China Hutch ...after

Not that long ago, I told you about Me & Mrs. Jones. I reached out to her, via e-mail, for help with my china hutch. This is my hutch. I painted it a medium gray and silverleafed the back. I was not happy with it. it needed more depth and interest.

This is the real "before", long before I blogged.

Stephanie (Me & Mrs. Jones) suggested the following...use this over the paint

Here are the steps, first use 400 grit sandpaper to break the seal

Wipe on the stain

Then, wipe off the excess.

I repeated this one more time (2 coats total), and now I have this

It is exactly what I wanted...and it only took ....2 tries! Sometimes things take me..... 3 tries, or is that 3 trips in the car? Thank you Stephanie! On average, how many tries does a project take you?

**Linking to***
Savvy Southern Style
Restore Interiors
{Primp}
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tip Junkie
Project Queen
Trash 2 Treasure
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Debbiedoos Newbie Party
DIY Home Sweet Home
Funky Junk
Be Different Act Normal
Serenity Now
The Spunky Diva
Fingerprints on the Fridge
2805
Chic on a Shoestring
Miss Mustard Seed
French Country Cottage
Saved by Suzy
Not Just A Housewife

The One Room Challenge!

Hi Everyone....welcome to the One Room Challenge! Everyone I know has at least one room in their home that needs work.You just don't have the motivation. You need a little "push". Maybe next month...well, for Fifteen of us, that time has come!

Week 2, go here; ,Week 3, go here; Week4, go here, Week 5, go here, The Finale, go here.

And voila....the challenge was born. One room... until, or in this case, in just 6 weeks!! 15 bloggers, I like to call us the "Freshman 15", are in on this challenge. Each Wednesday, we will all be posting updates on our rooms. In addition to that, there will probably be all sorts of planning, DIY-ing, and mistakes along the way. At the bottom of each Wednesday's post, you can find a link to the other participants. I hope you stick with us for this crazy adventure.

My One Room - If you are a regular reader of my blog, then this will be no surprise... it is the first up on my Home Goals.....my dining room.

Some of the pictures were taken long before I blogged, so I apologize for the poor quality.

This is our dumping room. Unfortunately, it is the first room that you see when you enter my home. I am so tired of making excuses for it. Here are my thoughts (welcome to my brain)

About a year ago, I painted my china hutch and added that. 8 months ago, I found head-chairs that need to be reupholstered. 4 months ago, I found a farm table on Craigslist....here is what it looks like now

It is still a dumping ground. This corner holds all my basement "stuff" while it was out of commission

This corner is where my husband puts all his "stuff" when he gets home (and more sewing "stuff")

This corner has fabric clutter

This corner is not that bad (this sconce has to be lowered)...What window treatment?

This is my list (in no particular order)
Fix the color of the china hutch...it is too light and blends into the wall (I love the wall color)
Put planks on the ceiling under the crown molding
Change the color of the pagoda lanterns
Find artwork to flank the hutch
Reupholster all the dining chairs
Drapes & cornice
Lower the sconces and paint them
Paint the mirror frames
Swap the pine cabinet for open shelves

Now be sure to check out all the other rooms! For week 2 go here

Saved By Suzy                                                                 Nicole Scott Designs
Dutch.British.Love                                                            Kim Macumber Interiors
Trapped in North Jersey                                                   Rue de Emily
The Pink Pagoda                                                              refreshed designs
Nana Moon Shop                                                            Taylor Morgan
insideways                                                                        House Four
Living Savvy                                                                     (A Lifestyle Thing)

Stylized China

I have been working on my china hutch. As I mentioned in this post, I am not happy with the finish so more tweaking is in order (pictures to come). In the mean time...until the stain is dry...I thought I would get some ideas on how to style a hutch. Styling a hutch or bookcase is a true art. I am so envious of all the people who make it look so effortless.....I am not one of them. Here are some china collections that I find inspirational.

Country Living

Lexington

Country Living

Country Living

Southern Living

via

Do you display your china? Is it stylized?