Vintage Hutch Transformation… Our Built-In Bar Cabinet
When renovating our basement kitchen, I knew I wanted to remove the upper cabinets to open the space and make it feel lighter. However, those cabinets provided storage. Knowing we’d use our basement kitchen as a bar, I’d always envisioned some sort of beautiful hutch or attached cabinet that felt seamlessly integrated in the space- but also created a statement focal point. When scrolling Facebook Marketplace, I landed on a vintage hutch. Click through for the transformation of our built-in bar cabinet and a peek behind-the-scenes at the process… it’s a fun one!
If you missed my finished basement bar reveal from earlier in the week, be sure to check it out here: Basement Bar Reveal. We started the project back in October, so it’s a space that came together relatively quickly. We tackled it on a budget, reusing most of what we had, and worked with the existing floor plan. This hutch was another budget-friendly addition to the space.
Facebook Marketplace Find
I paid $200 for the hutch and matching sideboard that sat beneath it. The seller wasn’t willing to split the pair, so I figured we’d find a place for the lower half elsewhere- or sell it later on. Emmett picked them up for me last November and I started planning…
Sketching the Vision
I knew we needed to add height to bring the piece upward to meet the ceiling. Sadly, the pediment was too tall to keep and would have been tricky to integrate as a built-in, so we opted for dentil moulding instead… which would wrap around the piece and connect to our existing crown moulding. That meant we’d have open storage at the bottom of the hutch- something we’d need to build, a riser of sorts.
Deconstruction
Emmett very carefully deconstructed the piece, because we wanted to repurpose as much of the original moulding as possible. In the above image, we were visualizing what size dentil moulding made the most sense.
Reassembly & Building
In the above image, the hutch is upside down… Emmett began by building the riser for the base. This area allowed us to have open storage beneath the hutch, but most importantly- it makes it feel built in, fitting perfectly from countertop to ceiling.
Somehow Emmett was able to match the existing fluted details down the sides of the hutch on the lower section he built, which makes the lower riser feel innate.
I also have to credit him for the idea of adding corbels alongside the reuse of the original rectangular medallions. I was initially unsure, but I love the curves and dimension they add- I’m glad I trusted his vision on that!
Notice the rectangular medallions on the ends of the corbels? He reused those from the original piece, which I thought was really clever!
Antiquing the Mirrored Back
While he was busy building, I was working on the mirrored back. I knew I wanted to antique the mirror for a bit more texture, warmth, and to achieve an aged look or patina. If you missed my easy tutorial on this, check it out here: How to Antique a Mirror with Paint… The Easy Way!
Priming & Painting
Above, he had just applied the primer. As you may or may not know, Emmett works for a local cabinetry & fixture shop… which means he (conveniently) has access to a spray booth. He took the hutch to work to spray it there, for a professional and durable finish… without making a mess here at home.
If you’re interested to see where he works, I actually designed and styled their office four years ago. I’ll link the tours for you: Mapleleaf Offices: Part 1 and Mapleleaf Offices: Part 2.
Next, came paint… he used the same paint we used for the basement cabinetry, recently seen in my post, How to Replace & Upgrade Your Cabinet Doors. It’s Benjamin Moore Advance, in color Grant Beige.
Installation
Do you see our vision beginning to take shape at this point? This hutch is so heavy and hoisting it up onto the countertop for a fourth time was no easy feat. We opted to assemble it in place for that reason.
The last steps were to reattach the mirrored back, doors, hinges, and hardware. After that, Emmett wrapped the hutch in crown moulding, caulked, and I moved along to my favorite part of the process… styling!
Vintage Bar Hutch Styling
I think the original hardware is super charming, so we decided to keep it! However, I did want to move it to a different position, so we ended up filling the existing holes prior to painting, in preparation for the hardware relocation. I didn’t polish it or anything… I can’t believe how gorgeous it looks against the paint. It was meant to stay! We kept the existing hinges, too.
Before & After
What do you think? This was a relatively inexpensive project that was more time consuming than anything. I think it was worth our effort! I feel like this vintage hutch was meant to live in our basement. I’ll link all of the styling sources for you below…
Get the Look: Sources
Click directly on each item below to be redirected.
It’s primarily filled with glassware and cocktail supplies, but I added some decorative pieces as well.
FAQ
Good observation! Initially, the hutch had glass side panels and I thought it would feel more substantial or like an extension of the cabinetry to close those panels with a solid wood piece of wood. The countertop is so busy with beautiful high-contrast veining and the hutch is filled with lots of glassware and small objects, so there’s just a lot going on, visually. I wanted to minimize the noise, so solid side panels made the most sense, giving your eye a place to rest.
All of my glassware is from my shop, Tuesday Made (of course). I bought the Grace glassware collection and the Old Fashioned collection for myself- I have full sets of each and love them! They’re both handblown and recommend hand washing, but I always put them in the dishwasher and haven’t had any break (yet). Do with that as you will!
Interior photoshoot trick for you… remove the glass from doors and frames (if it’s easy) to make shooting a million times easier. Glass is super tricky to capture because the intense glare and reflection. We did keep the original, clear (plain) glass though! We reinstalled it after I took photos. You have no idea how tough this hutch was to capture in photos… in a basement, minimal natural light, with a reflective mirrored back. Oof! It took me multiple days to figure it out and I’m still over here nitpicking my images. There is no way I could have captured it with the glass in place.
Related
Looking for more furniture transformations? We’ve tackled a lot of them over the years. I’ll link some of my favorites for you below….
- Small Coffee Table Makeover
- Demilune Table Makeover
- DIY Wood Pedestal Makeover
- Animal Print Chairs – A Quick Makeover
- DIY Upholstered Bed
- Patio Chair Makeover
- A Bar Cart Furniture Makeover
- Enamel Desk Makeover
- Vintage Tallboy Dresser Update
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one! Do you think the hutch feels like it belongs? Would you have painted it to match the cabinetry? Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below. I’m really proud of this piece and am especially impressed with Emmett’s finishing carpentry work these days. I’ve been bragging to all our friends who come over and see it in person. It really is beautiful and well done.