This DIYer's Transformation Turns An Old Hutch Into A Beautiful, Modern Cabinet

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If you love the quality of vintage furniture but your style leans more modern, you're likely looking for tips to help you successfully flip vintage furniture. Transforming a thrifted hutch can seem complicated — it's a huge piece of furniture, after all. But you can do it in just a few key steps. Enumclaw-based furniture restorer Remy Bradley, known as @remyrestores on TikTok, created an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to create the curio cabinet of your dreams. You remove any ornate details, cut the edges straight, paint the cabinet black, and add some mid-century modern legs. If you don't already have a hutch to renovate, hit the thrift stores and estate sales or peruse Facebook Marketplace.

Not everyone agrees that Bradley's approach to restoring this vintage piece was correct. As one commenter writes on her TikTok post: "Respectfully, I think that people who like modern things should just stick to modern things and leave antique beautiful relics that are really hard to come by alone." Another respondent stated that the piece was ruined after the modern makeover. However, this doesn't mean you should forget this tutorial if it resonates with you. Think of it more as proof that furniture flips should satisfy personal taste, rather than adhering to trends or nostalgia. When it comes to refurbishing wooden furniture, here's what you will need: a saw, an electric sander, furniture primer, acrylic enamel paint, and a drill. Also get some simple wood trim for the top of the hutch and a set of four mid-century style legs, like Fivepears 16-Inch Heavy-Duty Matte Black Metal Tapered Legs.

Ready to get started on this creative way you can repurpose your old furniture? First, the restorer, Remy Bradley, removed the decorative metal embellishments and the ornate trim. Bradley cut the edges of the hutch straight to give the piece of furniture a more modern look. Then, she sanded all of the surfaces before applying paint primer. Once everything is primed, you can use two coats of a jet black enamel indoor paint, like Rust-Oleum Ultra Matte Black Acrylic Enamel Spray Paint. Finally, attach the legs and trim you selected when gathering your materials for this DIY. This will result in a clean, contemporary curio cabinet that is versatile and visually striking.

@remyrestores

Some hutches can be updated, but some need to be upcycled! This was a two piece hutch that I knew had potential to be two beautiful separate pieces. But I want to know.. should I have kept them as complete hutch? Or do you like how I separated them?

♬ A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey

If you like the idea of reimagining a vintage storage piece, but you aren't sold on a all-black contemporary cabinet, there are tons of ways to modify this DIY. For example, forgo the paint altogether and try sanding and staining the piece for a natural wood finish. Choose Boncart Water-Based Non-Toxic Wood Stain in Teak for sleek yet warm vintage Scandi vibes. Another option is to select shorter, flashier furniture legs, like these Swtool Gold Metal Furniture Legs. Once you find your hutch, take some time to solidify the vision for your transformation before hitting it with a sander or saw.