This weekend I had the privilege to spend a few days with this handsome hutch and bring it from its former drab and overwhelming 70's self into this century. After a whopping 28 hours, the transformation was complete, and is a fresh start for an otherwise stately piece.
T & M wanted their hutch to be a good companion to a new table they had ordered and a good fit in their beautiful and traditional home. After discussing colour schemes and all the other fun details to cover that give me an idea of where to go with a custom piece, we settled on an in-home refinishing process to avoid lugging the over-sized hutch from their home to my shop. It was a mammoth undertaking, but so very worth the end result (in fact, I had fun in the process).
The hutch exterior was cleaned, prepped, shellac'd, primed, and chalk-painted a custom off-white/cream colour, then waxed and glazed to closely match a swatch for T & M's new table. Glazing brought out the hutch's beveled woodwork while also giving the hutch a subtle antiqued feel without being overtly "old" looking. The lovely original fixtures were kept, but big brass fittings in the outermost side panels were ousted by gingerly removing the glass panes and refitting them back into place. The intricate and ornate brass fixtures were finally able to stand out against the cream paint and can now be fully appreciated! The interior colour (after long battles with the ever-changing light sources in the room) was also a custom chalk-paint mix that would be a good fit with the new furnishings and light changes. I tried to make the interior resemble very worn driftwood or suede without being too literal to to give the interior a little extra warmth.
Overall, T & M wanted a classic, warm colour scheme with some contrast between the interior and exterior to showcase their serving ware, and a piece that would be both functional and beautiful. I thoroughly hope they enjoy their new hutch and that they may enjoy it for many years to come!
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Let's look at some before photos first:
Here are the after photos:
Beautiful fixtures pop against the soft cream colour.
Glazing shows off the fine beveled details in the wood.
Finally, to give some scale to this piece: a full-on shot that allows some perspective!
Enjoy, T&M!
To place a custom furniture order or to purchase an existing piece or photography prints, please contact me at sageandbalm@gmail.com and I'll be happy to assist you! You can also follow Sage & Balm on Facebook and at sageandbalm.com.
