This chippy paint, country style, ever so shabby, rustic hutch is taking up residence in the entryway at cottage fix where our piano once lived. And it’s always a warm welcome for me when I whisk through the front door. Hello cottage fix rustic hutch, nice to meet you.

It’s been a while since I shared the inner goings on of our quirky old cottage and all the fun shenanigans we’ve been up to. So a lot around here has changed! We reluctantly became empty nesters. The cottage is sporting a new-ish first floor powder room. The front door and shutters got a fresh new coat of dark blue. The piano is out — and this hutch is in. And I became a nana to a darling little baby girl. Love that last one so much!

And although a lot has changed, some things are still the same too. The floors still squeak and creak on the way into our dining room, the garden is still growing wild, Paisley will always enjoy keeping look out for the delivery trucks, and it’s still a home filled with laughter and love.

So when the kiddos both went away to school our piano did’t get much action. It became more of a dumping ground for books and other odds and ends while the bench seat became extra seating at our family gatherings. The piano was rather large and taking up precious real estate, so it had to go. It took a while to find something to replace it that I liked and also wasn’t terribly expensive. During my shopping adventures I came across quite a few beautiful hutches in natural stained wood with a not so beautiful price tag attached. Although this chippy paint beast needed a lot of work, I think it was well worth it for sure. It’s got great storage, pretty glass doors, and neat old hardware. And the price was right!

This beauty was a labor of love. Days upon days of scraping and scraping, and just when I thought I couldn’t possibly scrape anymore … more scraping! After I scraped off the never ending loose paint I lightly sanded it down, gave it a coat of early american stain, and then topped it with two coats of satin poly. I’m very happy with how she cleaned up!

Sometimes we plan for the change. We think about it, we make lists and goals. We give ourselves deadlines and motivational mantras. Sometimes the change just washes over us and all we can do is just ride the wave. Or like in my case, scrape the paint.

Thanks for visiting!

Sally