When we first stumbled upon our little beach cottage, it was in a state of disrepair, to say the least. The house had seen better days, and because the previous owner had gutted the house in preparation to do a complete renovation that never happened, there was almost nothing to salvage. But among the rubble and decay, we found two treasures that we knew we had to save: the front door and an old kitchen hutch.
This hutch, in particular, had seen better days. It was missing all of its doors, the drawers were broken and falling apart, and the wood was so beaten up that it looked far beyond saving. But something about it caught our eye. Maybe it was the charm of its vintage details or the idea of preserving a piece of the original cottage’s history. Whatever it was, we decided to give it a second chance.
Restoring the Hutch: A Labor of Love
Restoring this hutch has been a true labor of love. The first step was to clean it up and repair the structure. The piece was still sturdy overall, but it needed reinforcement in a few areas. The piece received further damage when we removed it because it had been built into the exterior framing. After making the necessary repairs, we had to decide how to incorporate it into our new kitchen design.
Ultimately, we chose to place it on the dining side of the kitchen next to the refrigerator. It was the perfect spot, but the hutch needed a lot of love to match the rest of the space. We gave it a fresh coat of paint and added beadboard to the back of the shelves for a classic, beachy touch.
Custom Doors and Creative Solutions
One of the biggest challenges was the missing doors on both the upper and lower portions of the hutch. We really wanted to utilize the hutch to serve as the pantry for the kitchen so we needed to figure out a way to add doors to keep the kitchen looking neat and organized. Thankfully, B came to the rescue! He built beautiful custom doors for the upper portion, transforming it into a functional and stylish pantry incorporating similar details from the original piece to make it look more intentional.
Then, there was the issue of the countertop. We loved that the original countertop told a story of the hutch’s history, but it was so beaten up that it just looked dirty no matter what we did to it. For a long time, we went back and forth on what to do with it. Finally, B came up with a brilliant solution: instead of replacing the countertop, he built a “sleeve” or “cover” for it.
Using beautiful white oak boards that came from an Oak tree on my parent’s property, B created a countertop topper that fits snugly over the original top. The white oak adds warmth and texture to the piece, and the contrast with the painted base gives it a sophisticated yet relaxed look. Now, the hutch looks so much more finished, and the countertop feels like a beautiful focal point instead of an eyesore.
Solving the Dead Space Dilemma
One of the unexpected challenges of placing the hutch in this spot was the awkward dead space that it left in the corner. It was one of those tricky little nooks that didn’t have a clear purpose and just felt unfinished. After a while it seems to collect all the “junk” that didn’t have a home elsewhere so earlier this year, I came up with the idea to close in the corner and create a small storage closet.
Once again, B worked his magic and built a door to match the ones he created for the upper hutch. The result? A custom-looking built-in that completely transformed the space. Now, that awkward corner is not only functional, but it also adds to the overall cohesive look of the room.
Finishing Touches
The transformation of this hutch has been nothing short of amazing, but there are still a few finishing touches I’d like to make. For now, I’ve added simple curtains to the bottom of the hutch to hide storage, but I’m toying with the idea of having B build two more matching doors to complete the look.
Even with those last few details in mind, this hutch has already become one of my favorite features in our entire beach cottage. It holds a special place in my heart—not just because it’s beautiful, but because it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come in this renovation journey.
The Heart of Our Beach Cottage
In the end, this hutch is more than just a piece of furniture. It’s a piece of the history of our home, lovingly restored and repurposed to fit into our new vision for this space. It’s a testament to the idea that even the most worn and neglected things can be brought back to life with a little creativity and a lot of love.
And every time I look at it, I’m reminded of the journey we’ve been on to turn this little beach cottage into a home that’s filled with character, memories, and stories waiting to be told.
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