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Whether it’s a thrift store find, or an oldie sitting around your house, just about any piece of furniture can transform with paint!  See the before and after of our painted hutch makeover.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

This painted hutch makeover is less of a tutorial, and more of a before/after inspiration for you.  It was a spur of the moment project and I got just a wee bit anxious to see it transform.

This big ol’ girl had been sitting in our basement storage for 2+ years.  I bought it thrifting long ago and knew some day she could be beautiful, but the poor thing got buried under other to-do’s.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

Finally, my hubs threatened to send it back to the thrift store from whence she came, and I said “no, no, no . . . let me have at her!”

Off to the nearest home improvement store I went (which happened to be a local ACE hardware store), and I grabbed a new kind of paint I had yet to try.

Another stunning transformation with the help of paint!

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

The paint I used is from Amy Howard at Home and it is called “One Step paint”.  Have you ever used it?  It said no standing or stripping needed, so I didn’t do a thing before I slapped the paint on, other than ask the hubs to put some beadboard onto the backing.

*This is not a sponsored post.  Just sharing my results from trying a new paint.  🙂

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

This paint dries to a chalky finish, and this water based paint did a wonderful job with coverage in 2-3 coats.

I used the color “Linen”, which is a nice warm white or you might call it a very light brown.  I finished it up by trying out some watered down Amy Howard milk paint and white washed the whole thing, followed by rubbing the white paint off with a rag.  I even white washed the brassy hardware to make it a more subtle contrast.

I wanted a very light scuff on this piece, so I sanded the corners and edges lightly.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

Typically, you finish painted pieces with a sealer, but I am really enjoying the very matted look for now.  I did however buy this Amy Howard sealer to give it a try on some chippy paint antique pieces I have.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

It did a beautiful job on this chippy bench I found at an antique store.  It made it feel smoother to the touch, kept a nice matte look, and made it less of a sliver hazard.

Spring Living Room Home Tour and our new vintage blue rug, by TIDBITS.

My styling for the hutch was kept very simple with white thrifted vases and bowls.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

I have 4 kids so I never spend much on breakable decor.  In fact, each vase below was .50 cents or less, and 2 of them I actually spray painted white.  They have served me well for years.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

I’ll be showing you more of my living room refreshed for the Spring season very soon, but this painted hutch is a nice new addition and much needed toy storage.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

Painted Hutch Makeover with Chalk Paint and Milk Paint, by TIDBITS.

What is your favorite paint to use to transform furniture?  I’d love to know!

DIY PAINTED HUTCH MAKEOVER BY TIDBITS

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22 Comments

  1. As a young bride in 1984 I acquired an oak hutch very similar to this one! Seeing your transformation I now regret getting rid of it! But I have other pieces that I can spruce up. Thanks for the inspiration!

  2. It’s funny how scared people are to paint wood furniture. Unless it is old beautiful raw wood, I don’t hesitate! I can make it work so much better with my space by painting. But good luck convincing! You are going to need it 😉

  3. Oh wow!! I rarely comment on things but I have to say that I am in love with this piece , it turned out amazing!! what a great job well done…

  4. I had to laugh over Mr TIDBITS wanting to take that furniture back to the thrift store. Years ago I rescued an old rocking chair and a round side table that had been in my Grandmother’s abandoned house. Both were in a bad state. My husband threatened to burn them! Over my dead body I screamed!! As they were very old, now probably well over 100 years old I got them professionally restored which husband thought was a total waste of money until he found what they were worth! Somehow that changed his mind.
    A while ago I found a drawer unit on the side of the road for free. Wood, stickers all over it, handles missing but a solid piece. I sanded the drawers, polished them and now intend to paint the other parts. It’s new home will be in the bedroom.
    Love your blog. I too am loath to dismiss an unloved piece.

    1. I couldn’t hardly blame him, I had let it sit for so long. I think he knew the threat would make me do something about it 😉 . I love that you’ve seen the beauty in so many unwanted items. I think it is a gift 😉 . So glad you could come by and thank you for the sweet words!

  5. The transformation is so soft and cheery. Love the color. Can’t go wrong with white. And the knobs are perfect. I love how you’re not afraid to tackle large projects like that. I’m more of an uh, no thanks kinda girl. You inspire me!

    1. I almost let it intimidate me! It was a beast! I had to slap on a quick strip to convince myself there was no going back now 😉 . Thanks for stopping by!

  6. Amazing what a coat of paint can do – so glad hubby didn’t take it back to the store. It looks great, the sort of thing I love to do too.

    1. Thank you Sandra! I’m glad he didn’t either, though I was about to be rid of it too because of how long it had sat. So glad I took the painted plunge!

  7. Cami,
    I love the transformation! I have used Amy Howard Linen and loved it. Can you tell me the color on the wall behind your hutch? It is so pretty and calming. Is it the same color of your kitchen and/or bedroom? Keep giving us inspiration….you are very talented!
    Mary

  8. Yes, they are everywhere! I actually haven’t tried ASCP yet, but I’m making my way through them. I’ve also made my own chalk paint several times and it does the job! Less is more is a lesson I continue to learn over and over. There is always something laying around that I could probably do without. Have a great day too Cecilia! Hugs back at ya!

  9. That is just wonderful! I, too, have so many of those oak pieces and have always hesitated to paint over beautiful wood — you may have inspired me to try it! Thanks!

    1. It’s sometimes painful to paint over the wood, but I have yet to regret it once that paint is on! Hope you give it a try and thanks for coming by Susan!

  10. I’m so glad you were able to make it work for your home–much better served there than in the basement covered in “stuff”. 🙂 It looks like a heavy duty, sturdy piece, unlike a lot of furniture, so it will do well for you for years and most likely hold up to kids using it. It looks really great in your living room, and I can see why you didn’t want it there in all it’s natural wood glory when everything around it would be generally white . . . . . . your work paid off and it seems a natural addition to your home.

    I don’t have a favorite paint, but I also rarely paint anything, especially not solid wood furniture, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. I can see all your white and painted furniture and enjoy the collective result (your home and style are beautiful), but I am so drawn to the beautiful brown finish of wood that I don’t enjoy painted wood around me in my home 24/7. So I’ve learned to work towards slowly acquiring the more beautiful wood pieces (usually really old ones with such gorgeous natural wood grain and details that they are art in and of themselves) that I love and I’m happier. I must be an old soul to be drawn to the old craftsmanship and styles and altho I can see others’ style and say it looks good and pleasant, I would rather see and feel the beautiful wood. I still enjoy all your posts, even tho I don’t implement a farmhouse style or any painted wood . . . . . but most of the decor blogs are about refinishing with paint or else modern decor/furniture. I think the painting craze comes from making things great to fit your style that you can afford. Most easily affordable furniture is in the box of pressed wood pieces you put together at home–the solid furniture is hard to shell out for. This hutch is very serviceable but didn’t fit with the atmosphere you’ve worked so hard to create–until you added the paint. I’m kinda jealous of people like you who can slap on some paint and make some odd pieces of different styles work together . . . . . I’m afraid my preferred tastes greatly narrow my choices and make it really difficult to find pieces I love, and they are rarely inexpensive OR easily found on the curb, garage sale or thrift stores–or even in my part of the country. Maybe I was born in the wrong time! ha ha . . . . It will most likely take me a few more decades to “curate” my home to a more finished state that you’ve already accomplished at such a young age. Perhaps now you’ll look at your tastes/loves as a real blessing–sometimes I feel mine is a curse (altho the difficulty and challenges I have make it all that more rewarding when I can make it happen or come together!) I do love that you can make your home beautiful and functional and show us rather than just give us sources (sponsored or not) that are unrealistic for our financial means, Maybe I can’t find your exact vintage accessory piece I love, but I can still find secondhand things that can work for my style or try to DIY something or whatever and apply your ideas instead of being overwhelmed that your amazing room makeover only looks great because you were able to spend (or given a large portion from sponsors) $3000 or some outrageous amount. That’s unrealistic for most people. Thanks for showing us beautiful pictures and examples that can inspire and encourage us to do the same for our style and normal financial means. (And, your personality is so fun, that it’s enjoyable to “get to know you” thru your writing and sharing). I rarely leave comments, but I’ve been following along with you for a long time, when I’ve dropped lots of other blogs–so you must be doing something right! 🙂

    1. Jennifer, Jennifer. Your comment almost brought me to tears and filled my heart with such gratitude to have you follow along and take the time to leave that comment for me. It was so insightful and thought provoking, it should be a blog post!! I actually 100% agree with you about natural raw wood in all its beauty. My hubs is a lover of raw wood as well and I try to incorporate it but do find a hard time with getting affordable pieces that will give me that raw wood look. Yes, the affordable ones are pressed wood, laminate or other highly varnished pieces. I actually tried to sand a corner of this piece first to see if I could pull it back to raw wood and have it look good, but I knew instantly it wouldn’t work. But old raw wood with white dishes on display – be still my heart! But how grateful I am that I could take the cost of some paint to completely fit this piece with my home, and I agree with you completely. It takes time and work to curate a home, and it just so happens that the painted furniture fits my style and budget . . .or my budget created my style. Hmmm? Being a blogger, it is always a blessing to get sponsored work and have the help to pull together a space, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help my family in that way. But I started this blog long ago with next to nothing to work with and the desire to inspire others to DIY and create surroundings they love no matter their situation is my foundation. What you said about encouraging others meant so much to me and fueled my fire once again. Your words spoke to the core of my purpose here and I can’t thank you enough for reminding me of that. Wish you a lovely day and thank you for making mine wonderful!!! Hugs!

    2. Jennifer, what a wonderful connect. I it totally resonated with me. How beautiful that thuou put so much thought it was into it. I like you, love woodtone, but also love white painted pieces. I have my mom’s beautiful pine hutch that is now 75 years old, that I could never imagine painting Ann’s have had possession of for 45 years and for the first time I’m finally enjoying the function it is giving me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment