Renovation turns your old hutch into an heirloom.
A beautiful hutch serves as the showpiece of your dining room, so it should be as beautiful as the treasures stored inside. If yours looks shabby or out-of-date, consider renovating rather than replacing it. You can return your hutch to its former glory or give it an entirely new look. You can re-stain a wood hutch or one with thick veneer. You'll get better results if you paint a hutch with thin veneer. In the end, you'll have a beautiful, custom piece of furniture and the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself.
Instructions
Prepare the Hutch for Painting or Staining
1. Remove the hardware, including drawer pulls, knobs and door hinges using a screwdriver. Store the hardware in a zip bag for safekeeping. Purchase new knobs and drawer pulls if you'd like to replace the existing ones.
2. Use painter's tape to cover the edges of any glass sections to protect the glass from the paint or stain. Leave all of the wood exposed.
3. Sand the hutch to bare wood if it's made of solid wood or thick veneer and its finish is stain. Begin with a coarse sandpaper to remove scratches and scuffs, then use progressively finer papers to smooth the surface. Dull the finish with fine sandpaper if the hutch is stained and its surfaces are thin veneer. Wipe off the sawdust with a damp cloth.
4. Strip the hutch if it's painted or if the stain has a shellac or polyurethane finish. Apply a paint stripper according to the manufacturer's instructions. Allow the stripper to remain on the furniture for the length of time the manufacturer recommends. The paint or other finish will begin to bubble when it's ready to be scraped away.
5. Scrape off as much as you can with a putty knife. Scrub crevasses that the knife can't reach with a wire brush. Allow the wood to dry.
6. Sand the hutch to remove remaining paint and to smooth the wood's surface. Use fine paper for thin veneer. Begin with coarse paper and progress to fine if the hutch is solid wood or thick veneer and the surface is damaged. Clean the wood surfaces with a damp cloth.
To Stain the Hutch
7. Stain the hutch with a one-step product that combines stain and polyurethane. Use a good-quality, natural-bristle brush. Dip the brush about 1/2 inch into the can of stain, then apply it to the wood in a very thin layer using even strokes that run with the grain. Allow the stain to dry for the length of time the manufacturer recommends.
8. Scuff the surface with steel wool to dull the shine and prepare the finish for a second coat of one-step stain/polyurethane. Wipe off the dust with a damp cloth
9. Apply a second coat of stain. Brush on a thin layer, as with the first coat, working with the grain. Allow the finish to dry and cure for the length of time the manufacturer recommends before you place heavy objects on the surface.
To Paint the Hutch
10. Paint the hutch with an oil-based primer and a latex paint using a good-quality brush. Prime the hutch using light, even strokes that run with the grain. Apply a second coat to obtain even coverage, if necessary. Paint the hutch in the same manner. Brush on thin coats that run with the grain. Allow the paint to dry for the length of time the manufacturer recommends before repainting.
11. Distress your painted cabinet, if desired, by adding stain over the paint. Brush the stain on the hutch, working the stain into the recesses and joints. Let the stain sit for a moment, then wipe it off with a soft, dry cloth. Allow some stain to remain in the joints and recesses. Continue to apply and remove stain until you've achieved the desired result.
12. Apply a topcoat of polyurethane using a good-quality paintbrush, if desired, to protect the painted surface. Brush on a thin coat of polyurethane in the direction of the grain. Allow the polyurethane to dry thoroughly. Scuff the surface with steel wool. Lay an additional coat of polyurethane to even out the finish.
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