Paris Grey Hutch Makeover
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It's been a while since I shared a client piece on here, but I had to share the latest client piece I finished. This thing is massive and was in such rough shape when I got it. I just love the way it turned out!
This hutch had been in a storage unit for some time and smelled pretty funky, so I started off by sealing the entire piece in Zinsser Shellac. This product along with neutralizing smells helps seal water stains and bleed through. It is always a great idea to coat a piece in Shellac if you don't know its history. I took an old sock and applied it over the entire piece before painting.
Originally, we had decided to rip out the mirrors and replace them with beadboard like on my personal hutch makeover. Once I ripped out the mirror, I realized the paneling on the hutch was real wood! It was in such good condition, so I could not bring myself to replace it. In the end, I think the beadboard backing would have detracted from the simplicity of this piece. This was a huge win.
My client selected Annie Sloan Paris Grey for this piece which is a great choice for staying neutral without doing white. Exciting side note, you can know buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on Amazon!
And for the top, she wanted a two toned look so I used my new go to stain General Finishes Java Gel Stain. The veneer on this top was pretty thin, so I used the stain right on top of the finished wood. This is a technique exclusive to gel stain. It is so pigmented you can use it right on top of finished wood. It definitely has a learning curve, but it has a huge payoff. I'm going to make a video on this technique soon for my YouTube channel, so make sure to subscribe if you want to see it.
My client's husband had some wood working skills, so he cut a shelf to replace the glass one in the hutch. You can see it in the pic above. I stained it with the Java Gel to match the top of the sideboard. I applied General Finishes Gel Topcoat to seal both pieces. Check out these awesome videos the folks at General Finishes put together to show you how to use these products. There is one for gel stain over an existing finish and one for applying gel topcoat (go to the 5 minute mark to see the portion on topcoat).
To add a touch of masculinity, we decided to replace the old hardware with antiqued cup pulls and knobs. This is more costly and in this case I had to drill new holes for the cup pulls, but it gives the piece a whole new look if you are up for the cost. I purchased the hardware from Menards for around $70, but you could also buy it on Amazon. The pulls are from Hickory Hardware, the Williamsburg Cub Cabinet Pull and the Cottage Cabinet Knob in dark antique copper. Click on the pictures below to see their specifications or to purchase them on Amazon.
The original hardware was not a standard 3" size. I run into this a lot with older pieces. Since I was using a cup pull there was no need to fill in the existing holes. I drilled new ones to fit the 3" cup pulls, and they covered the old holes. If you are drilling new holes, I highly suggest getting a cabinet mounting kit. It will make measuring so much easier! I finished this piece off with some light distressing. Then I sealed the entire piece with Annie Sloan Clear Wax. Then I used a light application of Annie Sloan Dark Wax around my distressed areas.
My client also decided she wanted to keep the glass in the cabinet doors. So I had to tape them off and spray paint the brass etching with some Rust-oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint Metallic. This is my go to paint for getting a metal finish on hardware/metal. I used the color Burnished Amber.
I forgot to take pictures of this, but it is the same technique I used in a sideboard makeover if you need more details. Here is the finished door.
I had to crank through this pretty quickly because my client was relocating to China and had to start getting her stuff in shipping crates. I loved the way this turned out, and I am excited to know she will have a piece of cozy, farmhouse style in her home all the way in China!
If you need more step by step instructions on working with Chalk Paint. Check out my YouTube Channel to see all my tutorials. I am hoping to really ramp up my channel this year. Let me know what you want to see.