This painted maple hutch is one of those pieces that has been sitting around in my work area for a couple of years. I’m finally making my way to the back of the studio and getting some of these pieces completed and sold off to make room for more pieces. The painted maple hutch is a typical 80’s piece of furniture that was a bonus find on my part literally around the corner from my house on “Berkwood Place” in Pelham, Ontario.
I began by removing the wallpaper that was glued on at some point onto the back of the unit. This proved to be a real pain in the butt as the paper and glue were impossible to remove completely. Because of this, I decided to add a stencil to give it texture to move the eye away from the paper and glue I was unable to remove.
I used a generic stencil that I had with a crackle compound for added interest. I measured and mapped out the area for the stencil to give it an even and balanced appearance. I originally wanted to paint the back of the hutch in this green colour but thought it would eliminate much of my buying market.
Contrary to popular belief, people still want to see an all-white surface rather than a contrasting colour for broader versatility and sellability. So I painted the cabinet completely in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint “Original White” which is a 50/50 mix of Pure White and Antique White.
After two coats of the white paint, I finished the painted maple hutch in a good coat of the Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax for added protection and further durability. I then cleaned up all the excess paint around the glass and at the same time removed the outdated criss-cross lines on the back of the glass doors, giving it a more updated look.
To add to the updated look I replaced all the hardware, particularly the dated pulls on the drawers with these great antique bronzed cup pulls.
This piece is super clean and being maple ridiculously heavy. It’s the perfect size for a small eat-in kitchen or dining area.
It measures:
Buffet: 48″W x 17″D x 33″H
Hutch: 46″W x 12″D x 36″H