Welcome to our latest project, a DIY blue china hutch makeover! If you’re a fan of blue painted furniture and looking for a creative and charming way to update your space, then this blog post is for you. We’ll guide you through the process of transforming an old water damaged cabinet into a beautiful piece of furniture using milk paint and other techniques.

From prepping and repairing, to priming and painting, we’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to nail that farmhouse look in your home. Let’s get started!

photo of china hutch cabinet before the makeover

As we all know, blue has been a popular color in home decor for quite some time now and it’s no surprise why. It’s calming, versatile, and adds a touch of elegance to any room. So why not incorporate it into your furniture as well?

For this particular makeover, we wanted a chippy blue finish with a farmhouse feel. To do this, we used a combination of Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint in various shades and General Finishes Enduro Poly. We also added new dark cup pulls for a more updated and cohesive look.

This blue china hutch will surely inspire you to add some color and personality to your living space. So let’s jump right in and see how it all came together!

Table of Contents

Supplies Used for This DIY Blue China Hutch Makeover

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Screwdriver
Krud Kutter
Damp Rag
Bondo
220 Grit Sandpaper
Shop Vac
Tack Cloth
Tape
BIN Shellac Primer in a spray can
General Finishes Enduro Poly in White
Paint Sprayer
Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint in Coolidge Blue, Harbor Blue, Blue Moon, Coastal Fog, and Sand
Polyurethane
Dark Cup Pulls

Prepping the Hutch

But before we get into the details of the transformation, let’s talk about how we prepped the hutch for painting. This step is crucial as it makes sure that your paint will adhere properly and gives you a smooth finish.

Check out our blog post about how to prepare furniture for painting to learn more about the step by step process of preparing furniture before painting.

First, we assessed the condition of the hutch. The cabinet was quite old and had suffered from water damage, causing the wood veneer to lift in some spots. We also needed to remove the doors and hardware, as well as the glass from the doors.

Check out this post to learn more about repairing water damaged wood.

photo showing water damage to the bottom of furniture

For the doors, we removed them by carefully unscrewing the hinges and labeled them to avoid any confusion when it came time to put everything back together. We also took off all the door pulls and drawer handles using a screwdriver.

To remove the glass, we gently pried off the wood trim holding it in place, and set it aside. For more details on removing glass doors, our makeover on painting a china cabinet will be helpful.

prying off wood trim with screwdriver to remove glass

After everything was removed, we cleaned the hutch thoroughly with Krud Kutter and a damp rag and let it dry completely. This step is important because any dirt or grime can affect the paint’s adhesion. Learn all you need to know about how to prepare furniture for painting here.

Repairing Damaged Veneer

As mentioned earlier, our hutch had some water damage and the wood veneer was lifting in some areas. To fix this, we used Bondo wood filler. We applied the Bondo to the affected areas, making sure to fill any gaps and smooth out the surface.

Check out our honest Bondo Wood Filler review to learn more about the pros and cons of using this wood filler.

repairing lifted veneer with bondo wood filler

Once it was dry, we sanded it down with 220 grit sandpaper until it was flush with the rest of the hutch. For more tips on repairing damaged veneer, you can check out our post on repairing veneer with wood filler.

Here are more methods on how to fix veneer that is lifting.

We also gave the interior of the cabinet a scuff sanding with 220 grit sandpaper to help the primer and paint stick to the wood. Then we got rid of the dust using a shop vacuum and tack cloth.

Priming and Painting Hutch Interior

Then it was time to prime and paint the interior of the cabinet. We made sure to tape off the inside to prevent any primer from getting on the outside.

Learn more in the post about How to Prevent Overspray When Painting Furniture.

We used BIN shellac primer in a spray can for easier application and better coverage.

photo of bin shellac primer in a spray can

Here’s our best primers for painting furniture to learn more about how to choose the right one for your project.

It took two coats of primer to fully cover the wood and we let each coat dry for 45 minutes before lightly sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper. Check out the best spray primer for wood here.

We sprayed 3 coats of General Finishes Enduro Poly in White on the inside for a nice white painted finish that doesn’t need a topcoat.

This paint has to be sprayed on, so if you need a paint sprayer, here’s our list of the best HVLP paint sprayers for furniture.

Check out our honest Wagner Control Spray 250 Review to learn more about the paint sprayer we used in this makeover.

Alternatively, you can go for the Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel Paint which can be brushed on. Take a look at this post on painting furniture white to see how we did it with enamel.

Creating a Chippy Blue Finish

Once the interior was painted, it was time to tackle the exterior of the hutch.

We mixed Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint in 5 different colors: 4 tablespoons of Coolidge Blue, 2 tablespoons of Harbor Blue, 2 tablespoons of Blue Moon, 1 tablespoon of Coastal Fog and 1 tablespoon of Sand.

This recipe is very similar to what we used it on our chippy blue painted hutch makeover.

We applied 2-3 coats of the mixed milk paint to the exterior of the hutch, making sure to sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper after for a chippy finish then removed the dust from sanding with a shop vac and tack cloth.

photo of a chippy blue finish after sanding

You can also learn our secret to a chippy paint finish with milk paint every time!

Sealing Blue Painted Hutch

To seal the milk paint and give it a more durable surface, we top coated the hutch with 3 coats of polyurethane. Polyurethane even adds to the chippy look of the milk paint! Check out our post on how to spray polyurethane for tips and tricks on applying it.

After the final coat of polyurethane was dry, it was time to reattach the doors and hardware. We carefully screwed the hinges back on, making sure they were aligned correctly. Then we added new dark cup pulls for a farmhouse look.

photo of dark cup pulls attached to drawers

If you love this blue painted hutch, you’ll also enjoy our similar makeover of a painted display cabinet.

This DIY blue china hutch makeover is a perfect example of how a little bit of effort and creativity can transform an old, damaged piece of furniture into a stunning piece that adds character and charm to any room.

From repairing damaged veneer to creating a chippy blue finish, this project required some skill and patience, but the end result was truly worth it.