My latest Project - $115 Hutch

To see my latest DIY projects visit my DIY wesbite BecomingWonderland.com ...

Here is the before. It looks fine. Nothing too terrible, right? Well, photos can fool you. When you looked closer you could see the damage they had done by doing some DIY updating on it 30 years ago on their own, obviously not taking their time or thinking it through. 

This piece is actually a Stanley piece and some similar to this sell on EBAY for $500-$800. BUT they had taken all the original hardware off, {she seemed to think this was a great addition to the piece, no floral hardware is not a great addition to a modern mid century piece}, they also very lazily filled in the old hardware holes, {only on the front of the piece, not inside the drawers or cabinets}, and re-drilled holes for the new hardware...which weren't drilled to exact specifications so the screws were in crooked and partially stripped...

Anyway, I could go on and on... In the end I decided all the value of the piece had been stripped by poor DIY so I was allowed to paint it. I always feel so guilty about wanting to paint a piece if it's real wood, which this is. 

Here are pictures of two of my favorite Pinterest inspirations. 

After taking some opinions from some friends and family members on facebook we came to the decision that a neutral color with a splash of a bright color would be awesome. I couldn't decide which ones on Pinterest I liked best and I'm very indecisive so this helped out a lot. 

Before you start anything the absolute beginning is to clean your piece of furniture. I clean all of my projects with a 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water solution in a spray bottle. For tougher cleaning jobs you can use TSP or a TSP substitute with chemical safe gloves.

Step #1 So, first step was to prime the piece. For this step I used Zinsser 1-2-3 All in one Primer. $9.47/qt to paint I used two different sizes of Purdy brushes #1 2 in. XL- Cub {American made, excellent quality brushes}, #2  2 1/2 in. XL Dale . Also, to get the very clean finish I used a 6" roller with high density foam covers .

This photo was after 2 coats of primer, lightly sanded in some spots to fix a few minor issues.

Step #2 was to start the painting. I used a color I'd found in the Color Studio 2014 Summer Palette swatch found at Lowe's. I have been fascinated by chartreuse for sometime, but never had the guts to use it on anything, yet. So, I googled it and found what it looked like finished. 

The color is Greek Tapenade by Valspar. I bought a qt size Valspar Ultra for $13.98 in Eggshell. The white color I used was from the same swatch called Lincoln White Sash $28.97, I bought this in the gallon because I plan on using it to paint the room as well later. 

The other huge thing about picking this color was defining what color story I wanted to use in the office that I'm redoing which this hutch will call home. And finally, after another opinion panel on facebook, I came to this from my Pinterest board Office. 

Or, at least something similar. :)

So, this is after step #2 was completed. 

Silly me, first thing I did when I got it home was take out the really old horrible staples from the hardboard backing and replaced them with awesome new and very well stapled in nails. Then midway into the project I figured out I needed it off to paint it....UGH. 

Trying to take it off I broke it. So, to replace it I used this Tempered Hardboard for $13.98. The dimensions are more than what I needed, but it was the same price for this {twice as much product, which can be left over from another project, I'm sure I'll have!}. 

Step #3 was to spray paint the hardware. The original hardware was floral print and didn't match the look at all I was going for, so I took another quick trip to Home Depot and picked out a nice Hammered Bronze spray paint $5.76. This was a quick way to update for cheap.

And finally, you can request they cut it to your dimensions at the hardware to save you time and inconvenience. Thankfully I had my dad, so I knew it'd come out right!

Step #4 Paint the hardboard and attach. {Instead of the original brads I used self tapping screws, SO much easier}. 

And Voila!

You may notice the very bottom isn't painted, yet. It needs a little TLC and I haven't gotten that far, wood chips require wood putty, sanding and then painting. 

Notice, if you will, the clearance Target boxes $3.98/ea. They were hiding in my stash and I happily snagged them while cleaning up and organizing...

Notice, also, the beautiful updated hardware. Looks SO much better than floral print.

I forgot to mention I got this piece for $85 on craigslist. Always ask if they'll go down in price because most are willing to to just get rid of it, never hurts to ask! 

Total Cost: 

Hutch: $85

Primer: $9.47 - On hand

Paint, Lincoln White Sash: $28.97 {but I only used maybe 1/10, so $2.89}

Paint, Greek Tapenade: $13.98 {but I only used 1/2, so $6.99}

Spray Paint: $5.76

Hardboard: $13.98 {but I only used 1/2 of the piece, so $6.99}

Purdy Paint brushes: $12.47 + $12.28 - On hand

6" Roller: $2.87 - On hand

High Density Foam Roller Covers: $5.53 

= $113.16 

The nice thing is as my supplies grow my projects will get less and less expensive. I think this all wood piece of furniture was definitely worth the > $115 I spent on it. Now to go organize my office!