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ive bought this timber kitchen hutch and I intend to incorporate it across from my kitchen. I’m in two minds with up cycling this piece and not sure if I should paint it white to match the kitchen or leave it natural and vanish the timber.
Im more on the side of varnish the hutch so it stays close to it’s natural beauty.
1. what would be the best approach to prep, Paint stripper or sand?
2. what varnish colour do you think would best complement the hutch considering the colors of the kitchen?
Hello @Tiff1
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about upcycling your kitchen hutch.
If you wish for the hutch to stand out, then staining and varnishing it in a dark colour would be the way to go. But if you're looking only for a light contrast or you want it to blend in then painting it a light colour would be what you would need to do. For myself looking at the hutch and its nice features, I vote painting it a light contrasting colour. I believe that it is unique enough that it will be a nice added feature to your kitchen.
In regards to sanding or chemical stripping both methods will work on your hutch. Chemical stripping is effective, but you would still need to sand the surface as sometimes the stripper does not take all of the varnish off. The stripped chemical residue will need to be disposed of properly.
Sanding on the other hand is a bit tedious and it creates a lot of sanding dust. To make the process go faster and have effective dust control, I propose using an electric sander connected to an Ozito 1250W 12L Stainless Wet And Dry Vacuum. The wet and dry vac will help with the collection of sanding dust.
Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to upcycle a hutch
Here are some discussions regarding upcycling furniture:
- How To Upcycle A Bookcase
- How to upcycle almost anything with paint
- How to upcycle old sideboards into bathroom vanities? by @TaniaP
- Herringbone dressers upcycle by @TaylerMayd
- Upcycled laundry cabinet by @sallie24
- Upcycled timber cabinet by @inspiredbycoast
- Upcycled cabinet using homemade whitewash by @ebonybasten
- Upcycled entertainment unit as mud room by @kirstylowrey
The colour combinations used by our Workshop members are really fantastic. An interesting combination that comes to mind is to paint the hutch in a dark colour, but the doors are left in their natural timber finish. But as I've mentioned please have a good look as there are so many options when it comes to upcycling.
Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on y our project.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
