Painting an Old Maple Hutch

New or Lightly Distressed Finish

• 1

  Remove knobs, drawer pulls or other hardware from your hutch with a screwdriver. Use painter's tape to cover and protect any glass panes from paint drips.

• 2

  Sand the hutch with medium-grit sandpaper to remove old paint, varnish, rough areas or damage. Dust away grit with a tacky cloth.

• 3

  Begin painting, starting with the inside back wall of the hutch. Use even, smooth strokes running in the same direction to paint the back wall, side walls, tops, bottoms and edges of shelves. If shelves are removable, take them out to make painting easier. Use a 1-inch brush for the edges of the shelves and a 2-inch brush for larger surfaces.

• 4

  Paint the outer sides, front and top of the hutch, followed by the inside and outside of the doors, if your hutch has them. Paint slowly and carefully, loading the paintbrush with enough paint to produce even strokes without dripping.

• 5

  Let paint dry overnight. If a distressed look is desired, use fine-grit sandpaper to rub away paint at the edges and corners of the hutch, and near any handles or pulls.

• 6

  Reattach any drawer pulls or knobs, and remove any painter's tape.

Crackle Finish

• 7

  You will need two colors of paint for a crackle finish. Begin by following Steps 1 through 4 above with your base color. Let paint dry overnight.

• 8

  Brush on crackle medium. The thicker the coat, the larger the cracks will be. Cover the entire hutch with crackle medium for a very aged look, or only apply medium to areas you want to look worn. Let dry for two hours.

• 9

  Paint your chosen top color over all areas to be crackled. Paint with even strokes running in the same direction, and do not paint over an area twice. Remember that the crackles will continue to spread as the paint dries.

• 10

  Let the hutch dry overnight, then replace any drawer pulls or knobs, and remove any painter's tape.