Sometimes the best makeovers aren’t really makeovers at all. Take this vintage hutch I found. While searching for a substantial piece to place by the front door, I stumbled upon a listing on Facebook Marketplace. It was listed for $140 at an antique/vintage shop in Somerset, PA, and I convinced my husband we needed to travel the 30-plus-minute trip to see it. Before even seeing it in person, I already new it had great bones. Even better, the dealer knocked $20 off the asking price, so this beauty came home with me for just $120.
My first thought when I saw it was definitely leaning toward painting it. Or doing…something. The store owner suggested giving it a good cleaning and using a product he called “Howard Restor-A-Finish”. Since I wasn’t certain which direction I wanted to go, I decided to take his advice and try that first. To my surprise, WOW! No staining, no stripping, no sanding. Just a thorough cleaning, rub on the Restor-A-Finish, and voila!
Don’t get me wrong, I still occasionally think about staining it a rich walnut—and someday I might. But the current wood tone complements the other wood elements in my open-concept living area, so I’m leaving it alone for now. Perhaps a winter project to think about…
Original picture from the antique/vintage dealer’s Marketplace listing. I’m a sucker for cabriole legs. 🙂
Fortunately, it is a two piece hutch so it fit nicely in my little SUV.
After using the Restor-A-Finish, I styled it almost exclusively with items I already had. The only “new items” are the two baskets for $20 total from Gabes, and the faux succulent and wooden farmhouse beads from Kohl’s for $6.99.
A more recent photo – the curtains are different and I painted the front door black, but those are both subjects to blog about another day. 🙂
If you love a bargain furniture find, you might also like my $60 dining table makeover and its three different looks over the years.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share products I have personally used or would recommend.
- Restor-A-Finish is a unique finish-penetrating formula that restores wood finishes while blending out minor scratches, b…
- Available in nine colors to match almost any wood finish tone; Neutral, Maple-Pine, Golden Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany…
- With a simple wipe-on, wipe-off process, most finished wood surfaces that seem to need a complete refinishing job can be…
Leave a Reply