Homestead Resort Parlor Taupe. It's a creamy off-white, and was the perfect match to compliment my trim work. And now, a little more patience for the first coat to dry...
Day Three!
Day three was spent applying a second coat, and really ensuring all the corners and odd areas were completely painted. I was able to do this mid-day, and by evening the second coat had dried completely so I began the next step - WAX. I have to admit, I was super nervous about applying a wax as a sealant. I always considered wax super greasy, smelly and not a good sealant to ensure the furniture was protected from any scratches or water marks. I was clueless!!
Check out this great tutorial I located online. It really gave me the push I needed to give wax a try, hope you find it as helpful as I did! http://chalkpaintdivas.com/tag/wax-101/
Staying frugal, I choose to use Johnson paste wax. Many of the do-it-yourselfers I follow use this product and it's been around for years. Warning - smells terrible!! I wore a face mask and had good ventaliation in the area I was applying.
I applied the wax using another simple paint brush. Many use a brush designed specifically for applying wax but they are costly ($30+), but my simple $4 brush from Lowes worked like a charm. Now, the most important thing about applying wax is to ensure you apply it to the entire area, and really try to rub it into the wood. I used a soft rag and buffed the wax out until the extra was removed.
Day Four!
Day four was spent putting on one extra coat of wax, applying the new hardware and covering the interior of the pull out drawers with wallpaper. I decided to apply another coat of wax to be extra safe since the hutch was going to be used as a wine bar in my dinette, and I want to protect the wood and my new paint job as much as possible. Applying the new hardware was relatively easy, but ensure you level out each drawer when placing on the hindges. Those can get a little tricky, especially when using a power drill as I was!
Since I had some leftover blue and gold damask wallpaper from my foyer make-over, I decided to give the drawer interior a touch of glam. Once I had the wallpaper cut and in place, I decided to spray the outside with a aryclic sealant to ensure the paper would preserve longer. And here is it...... Swoooon!
I also decided to leave the hutch in the garage for another day or two, just to ensure the paint and wax have truly sealed and cured. But here is how she's a lookin'....
Stay tuned to my blog for a pic of her sittin' pretty in my dinette!
Enjoy!
kara.michelle
"I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else." ~ Pablo Picasso
Looks great, Kara. Good job!
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