Learn how a run-of-the-mill hutch becomes a charming farmhouse display cupboard.
Transform a run-of-the-mill hutch into a charming farmhouse display cupboard with a few simple tricks from stylist/designer Nancy Borsodi:
1. To make products pop, adhere striped fabric or patterned scrapbook paper to the back of the hutch. This is easier if you remove the back panel, but it is not necessary. You can staple the fabric directly to the wood, or use double-sided tape or hot glue around the edges of the fabric.
2. Remove the bottom doors of the hutch to reveal open shelves that you can use for more display space. Plus, removing the doors will give your display a more airy look.
3. Reverse the top doors so that the finished sides face out when the doors are open. If the screws for the hinges don’t fit in the previous holes, just drill new holes where necessary to hang the doors.
4. Swap out glass door panels for farm-friendly chicken wire. Measure and cut two pieces of chicken wire, and attach each to the back of the door by pulling it taut and stapling it to the wood.
5. Make your own towel rack on the side of the hutch with a rolling pin and two wood drapery brackets. Measure the length between the handles of your rolling pin and attach the brackets a couple of inches past that width. The rolling-pin handles should rest in the brackets and extend a bit beyond them.
6. Pile plenty of farmhouse-country merchandise on the shelves. Open the drawers to show more products. Hang textiles from the chicken wire with S-hooks and from drawer knobs with ribbon.
7. Add more farmhouse flair by tucking in straw-like excelsior around the merchandise and hanging vintage kitchen utensils from the doors with S-hooks. Tuck in a few more utensils on the shelves.
8. Set a vintage milking stool or a couple of crates in front of the hutch for even more display space.
Farmhouse-themed kitchenware and accessories: Mary Lake-Thompson, 800-279-8352, www.marylakethompson.com.
