Taking the top off of a dining hutch

July 26, 2010

dining room

Before we built our house, we had been living in a two bedroom apartment for three years or so, and a small apartment translated to VERY little furniture in our new, large house. 

I lived with the bare dining room as long as I could after we moved in, and one day I told hubby I just couldn’t take it anymore – I was getting furniture!

Did I mention this was before we “met” Dave Ramsey? ;)

Before we even started shopping, I had what I wanted in my head – a long, lovely, dark table (which I got), and a long buffet. I did not want a hutch. But what did I get?

A hutch:

before

I remember standing in the showroom with the sales guy, asking if I could just buy the buffet piece on the bottom, not the hutch. He said nope, and said the hutch had to go on top.

FINE. I believed him. (Grumble.)

And since the day it was delivered, the hutch has been a thorn in my side. We’ve had it for five years, and I was never crazy about it. Last fall I did a little redo by covering the mirrors on the back:

remove top from tall hutch

But I was still dreamin’ about that beautiful buffet. So one day I started thinking about it (you know that’s dangerous!!) and wondered if there was a beautiful buffet under that hutch.

I knew it was two separate pieces, but figured the bottom part was unfinished  – you know – all  pretty along the edges, but particle board or something craptastic on top, since it wasn’t seen?

Well, one day I did some batting of the eyelashes at the hubs, and he helped me push the monster away from the wall (did I mention it is INSANELY heavy?), and we pushed the hutch back a bit to see what was on top of the buffet piece:

Cue the birds and angels singing Squeezays!! It was a glorious day!

Then came the hard part. (Did I mention the hutch was CRAZY heavy? Crazy.) 

Getting that thing off the buffet was a chore. I ended up taking the mirrors out of the back of the hutch, along with the glass shelves, and then took the doors off. It worked! We could actually move it off.

Then the accessorizing started. The FUN part!!

I found a large mirror at Goodwill for only $5.99. I loved that it was large (two by three feet), but the frame around it was wimpy, wimpy, wimpy. I knew I could chunk it up, so off to Home Depot I went.

I found underlayment in a four by four sheet for only $6, and had it cut to size:

 

I took the mirror out of it’s old frame and used Liquid Nails for mirrors to glue it on the board:

Because I didn’t want the underlayment stuff to be seen from the sides of the mirror, I had it cut just shorter than the width of the molding I was going to install around it:

Then I cut my molding and used glue and my nail gun to secure it around the mirror. This is how it looks from the back:

how to add trim to a mirror

My long ago dream of how the buffet would look included two fab lamps at each end, so I stalked HomeGoods for a couple weeks before I finally found lamps that made my heart go pitter pat:

049

These were a SPLURGE. Fifty bucks each baby. Ouch. It hurt just a little when I checked out. But when I got home with them and placed them in their spots, I knew it was totally worth it. They were loverly.

I wanted something substantial sitting in the middle of the buffet – and I REALLY wanted a bouquet of beautiful, fat hydrangea blooms. But my bushes aren’t cooperating this week, so I went with plan B. I got this humongous faux greenery from Hobby Lobby for $15 on sale:

029

And took my beautiful Pottery Barn footed bowl:

And just started cutting and sticking the pieces all over in the foam till I was happy with the “poof” factor:

070

I loved how it was turning out, but I knew the buffet needed one thing a dining room isn’t complete without – candlelight. ;)

I went to the local Dollar Tree and got supplies for these beautiful DIY candleholders. Each one is only $2 for one taper holder and a large glass piece for the top:

$2 DIY glass candleholders

I still haven’t glued the base on, so they are a little precarious at the moment. ;) For now, I don’t breathe on them. 

But I love them so very much!!:

dollar store candleholders

I love the whole darn thing!:

buffet without top hutch

I LOVE how the beautiful curves of the buffet can really be appreciated now. No ginormous hutch bringing it down.

The mirror is now a chunkilicous 31 by 43 inches. Cause you know I like ‘em big. And chunkaaaaay (Moto Moto!):

The gorgeous crystal lamps play off of the crystals in the knock off Pottery Barn light:

It’s just what I wanted – simple and understated, but dramatic at the same time. And it makes the room feel SO much more spacious without that hutch on top!

Of course, I love it best at night, with the centerpiece all lit up!:

DIY centerpiece

(See how I made the fabric covered candle centerpiece.) 

Lurve:

130

I am GIDDY thinking of ways to decorate the buffet for the holidays! Yay!!

It only took me five years, but I got my dream of a buffet in the dining room. :)

The before:

before

And finally, the after I wanted from the start!:

dining room buffet

Now I just have to decide if I’ll hang anything inside the boxes on the walls. Right now I’m think no – but I’m going to live with it for awhile and then decide. You never know what my mind will come up with. ;)

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Comments

  1. That looks great! We have the same setup, basically...BUT we have a set that's been in my family for YEARS. I'd love to take the hutch off, but where to put it??? Did you sell yours?

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  2. I love this! That chunky mirror project is perfect for the cast off mirror I have in my garage. My mirror is chipped though. Like a corner is lopped off. Do you know if a place can cut my mirror for me?

    delia dot randall at gmail dot com

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  3. I love it!!! Great job in the transformation!

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  4. I have the same comment as Amy.... It looks great, and I'm inspired to do the same....but what did you do with the hutch?

    I don't want to trash mine because it was passed down from my grandma...but I don't have a place to store it either....

    I can't wait til I have someone to pass this set to, so I can get my dream set!

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  5. That looks awesome! So happy that it was finished under the hutch for you! The room does look so much more open now.

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  6. Oh Sarah I love it! It opens up the room a lot too! and I 've seen those DIY candle holders and have not made any of my own, yet. Maybe I'll wait til the Holidays. But of course I'll go ahead and buy the hurricanes now;-)

    Again, love love love your buffet! Now, let me search your blog on DIY crown molding! You rock! You know that right?!

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  7. Oh wow, that looks amazing!! So where is the hutch?? :) I am totally going to run to the dollar store to get the flared ones now!! Sooo pretty!!!

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  8. It truly does open up the space and upon first glance the buffet did not even look like the original piece! You are so right, now the beautiful lines become a focal point...great decision! Janell

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  9. best idea youve had yet! I am so glad you got rid of the hutch.. it just wasn't doing it!! it looks absolutely FAB!!!

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  10. Thanks all! I tried to list the monster on craigslist, but there was very little you could use it for, so I got no bites, even asking very little $ for it.
    I thought it may make a cool bar, but it was all glass on the front, and it was WAY too tall.
    So we borrowed a friend's truck and hauled it to Goodwill. It was gone the NEXT day. :)
    It was so heavy and huge, we couldn't figure out anywhere else we would possibly use it.

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  11. Looks great. I have a buffet too and I love it.

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  12. I love this!! It is gorgeous. Side note, what color do you have on your walls? I think it's the same we have in our living room. lol Ours is coffee bean.

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  13. So, like, Sarah!!! I didn't even know you had a dining room re-do in the works! You are so tricky like that!

    What I am waiting for is the office/den re-do. How is that coming along??

    I am trying to so hard to follow your advice from a while back and find the perfect fabric to build a room design on, but it doesn't help that I refuse to go to Jo-anns with all four kiddos in tow and it's SUMMER.

    Also, what happens when I fall in love with a fabric that is lining a bread basket at a church function? Well, I ask them if i can have it. And then I take that beautifullerest napkin, before they know what's going on!

    And then i lay that fabric down on my bar stool seat every day, to cover the stained, messy blahness that lies there. And I cross my eyes and pretend that I just re-upholstered that chair.

    I do this six times a day. Because the little heathens pull that beautiful napkin onto the floor every time they climb up there.

    Spankin's all around!!!

    You included, 'cause you rock.

    P-sha... dining room re-do my butt! Pretend you didn't re-do the dining room and post about it... and I never even knew it was in the works.

    Magician.

    How are you that awesome?

    bye.

    Angie

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  14. I love the way it looks!!! You definitely made the right decision. Your dining room looks so much bigger now.

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  15. GORGEOUS makeover. I totally agree, just the buffet is so much better. And I'm so glad you mentioned the bigger, flared out vases currently at Dollar Tree. I just stocked up on them and now have these hurricanes ALL over my house! LOVE!

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  16. Wow, that looks GREAT! I love hutches...but that makes me REEEALLY LOVE the look of a buffet!

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  17. I. Big. Fat. Puffy Heart this too!!!!!

    Love the lamps...sometimes a splurge is soooo worth it huh???

    The knockoff pb candlelights are great too!

    LaKeta

    1luckeegirl.blogspot.com

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  18. Wow, that is gorgeous! I am so heading to dollar tree tomorrow!

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  19. WOW!! It looks absolutely GORGEOUS. Make the room look huge, clean, modern and crisp. mm mmm.

    I'd leave the boxes on the walls empty i think, the buffet makes such a wonderful statement as is.

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  20. Your redo looks beautiful. And most important...it is what you have wanted all along. I am so happy for you. Have fun thinking up holiday buffet scapes!

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  21. I absolutely love it! It's gorgeous! You are so creative, I love reading your blog!

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  22. It looks beautiful and those lamps are just perfect - of course you had to get them!

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  23. I am absolutely loving everything you did with this room! What a beautiful transformation!

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  24. LOOOOVE the new look! I was really surprised you didn't put Holiday decorations up just to get the feel for things! You are TOO funny!

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  25. LOVE those lamps! They're seriously fabulous.

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  26. I've never commented before but I love your blog, and everything you do is so great. But this room is so over the top fantastic I must tell you how BEAUTIFUL it is. You did a terrific job!

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  27. I love your new dining room. The hutch is now gorgeous & curvey. Where did you purchase your set? I love the fabric on your chairs or did you recover those? If so what fabric did you use? Thanks & sorry for all the questions but a girl with an inquiring mind is.... well dangerous lol

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  28. it looks fab! great job and well worth the wait!

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  29. What a difference! That is absolutely gorgeous. I love how the mirror frame brings out the pattern in your chairs.

    Dinner party at TDC's house!!!

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  30. DANG! I like hutches, but now I can totally see why you didn't want one. Beautiful!

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  31. What about the chairs?? It looks like you recovered them ~ they look great too in th after photo! Please, spill the beans on the chairs! =)

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  32. It looks absolutely lovely!!! But where are you going to put that hutch, especially since it's so heavy to move!?!

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  33. Beautiful!! You have inspired me to tackle some DIY project since I started following your blog! Thanks!

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  34. I was going to ask where the hutch is but I see that it was already asked and answered. I'm sort of sick of my hutch too.

    DI

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  35. I love the buffet instead of the hutch too, especially with the mirror to reflect candles. And I think your lamp choice is so classic and elegant that you will be able to enjoy them for many years to come, thus making them a good choice to spend your $ on! Awesome job!

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  36. You are talking Dave Ramsey of Crown Financial, right?

    Very interesting. Guess you're doing it the right way. I've always appreciated your frugal ways... :)

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  37. Oh wow! What a transformation. It doesn't even look like the same piece anymore. Amazing. It looks so much more modern.

    Thanks for the tip about the dollar tree. I've been stalking goodwill trying to find the perfect hurricanes for this project, so it looks like I'm off to the DT this morning.

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  38. Now that was thinking outside the box. Fantastic results.

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  39. Wow, Sarah, this looks so beautiful! I have been an avid reader of your blog for awhile now and like it so much! This is the first blog I ever read! Your dining room is just gorgeous! I liked the old look, but this far surpasses it!
    -Jill D.
    jnjdavenport@yahoo.com

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  40. Beautiful dining room. The first thing I noticed were the curves on the buffet and you never saw that with the hutch on it.
    You are amazing and inspiring.
    I just found your site and am in LOVE with the ideas bouncing through my head.
    We too are Dave Ramsey followers and after Aug. we are debt free but the house and I get some extra $ for the house decor!
    Now I have ideas thanks to you!

    Have a wonderful day and thanks for inspiring us all.

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  41. I love the way the lamps and the mirror kind of pop against the wall. It looks wonderful! :)

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  42. Love the change...isnt it wonderful when a plan comes together? It always makes me think, Why did I wait so long?

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  43. I had wanted a china cabinet for 30+ years, but when it came down to shopping for one, I ended up with a long buffet "server". The pros are it holds a lot of china in the cabinets, and I can use the top for serving food. The cons are no place to display crystal, but no biggy there. I love mine too and have a huge mirror above, 2 buffet lamps, and a few accessories.
    So happy you're finally happy! :-)

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  44. I absolutely love it. I love that mirror! you have given me an idea for a mirror that I have had forever! What are you going to do with the hutch part?

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  45. Baby, THAT is some serious drama! Wow, what a difference.

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  46. LOVE it.....Awesome Job(as always)!! I also live in a house where my dining room sits empty.....waiting for a beautiful table and buffet to come along!! Maybe one day:(

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  47. It is just gorgeous! I like a hutch but for some reason, your room looks so much better without it! I think it is because of both the hutch and the walls being brown. Plus, you can better see the trim on the wall. Love it and I want that chandelier for my bedroom!!!!

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  48. I absolutely love it!

    And I just made those hurricane holders from the Dollar Tree too. I need to make a 3rd one because the space just looks off.

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  49. What did you do with the hutch? And what I want to know even more is what did you do with all the stuff stored in there?? That's where I have all my china and I have no idea where I'd put it without the hutch!!

    It looks absolutely gorgeous!!! Beautiful!

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  50. I LOVE that mirror that you made. Chunky frames are always the way to go. :)

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  51. It all looks amazing! I love the buffet :)

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  52. SO great! I'm with you, those huge glass hutches just bring the room down. Now it breathes!

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  53. AWESOME - this is one of my favorite transformations! What a difference getting rid of that hutch made.

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  54. Love it!!! I bet you want to kick yourself for not doing it sooner :)

    It looks fantastic!

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  55. Sooooooo worth the wait, right? I love the look and all the pretty details you have going on there! I am going to go take a look at how you made your dreamy centerpiece! what in the world did you do with the top piece??? You go girl!

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  56. wow wow wow. outstanding changes! the plant alone brings so much life to the room!

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  57. It looks great!! I too prefer buffets to hutches, so I love this transformation!

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  58. Congratulations on your dream come true! Love the look and how you've decorated your 'new' buffet! Love the hurricane you've made too. I'll have to go shopping! :)
    Be a sweetie,
    shelia ;)

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  59. wow beautiful!! what a great transformation!

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  60. Gorgeous! But what did you do with the hutch!?

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  61. Wow! You are amazing! I'm always so excited to see what you come up with next. Great job! It's beautiful! Thanks for inspiring me again!

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  62. Love it! I've been trying to figure out what to do in my new dining room - I always liked my hutch, but there's a built in bookcase across the back wall of the dining room and short high windows on either side - no place for the china cabinet! There is, however, perfect space for a buffet!! Thanks for saving me money!!! :) And I love your lamps and I'm heading to Dollar Tree - thanks!!

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  63. Looks soo lovely! A huge transformation...

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  64. Wow - that looks great! You do such an awesome job putting things together and creating new looks in your home! I can't wait to get in our home and try out some of your projects for myself!!

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  65. Fan-FREAKIN'-tastic!!!!! First off, I'll bet that salesman was short on his quota the month you bought it, as I'm sure most hutches are purchased as 2 separate pieces, and he just wanted to make an extra buck. Shame on him you had to buy it then donate it Goodwill, but I'm sure they sooooo appreciated it! You're an angel! Secondly, that mirror is AMAZING! I was tempted to do something similar, but only had regular Liquid Nails, and not the kind they suggest for mirrors. I was so afraid the glue would eat through backside of the mirror finish, it's still a project that's on hold till I get my butt to the hardware store. Thanks for re-inspiring me to get 'er done! Your dining room is totally transformed, and I'm so glad you could sweet talk hubby into making your dream buffet a reality! You rock, girl!
    Jules
    dzynbyjules@comcast.net

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  66. Looks great- amazing how the curves in the buffet are so much more noticeable now. I actually did the opposite a few years ago. I knew I wanted more of a bakers rack look but with more storage. I bought a wide dresser from a sample furniture store. Then we moved (one of many moves). At our next location, I actually found a store selling an open 3-shelf hutch that fit perfectly on top of the dresser/buffet! And it was cheap since it didn't have a base!!! My best deal! :) Ok, headed to the dollar store now....

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  67. Awesome. Hurray for fab shop-the-house :) OK, OK the lamps were a bit pricey but you did wait FIVE yaers, right?

    As for those molding squares....dontcha think some wallpaper that picks up the pattern in your chairs would be amazing? Just saying...

    great job :)

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  68. WOW, that mirror is FANTASTIC!!! Inspiring, I can't wait to make one for myself - love it all!

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  69. Absolutely Stunning

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  70. Absolutely, positively LOVE this redo!!!! It's gorgeous & again, like when you got the dresser from craigslist, the dining room looks more grown up now. So what did you do with the hutch top?

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  71. Triple WOW! What a difference no hutch makes! Thanks so much for the inspiration.

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  72. I told my husband that you were dangerous - so many great ideas and inspiration!

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  73. Girrrlll, that mirror is plumpin'. Love the lamps. I hate it when the sales people will not let you buy the pieces seperately... On commision much ?

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  74. Girrrlll, that mirror is plumpin'. Love the lamps. I hate it when the sales people will not let you buy the pieces seperately... On commision much ?

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  75. That is so beautiful! What a great looking buffet!
    Lucky you. Now...this really tells my age but I used to
    have a hutch on my bedroom dresser...gag! I took that
    nasty thing off several years ago and then painted the
    bottom black!

    Can't wait to see what you will use the hutch for...I bet you will come up with something....

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  76. Great job, girl! One of my friends always says, "It never hurts to ask." And you discovered that it didn't hurt to ask that cabinet if it could live without its hutch. Aren't you glad the answer was yes??

    Now, what are you going to do with that hutch? Will you repurpose it somewhere? Or are you just glad to get rid of the thing? :)

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  77. It looks SOOOOO good!!! Love love love it! :)

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  78. that turned out just beautiful!!! i love the greenery you added... thanks for the tute on that!

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  79. Thank you SO much for the mirror tip!! I needed that just today. I found an unframed mirror at a yardsale for 5 bucks(!!) but didn't know how to make a frame! Thanks again. Off to Lowe's.
    Oh, and this is beautiful. Love that greenery thingy you did. U so talented. :)

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  80. Love the buffet without the hutch. When we changed out our dining table, I seriously thought about doing the same. Problem was our buffet was not as chunky and was too low without the hutch. We did end up by a new hutch to match our table and I love it! I don't have a ton of china, don't really care for the look...I like more relaxed and casual, so the buffet is a better choice.

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  81. What a transformation.. thanks for the tutorial on the mirror. Do you think the Liquid Nails for mirrors would be strong enough to hang it on a wall? Also, what kind of moulding did you use for the chunky look frame? Did you get it at Home Depot? It almost looks stryofoam from the close up.. I don't know if we have anything but the heavy MDF or wood mouldings up here in Canada.

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  82. I love it!!! Before the hutch part did somewhat overpower the room but not anymore. YOu did a great job!

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  83. I love the finished product! So so so beautiful! You've inspired me to finish my dining room the way it is in my head :)

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  84. Can't believe what a difference taking off the hutch makes to the room. Love it!

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  85. Oh WOW! Great job, as always! It looks fab! I would love to do this to mine also, but as others have said, it was my great-grandmothers and they would all roll over. I would love to refinish it too. Thanks for the tip about the candleholders...my son and I will just have to head there after Goodwill today. : )

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  86. Love, Love, Love it! And you're right about it's lovely curves - I never even noticed those them until you separated them. Looks Fantastic!

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  87. Your buffet is lovely! That smooth, dark finish just makes me long to glide my fingers acrossed it's gracefully curved front. Yes, I covet your buffet!

    I live in a dinky carriage house apartment with open dining/living room/kitchen and have no room for a buffet. Currently looking for a home to purchase and one of the first items I plan to buy is a buffet. Hopefully, one as lovely as yours.

    Kudos to taking that hutch off!!

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  88. I think it looks beautiful- so classy! I can't believe the guy told you that- what a scam! I wouldn't be suprised if your invoice has the pieces listed separately- or the catalog at the least. So what are you going to do with the hutch!?

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  89. Sarah,

    I've been planning on doing this same thing to my dining room (as soon as I close this Friday and actually move into my house!). I love just a basic buffet w/o the hutch.

    Do you have big fun plans for the hutch? I bet you can leave it on the floor somewhere and it would look cute.

    Thanks for sharing your transformation. You are so talented.

    Allison @ Houseofhepworths.com

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  90. I can totally visualize it in the bed in your living room and I can totally see how it would open it up. I totally love it. I also love the white "mirror" you made. I love the clean, crisp color with the dark buffet. Gorgeous my dear!

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  91. Love it. Is there anything you can't transform? Beautiful.

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  92. Love the decorative molding and the rich brown wall color. Most of all though, I think I love those clear lamps!

    xo
    Coco
    COCOCOZY

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  93. It looks great! I agree that it makes your dining room look larger. Just beautiful!!!

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  94. That. Looks. Fabulous, Sarah! I love it and it really looks different without the hutch on top! Who knew, right? Love the mirror you made and yes, I have the non-flared at the top Dollar Tree candle holders {the flared ones must go quick at the holidays so I should go now and get them, thank you}. The lamps were worth it ~ definitely. Love the greenery, too. I'll have to see if I can get that online since we don't have an actual store here. Simplicity at its finest!

    So glad your hubs continued to help even though it was so heavy; I know that can be a project killer sometimes. Nice job and I can't wait to see how you decorate it for the holidays. So many great ideas.

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  95. I love it SOOOO much more with the hutch gone. It really does make your room so much more spacious, and I love that it's not quite so busy. I do love a good hutch, but it is just me or are they a bit "old-fashioned"? I think this totally updates your room and makes it look so much more "now". As always...love it!!! Great job!

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  96. I am in LOVE!!!! This is beautiful and thank you so much for posting it. I have been working on my dining room for a few months now and have been becoming impatient trying to find a mirror. Now I think I'll just go make my own!!!! You are wonderful!
    lifeofperks.blogspot.com

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  97. Can I tell you that I've come back 3 times already to drool at this post about your re-done dining room. Please, make me go clean the kitchen.

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  98. I love your dresser, without the hutch! Big improvement! But what did you end up doing with the top part? Can't help wondering.

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  99. love it so much! getting rid of that hutch made all the difference! I have to admit, I wasn't crazy about your dining room before and now I love. So I guess it turns out I don't like hutches either :)

    gorgeous!

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  100. love it so much! getting rid of that hutch made all the difference! I have to admit, I wasn't crazy about your dining room before and now I love. So I guess it turns out I don't like hutches either :)

    gorgeous!

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  101. looks absolutley fab! Always does when you get done! You are awesome!

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  102. Amazing. Love. Headed to the Dollar Tree on my way home! Fingers crossed they have the candleholders here in Missouri!

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  103. Definitely a vast improvement. The hutch was just so bulky and in my opinion you can never have too many lamps.

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  104. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your dining room re-do. I just returned from the dollar tree with 2 flared candle holders to make hurricanes! Thank you so much for the tip.

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  105. I kept hearing "Donkey"'s voice in my head (from Shrek) during this post and that made it extra fun. I don't comment often because you have so many, but what happened with the top? I love what you did, by the way, Don-kay!

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  106. I am a lover of hutches, but I have to say that in your room the buffet is perfect!!

    Beautiful!

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  107. Saaawwwweeeeetttt! I stopped by the Dollar Tree today and found the same candle holders! I know what I'll be doing this weekend. I think I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents too . . may add a monogram to them? Oh, the ideas are endless!

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  108. It is soooo much better!! I big puffy heart it as well.

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  109. I love this! I have the same problem of wanting a beautiful serpentine-like buffet, with NO big hutch on top (and not spending a fortune!). I already have a HUGE secretary in my DR, and this would just overwhelm the space.
    I have considered BUYING a 2-piece set from Craigslist just to have the buffet I want - which seems crazy, but now I don't feel so bad! I could just donate the top piece like you did! I think it looks wonderful- the ONLY thing I would do differently is have a horizontal mirror kind of 'behind' the lovely lamps to set them off.

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  110. What a difference...looks awesome! Love the lamps. I just bought a buffet for my entryway and will be using some of your ideas.

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  111. the chocolate walls.......white box moulding.....re-upholstered chairs: all brilliant! but removing the top and creating that wonderful buffet-scape (my new word).........orgasmic! your room looks wonderful!
    kristin

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  112. A successful project. The buffet is lovely. I like the redo on the chairs - nice fabric.
    Nancy

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  113. Oh my gosh.. I can't believe that's the same piece of furniture!!! The base is gorgeous and you're right, I would have never picked up those beautiful curves with the hutch overpowering the piece.

    Awesome idea!

    Donna

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  114. Absolutely beautiful! Sooo much better without the hutch!

    Love the candle holders!!! I'm sooo running to Dollar Tree first chance I get!!!

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  115. Great job! What a transformation!

    I raced off to Dollar Tree today to get those vases. They were out of the candlesticks that you used but they had tall and sleek tealight holders that I liked even better. We'll see if it holds.

    I've never tried Gorilla Glue...do you think hot glue would do the trick or am I kidding myself?

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  116. I LOVE your transformation! I saw it lastnight. You know what I did this morning...I ran to dollar tree to make those candleholders!!! Awesome :)
    Thank you so much for the info
    Michele

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  117. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this! GORGEOUS! everything about this room! I want it in my house! I love the buffet, the table, the chairs, the lamps, the chandelier, the moulding on the walls, the pottery barn bowl, and even the knobs on the buffet. You are so talented!

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  118. My husband is going to be really bummed that I read this post. Because while I originally wanted a hutch, it was an impulse purchase and now I am not loving it. So I just need to butter him and present this idea and see how it goes. I love your dining room!

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  119. I LOVE it!

    BTW...I inherited my grandmothers china cabinet & have just left it "as is" for now. I need the hutch on top because it is *filled* with china. BUT, the other day I saw a matching buffet at the thrift store. I am waiting (impatiently) for them to mark it down & praying that it doesn't sell until they do! I hope I get it & I can do something similar!

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  120. Just Beautiful, Sarah. Simply Stunnin', shugah! You are so talented. Color me green.

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  121. Hi Sarah-

    I am all about light and bright and just loved your William Sonoma knock-off candleholders. At my lunch break today I made a fast trip to The Dollar Tree and got 3 bases and 3 holders. I will probably run them down the center of my DR table, or perhaps the outside table when entertaining.
    What a deal. Thanks for the tip.

    The Home Good Lamps are perfect - adding the perfect sparkly contrast against the dark wall - striking!
    My best - Diane

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  122. Looks beautiful; love it!

    Where did you store all the stuff that was in the cabinet?

    I have no storage in my house!

    S

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  123. What a difference...before, with the full hutch, it looked dated, overwhelming, dark and heavy...after, what a huge difference. With the exception of the plastic plant. I would rather have no plants at all than fake, and really, a perfectly lovely and lush pothos plant practically takes care of itself, so I don't get the plastic thing...but, the room is beautiful.

    I really like the white accents, make everything else pop. Looks like a billion dollar room. Good job!

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  124. it looks stunning! the space looks bigger and more modern. i heard the angels singing when i saw the pictures with the beautiful candles lit, and the buffet/hutch in the bacground.... simply gorgeous, sarah!

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  125. it looks stunning! the space looks bigger and more modern. i heard the angels singing when i saw the pictures with the beautiful candles lit, and the buffet/hutch in the bacground.... simply gorgeous, sarah!

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  126. You have such an awesome blog!!! I love the ideas and inspiration you share. I would like to try this mirror project, it looks so great. Does the moulding lay over the edges of the glass mirror or just bump up right next to the edge? And do you have to do anything to the back of the moulding to get it to lay flush with the plywood backing? I'm probably making this harder than it needs to be but if you could clear that up for me, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks again!

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  127. You are so talented and have adorable way of talking in your posts:)))
    I wanted to let you know that i awarded you with THE VERSATILE BLOGGER award. Here:
    http://walker325.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-got-award.html

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  128. I cannot believe this change to the room created such an impact. It's very hip New York elegance.

    GORGEOUS Sarah!!!

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  129. OMGosh!! I love that mirror. I have a giant chunk of mirror that used to be glued to the wall in my bathroom (yuck!) that I have stashed in the extra bathroom shower (sneaky!). I HAVE to try your chunkiness! I think I have the perfect spot.

    Thank you for the tips!!

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  130. I love the new look! I ran to Dollar Tree and found to of the same candle holders! There were only two left and they were stashed behind the regular ones...so lucky! Don't have glue yet either, so their teetering on my bookshelf! Thanks for the great tip!

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  131. So pretty! Who would have thunk it, well, I guess you. I love your buffet without the hutch.

    Brittany
    http://www.prettyhandygirl.com

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  132. The transformation was perfect!...Wow!..

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  133. Just wanted to let you know I'm linking to your post on Dollar Store Crafts on Wednesday. If you want, you can get a featured button here: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/about-2/featured/

    Thanks!

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