A Hutch with History

One of my hobbies is taking something old and turning it into something new.  My Dad & I took old furniture, stripped it down, and finished it again to make all of my dorm furniture for college and I guess that has stuck with me. 

This summer I went to a floral shop that was going out of business and found this hutch - pretty much in pieces and decided to purchase it and make it my own.  I purchased it for $50.00, paid $25.00 for an installer from work to bring it to my home & about $100.00 total for paint, fabric, foam, crown, hardware & a little labor from Dan Savageau to put on some crown and make a base for the bench cushion to be attached to.  I painted the entire piece and then sanded down the corners and shelving to make a rub-through and worn look.  So for just $175.00 - an awesome furniture piece was formed.

The lesson - an accent piece of furniture can make an entire room look completely different and put together.  Also - it does not have to be expensive to look expensive.  A rustic piece like this can be found in stores for much more - but if you spot a piece that has potential at a flea market or garage sale - go for it and create your own accent piece!

The hot colors for accent furniture pieces lately have been:
-Red (a barn red)
-Black (with a distressed look)
-Sage (or any olive tone)
-Navy (try something with a hint of teal to it)
-Mustard (bright yellow paired with grey works great too)
-White (always a thumbs up choice!)

I also see these colors used as accent colors for kitchen islands & built in units!
Oh! And remember my comment regarding easy ways to add pops of color to you home without buying expensive artwork?  In my hutch there are three of my favorite fabric pieces framed in chrome.  A great way to add a hint of color!