My black country hutch, the first piece of furniture I ever painted with chalk paint, the hutch I scored on Craigslist for only $60 a few years ago, had a couple serious issues.

Sitting at the table one evening recently, I noticed a long crack in one of the inside back walls. There was also a piece of the molding that was separating, having been jarred in our move from FL to TN a year and a half ago.

It bothered me. A lot!

You see, this is the hutch that holds my late mother's entire collection of Royal Albert Lavender Rose bone china dishes - blemish free, each and every piece! It also holds my Ironstone collection that I've been collecting, piece by piece from thrift stores around the country :)

I had visions of my entire country hutch collapsing and all my precious dishes being smashed to smithereens.

It was time to call in the 'muscle'! After dinner one evening, Mr. Diy and I emptied out the entire hutch. The plan was to glue the cracks and use straps that tighten to pull the cracks together and better secure the piece.

Problem was, even though the crack went through to the backside, it didn't affect the supporting pieces. So gluing and strapping and trying to pull it together wouldn't accomplish anything. Mr. Diy took a good look at it, and assured me it was 'sound' and wasn't going to fall apart on me. While he was at it, he did fix the separated molding. What a handy hubby!!

I took the opportunity to rearrange things (dusting was involved too...yuck...but totally necessary) and move the hutch. Previously the hutch was at a slight angle in the corner of the room. We (well, Mr. Diy) moved it back flat against the wall. I had him leave a little over a foot between the hutch and the wall so I could get creative with that little corner :) I have so many tall tiered stands and stools and thought it would be nice to have a little spot for something small there.

See...it's perfect for a vintage scale, cookbook, some ironstone and a birds nest we found in our yard.


After dusting all my china and ironstone, I had fun rearranging it all back into my country hutch. I started with the top. Did you know when you are limited with space you can go UP? It really does make a big difference and adds that country charm that I love in my kitchen.

Just think about all the charming country bakeries you have ever enjoyed a cuppa joe in...they all have baskets and displays on the tops of their shelves and hutches..it's what adds the feeling of country charm!

I have a large wicker basket and picnic basket that I love up there for the texture. I stacked some of my vintage silver serving trays and a French basket on top of the picnic basket. My cake stands look great stacked up and I included some of my thrift store blue transferware and ironstone that I've collected over time. I love the French farmhouse style that the baskets and the blue and white dishes evoke! Warm texture + cool vintage china = country farmhouse style to me.

Inside my country hutch, I moved things around too.

Previously my mother's dishes occupied the top two shelves and I moved them to the lower two. So now my collection of white ironstone (the small pieces that fit; the larger pieces are in the bottom of the hutch) are displayed on the top two shelves of the hutch.


But maybe my favorite change is what I did on the serving area of the hutch. I've collected white pitchers for awhile and usually display them somewhere high. I used to have the pitchers displayed on the top of my country hutch. I thought I'd try moving them lower and see how I liked it.


Well obviously, I like it...a lot! It's unusual but a great way to show off a favorite collection! And it looks great beside my collection of ironstone in my tiffany blue cabinet that's hanging on the wall next to it.

I am very relieved that  my hutch is sturdy and not in any danger of breaking apart!