Blog Post #312: Transform Furniture from Dated to Classic

My favorite type of furniture is "dated" furniture. Why you ask? Because I find it all the time at thrift stores for rock bottom prices. And with a small investment of time and money it is easy to transform it into a classic looking piece. This two-piece hutch is just one example. It's a good quality piece, but a little ho-hum.

It's hard to see in the photo above, but the top of the hutch near the crown has a country-style design routed into the wood. Simply painting over the design will help it fade away, but in this case I decided to fill it in with wood filler. I sanded it smooth once the wood filler dried.

Nothing says "classic" more than black, so I painted the exterior of the hutch in Graphite (Jolie Matte Finish Paint brand). To further deepen the color, I sealed the paint with black wax. If applying black wax over a lighter color I always seal it first with clear wax, but I skipped this step because the paint was dark.

Dark colored wax can end up looking blotchy or streaky, especially on large flat areas. To combat an uneven wax finish, use a wax brush to apply and massage the wax onto the surface (using circular motions) and smooth it out (going with the grain) for a consistent color.

 Add more wax as needed until you get an even finish.

Then wipe away the excess wax with a lint free cloth. It will be dry to the touch, but it does take a few weeks to fully cure for everyday use. I wait 24 hours and then re-wipe and buff the wax with a clean cloth.

I used a small chip brush to work the wax into the inside corners of the hutch.

AFTER:

And here is the finished project.

The hutch also features an interior light. I painted the interior Antique White (Jolie brand) and sealed the interior paint with clear wax. I took this photo during the day and you can see the interior is lit up, but at night it looks especially beautiful.

The hutch has lots of room for extra storage and display.

I painted the handles on the doors in Graphite and sealed them with clear wax. It provides a slight contrast against the black wax.

I used one of my handmade signs to stage the china hutch.

I used some of my dishes to stage the interior shelves, but most of my coffee cups were in the dishwasher. So although you don't see it, one of the cups in the photo was full of coffee. Just a little staging trick.

I also used the china hutch as a backdrop to photograph some of the signs I made recently.

Here are a few close ups of the signs.

Handmade wood sign featuring the GPS coordinates of Lebanon, Ohio. This was my husband's favorite sign. Maybe I will make him one for Christmas.

This is my favorite sign. Kind people are the best!

There are so many more to show you, but I'll wrap it up with one last collection of some winter holiday signs:

Thanks for stopping by The Black Sheep Shoppe today.