China Hutch ~ Furniture Evolution

One of my favorite pieces I've refinished is a hundred dollar china cabinet from a thrift store in Las Vegas.  

It was my diamond in the rough.  I used an electric sander on the flat surfaces followed by hand sanding, but was only able to hand sand the front.  After removing the dust with a tacky cloth, I painted three coats of semi-gloss white.  Sometimes the secret to brush painting is using an expensive brush and pulling your strokes to the end of the wood (hee hee....that's what she said).  This piece has moved houses three times since I bought it and nicks and dings can be seen in a couple areas where the paint is flaking a bit.  On this particular piece I believe it has added more charm, however to the critical eye it shows that the piece could have used a bit more prep work in the sanding department.

I highlighted the detail work by folding a sand paper to the width of the recessed area and sanding to expose the wood.  I did not finish this with any kind of polyurethane but instead chose to leave the raw wood exposed.

All hardware was removed during the refinishing process and then spray painted with Rust-oleum Hammered aluminum.  Changing the hardware on a piece can make a world of difference, but sometimes all you need is a little Rust-oleum.  This stuff really holds up through the wear and tear that hardware can get. And don't forget the hinges when spray painting.  I love when hinges are visible.  I wish my kitchen cabinets had visible hinges, I think it adds so much charm.