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    Home » Furniture » How to Repair And Paint An Old Farmhouse Buffet And Hutch

    How to Repair And Paint An Old Farmhouse Buffet And Hutch

    Modified: Apr 17, 2023 by Kathy Owen
    This post may contain affiliate links

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    How we repaired an old farmhouse buffet and hutch and then gave it a modern makeover with black paint moderately distressed.

    old folk art painted sideboard or buffet and hutch

    I bought the hutch at the Nashville Flea Market in 2013 and it was a mess. It had missing veneer, extra hardware holes, missing hardware, decorative flowers painted all over it, a missing shelf, and a warped back. Is that all you ask? No, but that’s the big stuff.

    I shined it up with hemp oil and it looked pretty good for a while. It’s been in the workshop holding Sofi’s playthings and other junk. I replaced it with a smaller storage piece during my latest workshop purge.

     

     

    wood filler for screw holes in furniture drawers

    I made the decision to paint the hutch black and not sand off the painted designs beforehand. I knew it would take a lot of sanding, and I thought the green paint might be lead-based. I didn't want to take the chance of sanding the paint and getting lead particles in the air. Most paint made before 1977 was lead-based paint and I think this piece was painted before then. 

    So, the JTS and I started working on the green buffet and hutch, getting it ready to paint. There were a number of extra holes in the drawers and I tried to figure out which of the screw holes were the original ones. The others I filled with wood putty.

    glue damaged veneer on furniture

    Some of the veneer was broken off in places and I didn't worry about that. Those areas will look great distressed. I glued and clamped the broken or loose veneer back in place.

    furniture back needs replacing

    The backing on the top of the hutch was peeling and warped, so we replaced it.

    cutting a replacement back for a vintage china cabinet using a Ryobi table saw

    The JTS cut a piece of ¼” Luan to fit the back of the hutch. I can work with most power tools but am a little nervous working the table saw so hubby does it for me. 

    new wood back for old china hutch

    I nailed it in place with my Ryobi brad nailer (my new favorite tool), and it fit perfectly.

    cutting a replacement shelf for a china hutch

    We also cut a shelf to replace the missing shelf. The wood is a recycled tabletop leaf. I got it at my favorite junk shop for $3. I told Mr. Butler I was looking for wood to make a shelf. He suggested the tabletop because it was nice and thick, solid wood, and big enough for the job. The JTS measured and cut it to size. You can't buy wood to make the shelf at the hardware store for $3.

     

    stained and scratched shelves

    The inside of the hutch was a bit stained and dirty. I washed it down with Simple Green.

    clean and renew wood finishes with Howards Feed n Wax

    Next, I used Howard’s Feed n Wax to refresh the wood.

    making repairs on vintage furniture

    When cleaning the shelves in the bottom part of the hutch, I noticed the back had bowed away from the shelf. The JTS used screws to pull the back and shelf together.

    distress black paint

    For the paint, I chose Beyond Paint, and the color is Licorice, a nice rich black. Beyond Paint is a primer, paint, and sealer all in one. I brushed on two coats of paint. I painted the new shelf and new hutch back before attaching them to the hutch. Much easier to paint that way.

    Then I used my battery-powered Ryobi sander to distress the edges, the floral accents, and any detailed areas on the hutch, including the drawers. I wanted some of the flowers and the original green paint to peek through the black paint.

    apply dark wax to painted furniture

    To cover the raw wood and the white streaks caused by sanding the paint, I applied a coat of Howard’s Wax in a walnut color. Dark wax can also be used to age or antique paint as I did with the cedar chest below.....

    How to paint a cedar chest red and antique the paint or make it look old

    Click here for the details on the red iron star chest.

    spray paint wood knobs

    The two drawers and the three cabinet doors called for a combined total of 10 knobs. The easiest and cheapest thing to do was spray paint ten wood knobs of various sizes to use on the hutch. 

    How to make furniture repairs and paint a farmhouse buffet and hutch

    How to make furniture repairs and paint a farmhouse buffet and hutch

     

    Once I screwed all the knobs in place, they looked too shiny. I brushed a bit of FolkArt Home Décor Chalk in black over the knobs. The chalk finish is flat and looks much better than the shiny spray paint.

    distress paint to show prior painted details

    I distressed the black paint just enough to let the painted flowers and a few bits of the green paint peek through the black paint.

    Black Farmhouse Style Hutch painted and distressed

    The overall look is definitely country or farmhouse style. At first, I wasn’t sure about the hutch, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. 

    layered paint on furniture

    One way to layer paint is to re-paint a piece and then distress the paint. You can see bits of green where the black paint is distressed.

    wood knobs spray painted black

    Where the cabinet wood was cracked or separated, sanding the black paint made those areas stand out. It is sometimes better to play up the damaged areas on the furniture. Gives the piece character.

    Paint old furniture black

    I'm in love with the piece now. What about you?

    Black painted cabinet and hutch

    I read all of your comments!  As always, thanks for being here, and have a great day, Kathy

    Kathy Owen
    Website

    Author: Kathy Owen (Petticoat Junktion)
    Kathy is the founder of PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, old hardware, rusty stuff, and thrifty finds into unique home décor. Kathy’s projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Read more about Kathy here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl r Atkinson

      April 21, 2023 at 2:49 pm

      Hi Kathy! It definitely looks better black.they don't make them like that anymore.

      Reply
      • Kathy Owen

        April 21, 2023 at 8:27 pm

        They sure don't. Love the style and the solid wood

    2. Marlene

      April 17, 2023 at 12:10 pm

      It looks better painted black and a wonderful old piece.

      Reply
    3. Lizzy

      April 17, 2023 at 11:14 am

      That's beautiful! Great work. I love the black.

      Reply
    4. Cathy Blount

      April 17, 2023 at 7:01 am

      Absolutely gorgeous!! I wasn't sure about the flowers at first, but I love them! And the black looks amazing!! What a transformation. The older I get, the more I love these old pieces and what they can become with a little love.

      Reply

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    The creator at Petticoat Junktion and I love decorating my home. My decor is an eclectic mix......

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