How Dave And Jenny Marrs Turned An Antique Gem Into Showstopping Kitchen Storage

Antiques and other older pieces are an instant way to add charm and character to any space, a trick HGTV hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs often employ in their stunning transformations of the homes they work on. These unique pieces don't always arrive readymade and ready to use. A lovely kitchen remodel on a recent episode of "Fixer to Fabulous" involved a stunning kitchen hutch that started as a table found at a local antique shop. The Marrs turned it into a towering hutch to display the homeowners' collection of heirloom dishes.

While traditional full-size furniture can be ungainly, heavy, and hard to move, using a modular option can offer more flexibility, allowing you to create a piece that fits your kitchen both in size and style. Augmenting an existing item with newly built elements or mismatched pieces from elsewhere can also be a more budget-friendly alternative. You can then customize it completely to your needs, including adding shelves, doors, glass, and other details. You could also modify an existing older unit into a modern hutch cabinet to match your aesthetic or improve it for functionality.

The trick to this hack is finding the perfect item that fits your space. The piece the Marrs chose reflects the French country style the homeowners desired, which they reinforced by painting the entirety a beautiful Provencal-inspired blue that rivals real French antiques. Dave Marrs constructed a top portion by adding glass doors to a simple shelving unit, which complemented the style of the table below and provided storage too. He also added trim at the top of the piece that mirrors the trim around the original table. The result is a slender cabinet, perfect for dishes, that doesn't take up unnecessary space jutting out from the wall.

There are many ways to get a similar look, including constructing your own upper portion with shelves or a doored cabinet above. Or you could use things you already have, like an existing cabinet or shelving unit you've removed the legs from and attached securely to a base. Base options are many, including consoles, desks, dressers, and islands. You could also use a coffee table for a hutch cabinet whose top portion sits lower to the floor. A recent trend is adding hutch tops to kitchen counters to create more cabinet space. While the Marrs used glass doors on the upper cabinet, you can leave it open for shelving or add other elements like fluted glass, woven caning, or chicken wire, depending on your aesthetic.