DIY Hutch Chalk Paint Makeover

Several years ago I saw this hutch on Craig’s List and knew it would be a great versatile piece for my home. I love furniture that can be moved from room to room and serve different purposes. China cabinet one day, school supply cabinet the next, craft cabinet, display case, you know what I mean!

The hutch was in pretty good shape (which is rare for me to purchase something that looks this good) however, I really liked it so I spent a little more than I normally like to pay for used furniture.

The only major issue was a that piece that had broken off on the bottom cabinet. I actually had the broken piece of wood so I could repair it, but it was lost in the move.

I knew I wanted to paint it with Annie Sloan Pure White chalk paint, but it took me almost three years to get to this project!

You can buy Annie Sloan brushes, but I’ve found the bristle brushes by Purdy (that are available online, Home Depot or Lowes) do a great job and they cost significantly less.

Here’s one thing I’ve learned about covering cherry with white paint, the cherry bleeds creating a pinkish hue instead of the pure white. When you are not finishing with a dark wax or a distressed look, this really matters.

I’ve covered a few really dark pieces with chalk paint recently and I’ve decided that using one coat of primer means using less coats of the very expensive chalk paint.

By the time I painted the shelves, I had realized there were coverage issues so I did one coat of primer first.

I prefer using spray paint primer because it is so much faster than painting with a brush, but if you are painting inside I do not recommend it! I love the Kilz primer and it is available at Home Depot and Lowes.

I wish I would have primed this whole piece before I started, but I forgot about the bleed issue. I did end up priming the doors and some of the very visible parts of the cabinet, but not the entire thing.

Thankfully I only have one other piece that is this color that I’m thinking of painting because I do not like priming.

I wanted this cabinet to have a “pop” of color and Annie Sloan didn’t have exactly what I wanted.

I ended up buying sample containers of Florence and Aubusson Blue. We tried several different variations of these two colors, but ended up deciding that a 50/50 mix gave me the deep teal color I had seen on Pinterest.

As a side note, can I just say that I wish I was rich and could buy every sample container of paint and mix colors to find awesome combinations for my furniture? I had SO MUCH FUN finding the right color for my cabinet, it was like kindergarten all over again! 

Also, if you really want to try chalk paint I highly recommend buying one of the sample containers. They are around $13 which is much less than the $50+ quart container. You can actually paint a small piece of furniture like a side table or bedside table with the sample container. Especially if you want to do a small statement piece with a pop of color, the sample size is perfect!

Due to the cherry stain/ laminate this cabinet need FOUR coats of Annie Sloan Pure White. The places I used the primer needed only two.

The back wall needed two coats of the Florence mixed with Aubusson Blue. Although I probably could have gotten away with one coat.

I ended up doing two coats of the clear wax on the majority of the cabinet, but did four coats on the shelves and the places people would be touching frequently.

I bought my wax brush on Amazon for significantly less than I’ve seen elsewhere. This wax brush on Amazon was around $20.

Annie Sloan (or other brand) chalk paint is not cheap, so I try to save where I can when it doesn’t make a difference in quality.

I usually paint or change out the hardware when I redo a piece of furniture, but I loved the handles on this cabinet. They were in perfect condition and looked great with the white.

I can’t believe how much more I love this cabinet. Right now it is in my kitchen, but I might move it to my living room once we finish the office remodel. I really feel like it could go anywhere in the house and I’m excited about the possibilities.

Before/ After. 

I’m addicted (lol) to painted furniture. I know many people love the look of wood, and I do to at times, but I just love how painted furniture looks in my house!

What do you prefer? Painted or natural?