Vintage Hutch Makeover

3 Materials
$50
4 Hours
Advanced

This vintage hutch makeover is a great example of how you can transform all kinds of pieces to make them beautiful and functional again.

Can I just say that anytime I come across a vintage/antique hutch, I am happy? There is just something about them.

This one was a steal because it needed so much work, but I really wanted to tackle it and make it amazing again.

{Affiliate links are used in this post. Click on any of the underlined links to find the products I am talking about. You can read my disclosure HERE.}


Supplies Used In This Vintage Hutch Makeover

Inside Paint (Sea Salt)


Outside Paint (Sandbar)


BOSS Primer


Trim Pieces (we had in the garage)


Scrap Wood (we had in the garage)


Hardware


MUD

Let’s start by looking at the back. There were pieces of wood missing or falling apart.

Someone painted the inside of the top, the bottom, and the drawers a hideous blue color.

I love blue but this is not a good shade at all.

The doors had some cracked wood and they didn’t shut all the way.

Someone added some organizational storage to the base of the hutch with particle board. That was the first thing to go.

The boards on the bottom of the hutch itself had some rotten wood so that needed to be fixed as well.

The right side of the piece had a big chunk of the trim missing on the top.

Here is a list of the things this vintage hutch still had going for it:


  • It’s vintage.
  • Had both drawers.
  • Still had the glass to both of the doors.
  • Still had enough intact to make the project possible.
  • The price.
  • It’s vintage. Did I already mention that?

The first thing we had to do was lay the hutch on the table to get a good look at the damage and what we needed to do. We added new (old) boards that we had in our garage to the base.


PRO TIP: I love keeping scrap boards and wood from other projects in the garage. Since this hutch was vintage and made of old wood, I wanted to use older boards as much as possible when we were fixing it.

Once we had the bottom fixed and sturdy, it was time to fix the trim on the top. We removed all the old trim and used new trim in its place. Again, this was something we had in the garage. It was new but I found it at Restore. If we had some old trim, I would have used that on this vintage hutch makeover but since I was going to paint it all, this worked fine.

With the top and the bottom fixed and done, it was time to fill all the holes and cracks with MUD. I have shared this product many times. It is so easy to use on projects like this. I put it on and wait for it to dry. Then, I sand it all down so it is flush with the wood and it is ready for primer and paint.

A vintage hutch can add so much charm and character to a space.

After I gave the entire hutch a good cleaning and scuff-sanding , it was time for primer and paint. I had to start with the inside and cover that hideous shade of blue. I used a “new to me” color from Wise Owl called, “Sea Salt”. It is beautiful. It reminded me of the soft blue colors you find on the ceilings of southern front porches.

Once the inside was painted, it was time to give the outside a coat of BOSS primer. This primer blocks odors, and stains, and stops bleed-through. I love this stuff.

Once the primer dried, it was time to paint the outside!

I chose the color “Sand Bar”. It is one of my favorite paint colors.

Hutches are fun to make over because you can do all kinds of things for them. I don’t always paint the inside of hutches, but this was the perfect candidate because I wanted to cover up the blue shade someone else had painted it. You can see other hutch makeovers I did HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The hutch took two coats of paint to cover it.

Look at how well the new trim looks on top! Like it was always like that!

I didn’t like the 70’s handles that were put on this hutch so I looked in our stash of hardware and chose some black hardware for the drawers and doors.

PRO TIP: Always keep hardware from projects. If you aren’t going to use the hardware that a piece came with, remove it and keep it. You will grow a nice stash of hardware to choose from over time so you aren’t ever having to pay retail for new hardware for your projects.

I am selling this piece. It has been made over to last for years and will be a great addition to any space it ends up in.

Would you have picked up this hutch in the condition we found it?

I hope this vintage hutch makeover inspires you to look at more pieces that may not be perfect but still have tons of potential.


PIN THIS POST!

If you liked this makeover, you will also love these transformations:

DIY Vanity Makeover


Painted Black Dresser Makeover


Blue Painted Dresser Makeover

Resources for this project:
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Lindsay Eidahl
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Heje Heje on Jun 21, 2022

    Was there a problem trying to get the cabinet doors to line up, as in the lower right?

    It is otherwise beautiful.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 10 comments
  • Linda Abate Linda Abate on Jun 12, 2022

    What a transformation, from ugly duckling to beautiful white swan. Love the way you finished this piece with painting the inside a different color and leaving the drawers stained. A job to be very proud of.

  • Lindsay Eidahl Lindsay Eidahl on Jun 13, 2022

    Thank you!

Next