Reader Kami loves the built in 1970′s hutch in her dining room because of its charming details and storage capacity — however, the hutch isn’t jiving with the rest of the room and is in need of refinishing. Kami likes the eclectic mix of 1930s -1970s furniture that came with their house, but isn’t sure how to make all of it work together in this room while also trying to achieve a “cottage feel.”
Kami writes:
Hello Pam!
I came across your site by randomly clicking through blogs that discuss renovating and styling post-WWII houses. When I arrived at your site, I found a wonderful source for information and inspiration!
Here is my story:
My husband and I are teachers and we just purchased our first home. It’s a post WWII cottage that was maintained by the original owners until they passed away. When we bought the house from the owner’s children, we were sure that we wanted to keep the integrity, charm and style of the house. As an added perk, the children threw in nearly all of the 1940s – 1970s furniture. That brings us to the design dilemma.
Included in these bonus pieces is a really cool built-in hutch/buffet. It’s at least nine feet long and has these really cool yellow/green plastic panels. I really like it’s functionality and form. The top of it is brown woodgrain laminate, which is super helpful when you are using the buffet to serve food because once the guests have left, it’s a simple spray and wipe cleanup with no lasting damage to the piece. The only problem is that it is painted with a faux wood grained pattern that is peeling, and has blotches of different paints all over it. The laminate is starting to peel off as well. I don’t mind that it’s brown but that particular shade looks kind of wacky with the super cool table that we received with the house. The table and chairs are in the Hepplewhite style and they are a rich mahogany brown. The walls in the room are a blue grey color, which accents the paintings and the peacock blue curtains.
I’m leaning on painting the hutch, but I have no idea what color I should choose. The panels are yellow green, the table is mahogany, the paintings are blue, the walls are grey and the wood floors are red oak. I really want to try to keep the room in the 1940s-1950s design aesthetic, but leaning towards a cottage style. If you all have any tips, I’d be really grateful.
Sincerely,
KamiP.S. We haven’t added the molding to the room yet, because it is being repaired. It will be painted white when it’s done, though.
Repeat the colors and shapes already in the room
Kami — that’s a tall order. Blending so many styles can be tricky. One trick to use when making an eclectic grouping of decor look less chaotic and more intentional is repetition of colors and shapes.
I know the obvious thought for the built-in might be to paint it white, but before you decide to pull the trigger on the white paint, consider trying to repeat the color of your wood dining table — the deep mahogany — on the built-in.
Rustoleum makes a product called cabinet transformations that Pam has mentioned several times here on the blog before. They have an extensive range of colors available — surely one would match your table — and the cabinet transformations system can be used over laminate. I think making the built-in cabinet match the dining set would help unify the room and balance the darkness of the wood around the room.
Adding a large rug under the table — like this one from Albert & Dash – would help make the space look more finished and add a medium color tone to the room — bridging the gap between light walls and dark wood. We chose this hooked rug style because you said you wanted to evoke a cottage design; you could also use a braided rug.If you are being very budget conscious — shop vintage and at estate sales… Pam says she sees rugs in both these styles — large vintage ones — very inexpensively priced where she lives at estate sales and thrift stores. In reality, the colors in your rug help set the colors for the entire room. Just make sure whatever colors you choose don’t clash with the mahogany — I would probably stick with blues, greens, yellows — which allow the reddish mahogany to stand out — instead of rugs that are predominately red or orange. The mahogany already has a warm red tone — adding too much more red to the room could make it feel too intense.
The pattern in the rug also evokes of the shapes in the yellow plastic panes of the hutch in addition to the decorative grooves on the lower doors and even the shapes of the chairs in the dining set. The cottage blue color we chose of the rug complements the artwork. Painting the small piece of wall between the upper and lower parts of the cabinet the same cottage blue color as the rug would help carry the color around the room as well as provide a high contrast backdrop for the lovely white dishes that Kami has displayed on the hutch — really allowing them to pop.
Instead of keeping the walls light grey, I suggest painting them a pale lemony yellow to echo the yellow plastic door inserts in the hutch and the gold accents around the room. The yellow also brightens up the room, helping to achieve a lighter and more airy cottage feel. Once the white moulding is installed, it will feel much more crisp. To finish off the room — especially if you want to reinforce the cottage feel — you could swap out the peacock blue curtains for fresh and airy looking white curtains. However, the peacock blue curtains would still work with this color scheme if you end up liking the more formal look.
It is possible to successfully blend varying styles and decades together in one room — through the repetition of color and shape — like I’ve done above. Repeating the same colors (mahogany wood tone, white, yellow and cottage blue) evenly throughout the room helps make the room feel cohesive, while the repetition of similar geometric shapes (rug pattern, chair back, hutch doors — even the mirror) adds interest and further unity to the room’s design.
What do you think readers?
What would you suggest to help Kami unify her dining room?
We have a 1950s home and I’m totally going for the cottage style. If you don’t mind compromising the original integrity of the piece I would go for an either solid white on the built-in or a white-wash where you can still see the dark finish around the edges. I would leave the yellow/green glass and then use a yellow or green accent in the room, such as the rug. I would go with a light color for the walls and definitely white trim on the doorway. As for the table that would be a challenge to whitewash as well. Perhaps you are better off using some bright & cheery cushions on the seats and also find a table cloth or runner to place on the table that will help ease some of the darkness of the color in the room and blend the room better. Oh and I would definitely get a new ceiling light that matches your cottage feel. With cottage I always think whites, cool/bright colors and cheer. Good luck!
This is a design dilemma! Do you think the top can be taken off? I think I would take it off and replace the top with some sort simple tile that might compliment the color of the plastic insets. (I bet the tile could go right over the existing top) I would tile the back splash area too. For a built-in look, I then think I would paint the cabinet a color or a white that matches the woodwork. Repeat the color of the tile or the plastic on the doors inside all of the cabinets and the open shelf. I would not keep books in the cabinet. I would use the entire space for dishes and glassware. Interesting serving pieces would look great along with dishes on stands for display. I would replace the hinges and handles with a brass if you decide to keep the light fixture. Although it might be a little crowded, you might try moving the table back more to the center of the room. It looks lopsided now. I would have the fixture moved so it does not need to be hooked to be in place. If the curtains are still in good shape, I think they look nice with the painting. Right now I can’t see the right color for the walls. I think it depends on the colors you use in adjacent rooms. The rug is pretty, but may be more upkeep than you want. An oval braided rug might fill the space better. Check out Capel rugs, they have some pretty braided rug colors. They have an outlet in Raleigh and maybe a few other places. I also have found fabulous deals on rugs at Overstock.com. I would make sure the rug would not show a lot of dirt or wear, since the area looks like it may be a passage way to the living room. Oak floors without a rug is a nice cottage look too.
And..you are very lucky–it is a beautiful space and the furniture is very niice. Also, I would paint the air conditioning vent to match the ceiling.
You could also consider a table runner or table scarf to break of the large expanse of dark wood and add a little more cottage look.
I would either buy laminate or solid surface material to use for the surface of the hutch. That would change the look of the hutch and the feel of the room. Whatever you decide take baby steps-its not fun painting a wood piece and then deciding you don’t like it .
I love the re-done room pic – but lose the shiny brass swagged chandelier. Otherwise it feels very good with the dark wood and the blue, sophisticated while remaining cozy. Love the rug! Needs a rug – but no braided which would be too “country” IMHO.
If it were mine, I would paint the hutch a medium green, a bit deeper than the panels, but light enough to use a dark over glaze to accent the neat detailing, which is kind of lost when there is all that wood tone. I would leave the countertop as it is, or replace it with walnut butcher block or walnut laminate. I might even only paint the doors, and leave it two toned, but I would definately do an over glaze treatment to bring out all the neat joinery and edging. If not medium green, then blue– “colonial”, of course. Either color would fit all decades of that era. You can find color swatches from those eras, and medium greens were popular, as were blues. Reds wouldn’t work with the mahagany. I would not paint it white or cream, it would make the plastic panels look odd. You would have to have other pieces that added up to the same mass also painted white for that to feel balanced. A two toned treatment is very keeping with the era, and would allow the hutch to compliment rather than compete with the table. If I had to replace the countertop, I might consider walnut butcherblock, or walnut laminate. I would go with an oriental carpet, it works with the formality of the room, they just tend to ground everything and pull everything together. That is my two cents. Neat cabinet and table, and congratulations!
Green with a glaze would be very period correct and would go nicely with the plastic insets.
p.s. I also wonder if there would be some way to “beef up” the door frame at the end of the room a bit to balance the large hutch? Yes, and paint the ceiling vent as lynda suggested.
Also, it would be simple to replace the yellow-green glass in the hutch doors with beveled or leaded glass.
Hmmmm…A couple of ideas right off the bat.
First, if that table has leaves (or is it leafs?) in it, remove them and make the table smaller. It’s eating the entire room. Put the extra chairs in the corners or elsewhere in the house. Loose the drapes, find something you love and use that fabric for the windows and recover the chair seats. Personally, I would go with an avocado green or a gold to go with the hutch panels. If you can get enough of it, I would also put the same fabric in the “void” between the top of the hutch and counter. You can stick this up easily with liquid starch.
Rustoleum also has a furniture restore kit, to go along with their other transform kits. It has colors, and some fabulous wood tones, if feel you must paint the hutch. I would replace the counter top, yes, but maybe you should live with the wood tone of the hutch before you do something to it and regret it later.
I’m not an area rug fan, but even if I was, this room has lovely wood floors and is too small for one. Save some money and skip the rug.
I like the buffet, and if it needs new laminate you could replace it with tile, as mentioned (maybe fun 70s tile), possibly something mirrored and plastic (so it wouldn’t chip — the disco buffet!) or if it wouldn’t be too depressing, granite or slate. I don’t like granite, but it is good for hot dishes. I don’t like slate as a countertop, because I’m used to walking on it and it makes me feel unhygenic to put a plate on it. But it might be good in this application.
Hey — what about surfacing the top in cork? Has anyone tried that?
I think that surfacing the buffet in any of the click-n-lock flooring options (cork, wood, stone, etc.) would be an easy and inexpensive solution.
(and since Kami needs only a few square feet, check the local Habitat ReStore!)
With all of the matching trim options like transition strips and stair bullnose, it shouldn’t be too tough to finish the lip of the buffet top.
As much as I hate to destroy the authenticity of that hutch, I believe I would remove the top down to the buffet bottom and hang a large mirror over it. Might make the room look larger and lighter. It seems long enough so that a lamp could be placed on it for some softer, indirect lighting. Also, maybe a mural over the buffet might give a cottage-y, 1940′s feeling to the room.
Wonder if the top of the hutch could be repurposed into something like a headboard?? Or use it as a wall cabinet in another part of the house? Just thinkin’…..
I LOVE the hutch. How about using a piece of clear glass on the counter top and you could slide whatever you like underneath it (maybe as you change your window coverings to reflect the seasonal shift in the weather) also, I agree with using green tones to update the entire hutch, and helping to accent the door panels, along with brass hardware to match the cool light. To add some interest, I might try fabric-covered panels for the back splash, that could be removed, and again, they could match the counter top or contrast…endless possibilities.
Great room overall.
Thanks
Glass could be a great idea with a paper collage or a retro fabric. Neat pictures from the era, or even shots of the family that lived in the house might look good under the glass. There is a way to just use a black and white copier but use a buff colored paper and you get a nice sepia look to the pictures. Even your own family pictures could have an “old” look that way. Maybe just a darker glaze the color of the table would look good on the cabinet and would minimize the dings–that are part of the history of the cabinet.
Great built in, but it does make the room seem long and narrow. I’d love to see it painted the same color as the walls so it sinks in. That would put the emphasis on the beautiful table. You can paint the built-in’s laminate top the same color with the proper paint. It would be just as durable. I think painting the built-in white would retain the long/narrow feel albeit on a lesser note, whereas matching it to the wall color would, especially if the woodwork is white, would make that feeling disappear.
Adding some accessories around the room that echo the plastic panels would knit everthing together nicely. It would be awesome to find a similar/matching plastic panel to make a flat tray for the center of the table. I don’t think I’d do a runner on the built-in, as that would bring back the long narrow thing. I’d do an odd number of separate shapes instead, like three mats that replicate the shape of the elements in the plastic panel, but sized so the top of the built-in shows all the way around them. Taking that a step futher, if you sew, you could make placemats for the table in the same shape.
You are so lucky to have a dining room that big!
I’ve got no advice but just wanted to say that I LOVE that hutch!
You are aiming for “cottage” but your hutch is doing almost everything possible to aim for “Mediterranean,” which was a much more popular style in the era when this house was furnished.
The main problem lies in the green panels’ color, texture and shape, all of which say rustic Mediterranean. See if you can replace them with plain clear glass. (If you don’t want that much visibility for whatever you store there, substitute clear reeded glass in all or some of the upper doors.) This would give you more flexibility with color for the rest of the room and would eliminate an out-of-kilter distraction.
The hardware (especially the lower handles) is also more Mediterranean than cottage. If you do paint the hutch, you could fill screw holes and switch to simple round knobs in ceramic or nickel or gold. Steer clear of black or anything with a hand-hammered texture, which would drag you back toward Mediterranean.
If you can refinish the “wood” surfaces to match the table more closely, great, but the peeling and the laminate make me doubt it’s possible. Paint the “wood” parts in whatever white/off-white color you are using for the molding around the door to the left of the hutch. Especially because it’s built in, the hutch will then recede into the background instead of looming over the room, and your dining table will become the star.
I would recommend finding a wallpaper with matching fabric available, in a tiny country print, not too many colors. Even something basic like a “dotted Swiss” pattern would do, or something resembling an all-over calico print. Use the wallpaper as a “backsplash” (and inside the cabinets if you want), and use the fabric to make curtains or a valance, and a generous supply of napkins or place mats.
I agree & am glad someone else mentioned it. Remove the green glass panels. You can replace with clear glass or even punched tin or chicken wire if you want a country feel.
I love the suggested rug. Wow! I liked the original curtains, not sure they would go with the rug. I like the yellow wall color suggested too. I h*** [edited] the light fixture, would go with one that wasn’t bright brass but then I don’t like bright brass in general. Maybe one that matches the greenish glass in the hutch and the hardware color on the handles. Maybe something like this: http://www.lightingdirect.com/maxim-mx-2774-tuscan-5-light-up-lighting-chandelier-from-the-via-roma-collection/p351076
You could try to just paint the light fixture with a metallic paint. Rustoleum has plenty of choices. You could replace the chain if it is too hard to paint. You might even find chandelier shades for the lights to give the fixture a new look. If it is some fabulous Baldwin Brass fixture or something, you probably should just replace it and sell the old one.
I agree as well. The dining room has a split personality. One side is 70s Mediteranean, the other 1940/50 formal. The hutch is overwhelming the room. I would paint it to match the wall color and replace the green panels with glass.
I agree — I think you could easily repaint the brass light fixture to take it down the Cottage road.
The owner has very nice collection of furniture and objects. I wouldn’t mess with any of the furniture by repainting or making other significant alterations. Restoration, yes. Maybe the furniture needs to be repurposed and to another area of the house? The hutch might work better in the living room or family room, for instance? Lynn’s right about taking out the table leaves to reduce the size of the table. I don’t think the artwork on the corner wall works with this room with this layout. It might work better in another location in the home…perhaps the wall where the hutch is now? The chandelier swag also needs to go.
I think I would paint it. You’d have endless options for color and the built-in could still be a focal point in the room, but wouldn’t be over-powering. It does kind of scream 70′s and I think you could really tone that down with paint. If it were a different wood tone or didn’t have quite so much 70′s specific style to it, I would keep the wood. But in this case, I think it’s going to be hard to mix the style elements without having the 70′s vibe take over. Paint could really change that. I just re-painted my 1950 kitchen cabinets a greenish-blue color and they look even better that I was anticipating (although I have to add, if you paint, I would not recommend a certain brand of paint from Home Depot that’s named after a famous woman…the flat paint is nice but the enamels are weird and very hard to work with!). I love the idea of replacing the laminate with cork or butcher block which you could try to match to the table color. Good luck and have fun! Sounds like you got a great house!
oops, I thought I was replying w/Brian and Nina.
As you can see there are tons of opinions. It really just depends on what your vision is and what your budget will allow. You can decide if you want more of a cottage look with just a nod to the 70′s, or you can decide you want to leave it authentic 70′s. If you really want the 70′s, find a new 70′s dining set with a Mediterranean look on Craigslist. If you want mix and match, paint the hutch so it looks like a built-in original to the house and make the table the star of the room. Maybe a new linen drum shade light fixture and the more contemporary fabrics at the windows and on the chair seats would suit you. Their are lots of ideas out there if you look for them. There truly is no right or wrong way to decorate. It just has to make you happy!
For starters – neither piece of furniture is ever going to say “cottage” so unless you want to start from scratch, I would forget that descriptor. You can’t force them to look “cottage” and if you start painting and disassembling you are going to wind up with something that looks like you tried to mask what it is.
So….Unlike most of the other commenters on here, I would lose the table – it’s too formal and grandmas-house looking for the room and there’s nothing all that special about it – it’s a formal dining room table and it looks like hundreds of other formal dining room tables.
The hutch, on the other hand, is pretty unique and I’d make that the focus of the room
So to start, I’d find a very simple farmhouse/rustic looking table with a vaguely Mediterranean vibe. I would bring in some wrought iron too, to match the handles and trim on the hutch – either chairs or big iron candlesticks with a big rustic/Mediterranean looking bowl on the table. (I’d even try a clear bowl with marbles the same color as the yellow/green panes if you can find them)
Declutter the hutch too – take all that white china off and replace it with wrought iron or something colorful/whimsical. Put the books somewhere else too.
For wall and window, do the walls in a mustardy gold color – more Mediterranean than 70s – which would help the glass to pop and then do either dark red drapes (to keep the room more formal) or French blue (to lighten it up some) Here again, go for a black wrought-irony curtain rod and/or pull-backs
If you go for upholstered chairs or even seat cushions, I’d have those match the mustard and red-or-blue colors. Ditto the new tchotchkes on the hutch.
You need to get rid of the giant picture next to the doorway – it overwhelms the room and fights for attention with the hutch. Just a small print would work (8×10) or my temptation would be to just leave it blank. I’d lose the picture in the foreground too, though you could repurpose the frame as it’s a unique shape
Ditto the floors – the room is too small for an area rug and you don’t want to be tripping on something that blocks what appears to be the natural flow of traffic in front of the hutch.
Lots of potential there and good luck with it.
I really disagree. I think that’s what’s especially special about that table — is that it’s original to the house. So sweet — “super cool” as Kami said. And hey, what’s wrong with “grandmas-house looking” — I love the grandma house look! Several rooms in my house — strive for that look — and accomplish it quite happily!
Finally: Kami asked us ideas for cottage style, so that’s what we aimed for.
Touched a nerve there…
The table might be original to the house, but that’s not a reason to keep it. And nothing you can do to that table and that hutch are going to say “cottage” — at most you’ll get “painted to try and look like cottage”
If she really wants “cottage” the correct answer is “dump both pieces and start from scratch”
I don’t follow your logic Pam: the people Kami bought the house from were not professional decorators. They weren’t even Kami’s grandparents, which might have been a reason to keep the table. Some random old people had a table and hutch that didn’t match, why do you feel Kami is obligates to repeat their mistake? Better to fix the mistake than to perpetuate it.
What’s wrong with “grandma’s house look” is that the hutch is not “grandma’s house look” – it’s Brady Bunch House look. So you’re trying to mix both styles and neither is working.
I stand by my original point: Kami has a very cool and unique hutch in that room. She should use that as a starting point and decorate around it. Why hobble herself by forcing the inclusion of random pieces of furniture the previous owners bought? The key to most artistic success is editing.
I quote Kami:
“…the super cool table that we received with the house.”
She likes the table. She wants to keep the table. That is our starting point.
I don’t agree with the word “mistake” and, certainly not, “random old people.” Yes, you are certainly touching a nerve with that one!
I adore the idea that people are trying to work with existing furnishings that have some longtime connection to their house. I am totally of the cheap and cheerful (and save yer money for real emergencies like your retirement) school and love a challenge to make lovely interior spaces out of hand-me-downs. It’s totally do-able.
All that said, I apologize for not being more diplomatic in response to your first comment. Yet, here I am squabbling again. You may defend your point — and I will try my darndest not to try and have the last word!
Pam, Im laughing but in my case, it’s not Granma’s house it’s more like Mom & Dad’s house. The formal table and chairs are apropriate for the house style. The hutch is not an original feature to when the house was built. But it’s there and if Kami likes it that’s what counts. What a shame the room does not have built in corner cabinets w/glass doors. That would really spell “cottage”
I’d paint the hutch and distress it, remove the plastic panels ( put them over a window with a bad view) and replace with shirred fabric. I’d tile the backsplash and maybe the serving top with blue and white delft, or blue and white French or Portuguese tiles. Change out the knobs. I’d take the lacquer off the chandelier and let it tarnish.
The table and chairs are too nice to permanently muddle and you may change your taste toward more traditional in the future. Why not just put a tablecloth on the table and slipcover the chairs?
Good, practical advice. I had forgotten how sheers were often put in cupboards and in shutters. Blue and white would compliment the color of the dining set. And yes, tastes do change, so the comment about the table is right.
This is a really good idea. I had thought about putting tile over that countertop because it keeps the funtionality, but I’m not sure that it would stick to the peeling laminate. What if I painted the hutch a country cottage blue, and distressed that? I also really liked the idea of using the panels to cover a window with a bad view. Never thought of that.
So many good ideas to choose from!
Hi Kami, I think distressed cottage blue would be lovely. Really — all these ideas and input are just meant to get YOUR head turning as color is so personal. Hey, I was on Rust-Oleum’s Furniture Transformations page yesterday — they have a cottage blue. Not sure if it’s exactly what you want but here you go — http://rustoleumtransformations.com/furniture/colors.php . I also like the idea of Milk Paint colors – at minimum as a guide, cuz they are authentic country cottage! http://www.milkpaint.com/color.html and http://www.milkpaint.com/prod_mp.html
Note: I have a blue distressed TV cabinet … in my basement storage now. Bought it around 1993 when Shabby Chic was all the rage. It’s a classic idea.
If you tile the top, you are going to have to edge the tile. Shouldn’t be too hard — but plan ahead.
Let us know what you decide!
I think if you google laying tile over laminate you will find some answers. You might want to make sure the tile you choose has some sort of finished bullnose tile to put along the front edge. Or, you can have a piece of wood painted to match the cabinet on the edge of the counter. Have fun!
I was just going to write that. The top of the wood edge would be at the height of the finished tile + adhesive, then just “drop” the tiles in the “frame”. I’d be tempted to take all the laminate off the top, but sometimes it can be reattached as easily as using an iron with a towel between that and the surface for protection. The heat reactivates the glue.
A cottage blue/ milkpaint blue/ colonial blue/ country blue would bridge the decades, being popular through all the decades you are covering. You can use eye hooks and dowel rods on the top and bottom to run a fabric panel in a nice small pattern to match. A color will actually make the hutch seem smaller. If you paint it white or match it to the wall, it will be visually unbalanced unless you also have a lot of heavy white mouldings and trims and other white furniture to counterweight it. As it is, you have a mahogany table that is a strong brown piece of one era and a the strong brown piece of another era, and they compete with each other. It’s like they are trying to match, but they don’t. A color will let the two pieces balance/offset each other. It’s like old movies, you don’t have two red heads or two blonds or two brunette actresses in the same scene, and often not in the same movie. Then it only takes smaller bits of color here and there to balance one side of the room with the others. It takes a lot of white to do the same thing, which is hard if you don’t have the space. Also, 70′s Mediterranean isn’t necessarily that far removed from Old English/Medieval styles, popular in waves from 1880′s? up until the very early 50′s. It could work if you are very eclectic about other accessories in the room. I would be very deliberate about mixing it up, so that it isn’t all one era and then the hutch, or a butch of unrelated things whitewashed into one style. Whitewashing can work for the right collection of things, but personally, give me color any day of the week.
Casita = Mediterranean cottage. You don’t have to go all damask and cottage rose and chippy distressed paint.
you are right.
I am with Alan, here. Just because the hutch and the dining room table and chairs came with the house, does not mean that they need to stay together. They are obviously not a set (classic dining room table/70′s mediterranean hutch). They aren’t the same finish, the same scale or the same aesthetic. If the hutch was removed from the dining room, and the table and chairs were centered, then things like reupholstering the seats, and a more cottagey-homey tablecloth (vintage crochet ? embroidered ? Vintage print ?) could set the tone for a more relaxed look. An area rug that coordinates with the upholstery colors, and curtains or a blind that are also more casual could set the tone. I think the hutch OR the dining room table and chair set should go, and be matched with something more sympathetic. Ditto for the light fixture. It is a super pet peeve of mine when I see hanging light fixtures that are not meant to be swag lights hung as such. Either permanently shorten the chain or replace the entire fixture with something that is a more comfortable fit with the hutch OR the table. Same with the angled mirror on the wall, which isn’t really a friend with either of the major pieces. If you are keeping the table and chairs, then I suggest a wall color that suggests that time period, like a slightly grey-ed down chalky pastel. If you are keeping the hutch then choose more vibrant olives, oranges, mustards, and look for a chunkier, more casual dining room set from the same period. Rearranging or changing the furniture/wall color is in no way compromising the original integrity of the house.
The hutch and dining table/chairs are both wonderful, but I do agree with others that maybe they should not be in the same room. Rather than altering either piece, why not move the hutch to another location and then center the dining furniture for a more balanced look?
Kami, bet you’re sorry you asked
I’m going to start by saying that if you ask for advice you get a wide range of opinions. That’s a good thing. I’m also going to say we aren’t obligated to stay within the styles/themes you’ve said you want. Of course you are not obligated to follow any of our advice either.
Now then, Alan is correct about a couple things. One, the hutch is really quite special. You shouldn’t paint it, and you shouldn’t touch those panels. I’m not particularly fond of the ’70s, but if I had that hutch I’d keep it the way it is. Try to get the laminate top repaired. Tile the counter top if you must, but don’t touch the panels and don’t paint it.
If I lived near you I’d come over and show you how to mix stain and varnish to get the color about the same as your table, but I don’t know as I’d advise that as a DIY project. That’s the only “refinishing” I’d even consider on it. Better still, leave it alone.
Alan is also correct that you are swimming upstream going for the cottage look. Is it possible to reconsider that? Sometimes working with what you have requires going with your 2nd or 3rd choice for decorating styles.
Finally Alan is right that the painting beside the doorway should go. You need to emphasize the horizontal on that wall. Or just leave the wall blank.
I disagree with Alan about getting rid of the table. I like Pam’s idea – save your money for something you really need. It’s a nice table and appears to have been well cared for. Keep the perfectly good table that you seem to like. (I like it too).
I’m wondering if a runner in front of the hutch wouldn’t be just as good as a big area rug? Not sure, just a thought.
I’d loose the candelabra light and replace it with a more ’70s style swag lamp. Something with a ceramic body that could be painted. Might be an opportunity for a pop of color.
Do the walls have to be white? I’d think some shade of green might look nice with the mahogany table.
I’d play around with one of the “color viewers” such as Benjamin Moore’s, or SW, or any of the major paint manufacturers. See if an accent color on the window wall would help. I’m thinking something a couple shades lighter than the other 3 walls might make that window wall look farther away, creating some visual space.
Well, that’s not what you asked for, but maybe it will give you some thoughts. You can of course ignore it as irrelevant.
I’m not dismayed at all. I’m actually surprised at the strong differences of opinion. I do understand that all of you are genuinely trying to help me and I’m really grateful for everyone taking the time to do so. What’s great about these suggestions is that it inspires me to come up with a plan that works best for the space based on what’s important to me, and what I feel I can part with. At the end of the day, I have to be pleased with the solution, and I’m glad to have so many voices to give counsel.
Absolutely. You have to like the solution. All we can do is make suggestions.
What about a semi-flush ceiling light in the middle of the room and just use candle light on the table if you need more light. You might even be able to add lighting to the hutch in the cabinets or as a lamp on the counter. Lots of choices and this one at Lowes is not too much money.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_339980-82850-38150_4294857054__?productId=3388944&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=
To further beat a dead horse:
“I adore the idea that people are trying to work with existing furnishings that have some longtime connection to their house. I am totally of the cheap and cheerful (and save yer money for real emergencies like your retirement) school and love a challenge to make lovely interior spaces out of hand-me-downs. It’s totally do-able.”
Until it’s not.
Not everything is doable and while the solutions being offered for the hutch are creative, none of them are going to give Kami something that feels like it belongs with that table and all of them are going to take a lot of time and effort … If cost is your primary criteria, then Kami should sell the hutch on eBay to someone who really wants a 70s hutch (bet there are plenty on this board) and use the proceeds to buy herself a hutch that’s in proportion to the room, matches the table and feels cottage-y.
That’s what editing is all about – sometimes there’s something that’s really well done – a chapter of a book, a riff in a composition, a scene in a movie, a 1970s hutch. But it doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the piece and removing it, while painful to the creator, makes the entire piece a lot stronger.
So while there’s some antiques you look at and immediately see how, with a little TLC and a few tweaks, they can work in a new design, there are others that are always going to stick out and cause disharmony. No matter how many Rustoleum products you throw at them. That’s when you either stick a tablecloth or slipcover on it and figure it might work in some future house, or go hit eBay.
Short answer to Kami’s question of whether there’s anything she can do to that hutch to get it in line with a “cottage-y” room?
There is, but it’s complicated, and time consuming and hence not worth the time you’ll need to spend to get to an end result that’s never going to read as anything better than “mediocre”
Funny thing though, Kami likes the hutch. I like the hutch. It provides a great function. Quite honestly, there is nothing other than the plastic panels that make it read Mediterranean. The lines are much more Colonial or Irish or French country and those aspects can come to the forefront with a few inexpensive tweaks.
But if it’s tweaked it’s no longer a ’70s hutch. Personally I have no problem putting most ’70s stuff in the dumpster. But I understand there are people who really groove on the ’70s aesthetic. If Kami just wants a white buffet/hutch then she could probably sell the one she has, buy a replacement and have money left over.
The hutch isn’t what I’d want, but I recognize it’s essential ’70s-ness. Someone out there wants it, just the way it is, and is willing to pay well for it.
This particular hutch is built into the wall/plaster with huge six penny nails. Taking it out of the wall would not only destroy the hutch, but it would surely ruin the wall. I would have to replaster the wall, paint it, etc.
I’d like to keep it because I do recognize that it is fairly unique, but it’s been painted already. That’s why it has so many paint splotches. The original family must have been experimenting with faux wood graining because it’s in abudance throughout the house in unexpected places.
I see. That’s puts things in a different light. If they’ve already experimented with wood graining then maybe continue along that line matching the table.
Well if you removed it you could always cover the wall in Pam’s knotty pine – stained or painted. Would look nice with the dining set.
After reading and thinking through ALL the comments, I still vote for Pam’s solution here of staining the hutch to match the table and repeating colors & shapes elsewhere, because it meets Kami’s needs the best.
It keeps the green glass panels, which Kami loves because of their color, and the hutch, which she loves for its look and function, in the dining room, which is where she wants it. And it looks good to me! It’s possible to do a fine job with the rustoleum kits. I’ve painted laminate cupboards before, took my time, and they came out looking great. And the other color elements and adding a rug will also make a huge difference. I think everybody else is going for a “designer” look that’s not necessarily suited to Kami’s needs, budget, and the room.
Pam, I enjoyed reading your analysis and following your thought process. I’m gonna try to apply the same process myself in my new home.
Just to be clear: This story was written by Kate. She’s the one who came up with the idea to paint the hutch to match the table. As with virtually all decorating questions — there is not one “right” answer. I might not have recommended what Kate did — but I thought it was a totally valid idea — I liked it! It’s great to hear others’ ideas, too!
Kami,
Remove, or push in, leaves of the table so that you can use two chairs at either side and one chair at each end. Might look less formal and a little cozier.
Don’t throw me out of the family for suggesting this, but paint the walls in an old fashioned “harvest” or “Williamsburg” gold color with white ceiling and trim. Harvest gold is both ’70′s and 18th. century at once. Gold goes with the glass in the hutch, too.
Cover the chair seats in a print with a touch of gold and match your window treatments to it.
Move the books to another location and keep your milk glass collection – add more, if you have it.
And….I think Annie B’s suggestion is good too. I also agree with Bungalow Bill about the Irish or French Country look. I think German when I look at it too. You will have so many choices!
I think Annie B.’s suggestion of a gold-ish color to coordinate the color of the table with the green color of the plastic panel is a good one. I have used this palette myself, the gold/tan color I used on the wall is Benjamin Moore 247 Consentino Chardonnay.
Since the hutch has already been faux finished and it is chipping, I would refinish it per Bungalow Bill’s suggestion with distressing, probably an antique white base. So there is now a cabinet that can look more dutch colonial and blend with the table. Next, I would place the laminate counter with butcher block that has been stained to match the hue of the table.
Back to Annie’s suggestions for the white ceiling and trim….
I would tackle the light fixture at the end when you see what you like about the changes you have made and decide what should be done to further enhance the look you are going for.
I like these suggestions to look at gold colors — the “historic home” palette at Benjamin Moore has some nice gold shades that read pretty neutral and won’t scream “70s throwback” unless you want them to (and add lots more 70s accessories).
If gold is not your thing, how about olive?
I have BM’s Putnam Ivory in my bedroom. It is a lovely soft gold. I agree, gold works very well with green. Cuz gold includes green.
New idea- glass panels with diamond panes. Instant Old English.
Do a “Google Image” search for– built in country blue hutch– Plenty of pictures will come up to help you “see” your hutch in a new way. The more I look at the hutch the more I like it, even if you don’t paint it. In the image searches, really liked the picture of the blue hutch with a dark wood top and I liked the fabric on the wall of one hutch. It looked like they made it a bulletin board. Maybe they put up cork before they put up the fabric.
Hi Kami,
I really admire your enthusiasm for working with what was already in the house!
The hutch does look wonderfully functional. However, I think it looks very out of scale in the space. I actually had to scroll back up to see exactly what your dining room table and chairs looked like when you mentioned that you loved them, because the hutch really dominates the room visually. I think that its height is a bit awkward, too – it gets so close to the ceiling, but doesn’t quite reach it.
To remedy this I would add trim to the top of the hutch to bring it all the way up to the ceiling and paint the whole piece out the same color as the walls. I’d take out the plastic panels, too, and replace them with a clear material – again, I think they are putting attention where you don’t necessarily want it. These changes would really reduce the visual weight of the hutch and enhance its built-in look. This also would put the focus on the table you love and make the room seem much larger.
I was unclear whether you chose the wall color. You do mention that you like it and I agree that the blueish gray seems to go well with the painting, the curtains, and the dark wood tone of the table and chairs. If you needed to repaint to keep a similar color, the way it is showing on my screen I think Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore might be a good choice – it’s a sophisticated, light gray with blue undertones.
I also agree with Kate’s idea to bring in a rug that repeats and reinforces the other colors present in the artwork and curtains.
Best of luck with your new home!
Wow……….I am very late to this party, but maybe Kami will see my comments.
Yes, keep your hutch. Yes, keep your lovely Duncan Phyfe style 40′s mahogany table and chairs. While you probably can’t *quite* get cottage, there are ways to tie these two items together more cohesively.
# 1 – do not paint the hutch. I’d lay you odds, that the hutch top and the bottom are not original to each other – they are entirely different styles. It is time to make the hutch top and bottom love each other a bit more…..I would remove the green plastic panels (sorry!). While they are in keeping with the style of the bottom, they are not really in keeping with the style of the top. I would do one of three things then: replace them with clear glass, replace them with a non-colored patterned glass, or leave them open. If they are left open, I *might* paint just the inside of the hutch.
# 2 – I would lose the lower doors, and have new ones made that match the top. The bottom doors just do not go with the top, and I think it would be easier to get your whole room to a more cohesive place if you start with the cohesiveness of the hutch.
Once that is done, I would strip and stain to match your table – yes, lots of work, but you’ll be happier in the end I think. Once that is done, then I would put new laminate on the top that matches the new stain color.
I would look for a new (old) dining room fixture also. While the table is fairly formal, getting the hutch top/bottom tied together will help a lot I think.
Last would be a 40′s or 50′s semi formal/cottage-y style table cloth.
Have fun!
I have been faithfully reading every comment. I think you hit the nail on the head with the mismatched top and bottom of the hutch. I think the lower section was once just plain cabinets, and the top portion was added directly onto the bottom sometime after. I’m pretty sure this is the case because the brown laminate runs underneath the section where the upper cabinets and lower cabinets meet.
I’ve thought about getting new bottom doors. But the pattern on them is so interesting.
Truthfully, though, I should probably figure out whether the form or function is most important.
Kami,
I think your hutch is cool, but it looks like three styles to me: base, top, and plastic panels. In my opinion, one should change. Can you use the plastic panels somewhere else in the house, maybe as a screen or in front of a window?
If you paint or refinish the hutch a dark mahogany color, the details will stand out less and the mix of styles will be less obvious. Also, a counter-top that is a contrasting color will visually separate the pieces, which may or may not be good. Try taping big sheets of paper over the counter top and squint to get an idea of how it would look. There are a lot of really great looking laminates that are not too expensive and are functional.
If you keep the hutch dark, I think painting the walls a very rich color will make the room look more balanced than the pale color that is there now. If you keep the plastic panels, I would pick a gold or green shade.
On the other hand, it might be interesting to paint the hutch dark red, with a mahogany counter-top. So many choices! Good luck.
p.s. Is there room to put the cookbooks inside the bottom cabinet? It’s great to keep them handy, but your white dishes would look so pretty on that shelf.
Kami,
Check out the image on Benjamin Moore’s website under a color called “Marblehead Gold” used in a “Spicy and Modern Yellow Kitchen”. The wall cabinet used in the photo reminds me of your hutch in its styling. They’ve used gold and white in this interior the way I had in mind when I posted my idea. See what you think.
The hutch dominates the room, is not that great of quality, and forces the table against the wall. The table is much better quality furniture. Consider selling the hutch on ebay. Someone who is trying to achieve a funky 70′s decor will love it. Then you can buy a corner hutch that matches the table and center the table in the room. The room will achieve the 40′s/50′s cottage feel that you are striving for and also be more comfortable.
I love cottage decor and the hutch has a cool design for that, but if it were me I would have to paint the hutch (I wouldn’t paint quality wood furniture). I’d change the hardware and take out the green plastic inserts (somebody else might be able to use them), maybe putting in chicken wire (I’ve done this, very easy), or fabric on thin expanding rods & putting in cheerful colored dishes. The hutch overpowers the room now, so painting it white or a light yellow like the walls makes it not stand out so much & since it is built in it will flow more. The laminate part…hmm, tile maybe, if it is going to have food on it.
A small room needs lighter, airy colors & fabrics…and pretty vintage tableclothes to protect the nice table.
Show us what you finally decide on…it’s fun to see before/after pics.
Also, if you choose to paint & get that cottage-y look…you might want to try chalk paint where you don’t have to prime first…you can search on the net how to make your own (mixing paint with plaster of paris) instead of buying the very expensive stuff that come in limited colors.
I LOVE the green inserts on the hutch! I’d work in some avocado green in the rug and lose the blue. I also agree with a table runner, or some placemats on the table to break up all the wood. The wall above the surface of the hutch – FLAIR SQUARES!! *lol* Sorry – couldn’t resist. I’d tile that area I think.
I also agree with darkening the wood of the hutch to match your table.
I’m a little taken aback by how many people on RETRO RENOVATION are encouraging Kami to REPLACE the fabulous green inserts. Those are what make the hutch. I would be more inclined to “gently” replace the dining room table, which is less unique, but, as Pam said, I applaud Kami for trying to keep the furniture that has history with the house (whether the elderly couple were designers or not), not to mention the financial savings. One of the best ideas here, in my opinion, is painting the hutch to make it appear as a built-in that’s been there all along…if you’re really determined to add “cottage” in there. Or, alternatively, I, too, agree with darkening the wood of the hutch to match your table. I also stuck to ’50s-’60s in decor, but I recently fell in love with Z Gallerie “apple green” curtain panels. When looking for a paint color to complement them, a designer friend recommended I go and get the paint matched to the curtains — turns out my “apple green” panels EXACTLY match Benjamin Moore’s “Avocado”! You can’t get more ’70s than that. So now I’ve embraced the ’70s…and loving it! I love that you’re embracing it, too. Good luck!
Exactly. My mother’s [very expensive custom cherry] 70′s kitchen cabinets had those inserts. The “realtor” encouraged me to paint the cabinets and replace the panels when selling the $600K house (in 1998). ! Um, NO WAY. As it turns out, the very first buyer who I had (after firing the realtor) bought the house and loved the kitchen.
I say either boldly embrace the Mediterranean era and leave the china cabinet alone or if it’s is smudgy and “used” looking,(which it doesn’t seem to be)… go with painting it a period color like avocado. But it will NEVER look “right”. OR just sell the whole thing because you can get “cottage” very inexpensively but it won’t be that massive heavy build you own now unless it’s original not a reproduction.
No offense but all of the book and colonial style glass knickknacks should be put away and replaced by Mediterranean period LARGE pieces like a giant orange glass bowl, maybe a turquoise decanter and multicolor glasses etc. Maybe a period rug like plushy red or orange. Replace the chandelier with something period. I would seal the deal with a huge almost campy Mediterranean piece of art or even a “velvet Elvis” type of piece with a Flamenco dancer or something.
When I gave a perfectly good plaid sofa to a college kid once, she complained “I hate plaid and I hate green”. My answer was “Nobody knows you hate it so do it WELL and make it work.” I’d say the same thing applies here.
You have a charming gift from a the former owner to tell a story about how you came to own a 1970′s Mediterranean dining room LOL..
I can’t tell about the table but it looks like cherry to me and the china cabinet? Is that a fruitwood or what? The mismatch of table/chairs (Queen Anne?) and china cabinet is more disruptive to me than the 70′s Mediterranean so I don’t know about that. Maybe cover the seats in a 70′s crushed velvet retro fabric. No offense but I don’t like the pattern rug AT ALL.
Whoops I just reread the piece is laminate and peeling. Major major project IMO. Especially with all the cutouts on the door. If it can be sanded down without damage you can apply that antiquing painting technique that comes out looking like distressed whitewashed or even in avocado …I remember they used to sell the kits and you applied the green and “antiqued” it with black that you wiped off. And you have a Mediterranean antiqued painted china cabinet. I would use a color if you’re going to keep the table as it is unless you want cottage-y it would be cream with a tan/brown “antique” finish and replace the inserts. I would prime.
Maybe I read it wrong, but I thought just the countertop was laminate. The right dishes would help the look. I like the green inserts. Maybe just play up the 70′s colors. How about Madeira dishes http://www.hillhousewares.com/category0maker0pattern38.html dishes by Franciscan or Floral http://www.hillhousewares.com/category0maker0pattern24.html –both very popular in the mid 60′s to 70′s. Colony thumbprint glassware in gold or green was popular too. http://www.hillhousewares.com/category6maker46pattern398.html
the glassware that went with the Franciscan dishes was popular too.
http://retroartglass.com/store/item/2z75t/View_All_Glass/Medieval_Decor_Franciscan_Madeira_Ice_Bucket_and_Goblet_Set.html
I think a mix and match look can be great, don’t let all these opinions scare you off from using what your have and making it all look fabulous!
Downsizing baby boomers are cleaning out the china cabinets filled with 70′s stuff now and maybe you can find just the right lovelies for your cabinet.
I feel like I’ve already watched the debates just reading these ideas!
Sometimes “I just like it” is reason enough to keep something. And sometimes you just work with what you have. One of the early comments was to unify the room. I’d say the room needs some simplification so that the table and hutch are both at their best. Here are my two cents:
If you love the green inserts, keep them. Paint the room the contemporary version of avocado: apple, pear or citron, in a lighter/muted tone…any softer green that works with the inserts. Paint the hutch a richer version of that color, to harmonize with the green inserts. I like the idea of chalk paints (not chalkboard paint!) because they distress nicely. Update the hutch hardware and buffet surface as desired: wood laminates are still made, so maybe have it re-laminated to match the table. Update the light fixture with paint or with a new fixture as desired. Find yourself a rug you like (with some green in it) and with accent colors you love (blues and aquas or aqua and coral maybe??). Use simple white or cream draperies (Ikea!), maybe with an edge trim or panel in one of the accent colors. Just keep the trim in the room simple white, which I assume will carry through the house eventually.
If you can part with the inserts, swap them out for something clear, crackled or frosted and repeat the same idea above with blues or with warm golds, or…well you get the idea.
Then throw in some coordinating seat covers, order pizza and open some wine. This should be fun. Don’t worry about “messing up”.
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