Our Refinished Buffet/Hutch by Thistle and Feather

While we’re not ready yet for a full reno reveal, today I am excited to share the before and after of our oak buffet and hutch, which was refinished by Thistle and Feather: Timeless Furnishings Reinvented.

When we first built our house I was *really* into natural oak. We chose natural oak cabinetry, hardwood floors, dining room/living room furniture…it was way too much! While I still think those individual components are beautiful on their own, we knew that when we renovated we wanted to shake things up.

However, some items are hard to part with. A year after we were married, my grandfather died, and my parents shared an amount of inheritance with us. When we were ready to furnish our new home, we used that money to purchase our gorgeous buffet and hutch. 15 years later, while not as passionate about the colour, I still felt strongly about hanging on to a piece that had such sentimental value for me.

We’ve been working with a fabulous designer (Meredith Kirk of MK Interiors) to achieve our “farmhouse glam” goal for the space, and she suggested chalk paint might be the best route to go, so I took to Facebook to ask for local suggestions. While one follower was confused (why did we want to make our buffet and hutch into a chalkboard?) others came through with great ideas, and I chose Kelly Hickey who runs a business called Thistle and Feather: Timeless Furnishings Reinvented…and she was amazing!

Kelly came to the house to see the piece, help with colour and finish choices (she uses Fusion Mineral Paint) and provide a detailed estimate. With Meredith’s input we chose the colour Sterling, which would work with the other colours (and shades of grey) in the space without being too matchy. We also decided that she would use a dry brushing technique with a second colour (Lamp White) on top to add a bit of a worn look in a few key areas.

Kelly was amazing to work with. She took one of our doors to do first as a sample (which is why it’s missing from the “before” photo, lol!) so that we could be sure that we had picked the right colour – which we had. She even picked up and dropped off our item – though we needed both husbands to help with the loading and unloading! She also honoured her price and timeline – both very important when choosing a businessperson to work with.

After painting, Kelly used Minwax Polycrylic matte finish on the top of the buffet (the spot that will get the most wear and tear) and Country Chic natural wax on the rest. When she was finished her work, the final detail was the hardware: glass knobs which Meredith picked up for $16.99 at Winners!

As you can see, the piece turned out beautifully! The first photos are from Kelly’s home where she staged the item before returning it, and then you can see a few shots of how it looks in place in our newly renovated home. It’s in a tricky spot in terms of lighting, with a window on either side, but I tried!

Next up for Kelly: my grandmother’s rocking chair! I can’t wait to share the results of that special job with you soon!

You can follow Thistle and Feather on Instagram and Facebook – even if you’re not local, you can still get some great ideas and admire Kelly’s beautiful work!

A final look at the Before & After: