Instead of Keeping This Vintage Pine Hutch Brown, She Painted It Duck Egg Blue
Dark brown covered this solid pine hutch from its wide crown to the cabinet base, with scratches, dents, and worn spots showing years of use.
Kate from Heir and Space found the hutch after a friend heard it had been left on the side of the road in Portland. She brought it to her workshop, repaired damaged areas, and combined paint, stain, open storage, and new hardware rather than using one treatment across the piece.
Brown Pine Covered the Hutch From Top to Bottom
Brown finish connected the crown, open shelving, worktop, drawers, and lower cabinet, while three paneled doors enclosed storage across the base.
Years of use had left scars across the pine, so damaged areas were filled before refinishing, while some marks remained to support the worn farmhouse character of the piece.
Honey Stain Replaced the Dark Finish on the Wood Top
Rather than covering the worktop with paint, she sanded away its old finish and applied a honey-tone stain that brought the knots and grain back into view.
Several coats of sealer protected the surface and gave the exposed pine a smooth finish suited to the large work area.
Three Blue Shades Built the Duck Egg Finish
Three shades of blue created depth across the painted sections, with two coats of custom-mixed duck egg blue forming the final layer before distressing exposed earlier colors along raised details and dark wax sealed the finish.
Buttermilk Paint Covered the Backboard
Custom-mixed buttermilk changed the backboard and interior, creating a pale backdrop behind the three open shelves instead of carrying the blue into every part of the upper section.
White dishes stand out against the new background, while the vertical boards preserve the construction visible behind the display area.
Cup Pulls and Knobs Replaced the Old Hardware
Old drawer pulls came off, with cup pulls added to the wider drawers and round knobs used on the smaller center drawers, introducing two hardware shapes across the storage section.
One cracked lower door also led to a larger change: both outer doors were removed rather than repaired, opening the two compartments for fitted woven baskets while the center door remained.
Duck Egg Blue Replaced Most of the Brown Finish
Finished hutch combines three treatments instead of one continuous surface, with duck egg blue framing a honey-stained worktop and a buttermilk display area above it.
Woven baskets fill the open compartments at each end of the base, leaving the original center cabinet and drawer storage in place while changing how the lower section functions.
Would you keep the honey-stained wood top, or paint it Duck Egg Blue to match the rest of the hutch?