A Search to Find the Pefect Dutch Style Kitchen Hutch
Call me nostalgic but I have always wanted to recreate the New England farmhouse kitchen I had so many fond memories of as a child. Although I am now living in a suburban neighborhood of California, I feel this urgent need to bring the crisp Maine autumn into my new kitchen room. In order to create a humble country feel to my home, I was determined to purchase decor and furnishings that lent to this overall theme. The one particular piece I felt was absolutely imperative to invest in was a Dutch-style kitchen hutch--exactly like the hunter green one my mother had.
In the proceeding account, lies my quest for the perfect sentimental Dutch kitchen hutch and on this fortuitous search, a few lessons for all to be had. The first thing I did was to search at estate sales. For anyone wanting to look for vintage or antique furniture, these places are are the absolute best. Depending on the seller, they can be expensive or affordable but they will always be rich in history. I made my trek to an estate sale about forty-five minutes away from my house. On the ads posted on Craigslist, I was able to ascertain that they did have an old kitchen hutch. I wasn't sure, however, about what it looked like since they didn't have any pictures but figured it was worth it to give it a try anyway. When I arrived at the residence, they had all the furniture on sale indoors so that people could see the pieces in their original setting. I bee-lined for the buffet hutch which was much smaller than I had thought. It was nice enough but it was not only an ugly shade of blue but it was most certainly on its last leg. I wasn't about to spend more money than I bought it for to refurbish it. Lesson one: do not drive far for a kitchen hutch you haven't even seen a picture of. Always make sure that you know the dimensions and style before you go to an estate sale out of town.
Finally, I decided to try the conventional online shopping route. I figured after I made my arduous drive, I could do well by sitting in the comfort of my own home. I made my rounds with several web sites that advertised kitchen hutches but none had "the" kitchen hutch of my childhood. Somewhere in the sea of hutches, I found what I had been looking for. It was exactly as I had dreamed it all those years and this time, I new all the correct dimensions. Called, the "Folk Dutch Green Hutch", it appeared to have all the European charm that I wanted. I made a phone call to the distributors to ask some detailed questions about their hutches. Lesson two: always call a customer service rep before you make your final purchase. It'd be better to know everything about what you're buying than receive it and not have it look like the photo at all. The last lesson to be had is that no matter what, you will find what you want. Even if it wasn't in your image of perfection, you will fall upon something that you'll enjoy as much if not more.
