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Goodwill Hutch Makeover- Before & After Inspired by Pinterest

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You know when you find the perfect piece of furniture for your space, the one you’ve been waiting for. 
If you’re like me, and you’ve found it at Goodwill, then it’s usually a diamond in the rough because when you first spot it it’s going to be dirty, broken somewhere, smelly, and past it’s prime having seen better better days long ago. But you know it’s calling to you. It’s meant to be. 
You see past all the broken parts to the potential life it still has. 

 That’s exactly how I felt about this hutch I found. It was sturdy, and the glass on the doors had not been cracked, but that’s about all it had going for it. Oh, that and the fact that it was priced at only $30. At my Goodwill, they love nothing more then to put crazy high prices on things (which irritates me to no end) so I couldn’t believe how cheap this piece was. 
But when you’re a treasure hunter, you know you don’t walk away when you find the piece, at the price you want. 

I’m not going to lie, once I brought her home, I thought maybe I’d gotten in over my head. The drawer was broken, the luan was coming off everywhere, the hinges were loose, and it was so so dirty. Clearly it had been left in garage storage and forgotten. I was beginning to realize why it was only $30. 

 As you can see on my 10 Fabulous Furniture Makeovers Using Chalk Paint post from a while back, I’m not one to quit on a piece of furniture I love.
I already knew chalk paint would be the way to go, but I needed some inspiration from Pinterest as to what colors. I have a Furniture Pinboard that’s full of ideas, and had a general plan in mind of what I wanted for my space. 
Ultimately, I fell in love with this hutch from Start at Home, and chose to do a similar two tone scheme with mine in Annie Sloan’s Old White & Duck Egg Blue. 


First things first, a good cleaning was in order. I wiped it down as best as I could with a damp rag and some soapy water. 
I suppose you should always test a spot first before putting water on it, just in case. 

 Next, I got really fancy and fixed the broken drawer. I used gorilla glue, the biggest can of something I could find in my pantry, and about a million heavy books to weigh it down. I let it sit overnight to dry. 
Hey, work with what you have right? 


Anyway, next, I decided to pull off all the broken luan and sand away until the drawer and cabinet fronts were smooth. 


Two coats of Old White on the outside, and one coat of Duck Egg Blue on the inside were all I had to paint.  




I chalk painted the existing hardware, and replaced the glass cabinet knobs with inexpensive glass knobs from Home Depot. 



There were no lights on the inside of the hutch, and velcro push lights became the solution to that. I attached them to to bottoms of each shelf, and so far they haven’t fallen off yet.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to distress it or let it become distressed naturally, so I decided to wait on waxing it. 
The longer it’s been in my home, the more I like the matte finish of the chalk paint. Normally that’s not the case, but on this piece it works really well. 

At Christmas this became a pretty house for my vintage ornaments and milk glass.
Now, I keep a few of my milk glass pieces and other little specials on display.


It fits perfectly in it’s new home in my space, and I’m very happy I didn’t pass it by that day in Goodwill.
With a little TLC, the hutch as a new lease on life for years to come.

Click HERE for more furniture makeovers I’ve shared here on Just a Little Creativity.
Also, follow my Furniture pin board for hundreds more inspiring pieces.


Follow Molly Wag @Just A Little Creativity’s board Furniture on Pinterest.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth O. says

    The before picture is already great, but when I saw what you did, wow! That looks really awesome! I haven't done this before, but it's inspiring to see other people do it.

  5. Laurie says

    Beautiful Job! Love the transformation. I'll be featuring your project on the next Brag About It link party! I hope you'll join me – party starts Monday at midnight! Thank you for linking up with us!
    ~Laurie

  9. Sandra Crosbie says

    Beautiful job. I'm so glad for you and the piece of furniture that you didn't pass it by.
    I too get really annoyed when charity shops get a little rich with their prices.
    Last year one here in this town had a toddler bed. I was looking for one for my grandson. They wanted more for a used bed. ( good condition) than the store I bought it in NEW.

  10. The Seana Method says

    Wow! I hand idea you could pull the luan off. Such a beautiful remodel of a piece the most people would simply walk by. The lighting really makes it look special:) (visiting from Brag About It)

  12. Mustlovehome says

    Love it!! Your post has been Pinned,Tweeted and shared on Facebook! I'll be featuring it this week on the Friday Favorites Link Party at Mustlovehome.com. Come by the party to see your feature and share what you have been working on this week! The doors open at 7PM every Thursday. Hugs – Christine at Must Love Home

  13. Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods says

    Holy moly ~ you are one brave girl for tackling that fabulous find! The after is AMAZING! The color on the inside is fabulous!

    Pinning and I would love for you to share this on The DIY Collective! We are live now and would love to have you.

  16. Holly @ Woman Tribune says

    Wow, what a transformation! I have found a few pieces of furniture that I absolutely loved at thrift stores. It takes an inspired eye to see what can be made of things others have discarded. You did a phenomenal job with this piece.