Pages

Friday, May 14, 2010

Our “New” Hutch!!

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I was busy painting last weekend.  This week we finally finished this project.

Last fall we went to an estate sale of an old gentleman that passed away.  He was a carpenter and had a few pieces that were left.  We scooped up this hutch for $50.

beginning

Then it sat in our garage until Christmas.  Then we had company help Adam move it into the basement so I could work on it during the winter.  It sat there for another month.

hutch-prep

In late January, we finally pulled the cabinet apart.  The bottom panes of glass were cracked, so we (Adam) pulled them out.  I decided that this was a great first use of bead board in my house.  So Adam used his mad skills and created these beautiful doors!

We sanded some of it down.  Then it sat.  Until April when we had company to help Adam carry the hutch back to the garage where I could work on it in the spring.  It sat there another month.

Finally, last weekend, I decided enough was enough.  My house was a mess and there were mountains of laundry.  But this hutch was going to be finished!

I started to finish sanding.  Then realized I HATE sanding.  I was ready to quietly move this hutch back into the corner and pray that the sanding fairies would come some day.  Not that I am calling my husband a fairy, but let’s just say that the hutch was magically sanded an hour later. :)

painting

Then I started painting and realized that painting furniture is exponentially more difficult than painting a wall.  I really am glad that it took three coats.  Each coat was different: roller only, brush only, then roller with dry brush on top.  Is is the best painting job ever?  Nope.  But as long as you sand a few inches away, it look pretty darn good.

assembly1

When it was almost dry, (I only claim to be patient with kids, not paint) we moved it back into the house.  I filled it up and then we started to hang the doors.  I don’t know what possessed us to think this was a good idea.  The door was so heavy that it was hard to hold still and the hinges scratch up the sides.  So we unloaded the hutch and did it the right way.  Well, I unloaded, Adam put the doors on.  (Apparently hand-made pieces tend not to be square and make it really difficult to hang a door so that it doesn’t look crooked.)

Wednesday evening we finally finished, but it was dark, and I was gone all day yesterday, so here, finally, are some pictures…

View from the kitchen:

view

close-up

open

And the comparison:

comparison1

I love it SOOO much!  I’ve been reading magazines and blogs for two years now, drooling over white furniture.  But there was always a part of me that wasn’t sure if I’d actually like it in my house.  After this project, I know this is what I want my house to look like.  We can’t do everything right now, but I know we’re on the right track.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I love it!! You guys did an amazing job!

Where was all your china before?

Tina said...

I want one too! It looks great and soooo much better. You are so crafty.

TRUNNELL NEWS said...

It turned out so nice and compliments your kitchen so well!!!! We have hutch in our kitchen that I refinished too several years ago. You and I have something in common. I HATE sanding too!!!!

Unknown said...

this turned out great!! it was always meant to be in your house!