$7.50 Thrift Store Find - Hutch Top Makeover

wanted to share my latest flip with you! I was browsing at my local thrift store a couple a weeks ago. I came across a hutch top, and an entertainment center that was not all wood. They were both priced at $14.99 each. I decided to give it a week or two, because I knew they would reduce the price. Glad I waited it out. The reduced price was $7.50, and of course I could not pass it up!

I already had an idea brewing in my head as we drove home with it in the back of the truck. I wanted to make a farmhouse shelf. The top was in awesome shape. I did realize from the very beginning that the leaf decor on the top had to to go! It wasn’t giving off that farmhouse vibe! But that can be fixed with wood filler.

Of course, like all the other hutch tops I have repurposed, I decided to flip it upside down so that the molding would be on the bottom. Since this was going to be a shelving unit, I did not add furniture legs. Here is the shelf turned upside down, with the new bottom shelf added. See how it flows better flipped upside down?

My husband constructed a new wood top and bottom shelf. The bottom was some sort of cardboard, which was originally the top before being flipped, so it did not serve a purpose. I knew it needed a sturdy wood shelf.

He constructed the top from 2×4’s cut down and trimmed it out with smaller pieces. I then stained it with Rust-Oleum’s Special Walnut.

I gave everything a light sanding, and then cleaned with TSP cleaner. I chose to use Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint in Charcoal. I knew the red tint of the wood would pop if painted black and distressed. I gave the shelf two coats, allowing a 24-hour drying period in between coats. Here is the cabinet with two coats of Charcoal inside and out.

The back of the hutch top was in excellent condition! I liked the “beadboard” look it had! I painted it with two coats of Charcoal as well, and heavily distressed it. I then heavily distressed the rest of the shelf.