in a barbie world.

Published on by Quandie

Is that Barbie movie being marketed like crazy or what?  You’d have to be living in a cave not to have noticed.  I haven’t seen the movie, mainly because I don’t go to the theatre anymore.  I’ll wait until I can stream it (and drink wine while still wearing painting clothes when watching).

I was definitely a Barbie girl growing up though.  Malibu Barbie was a favorite, I loved her tan and her long, straight hair that was so much prettier than my frizzy curls.

But Live Action Barbie definitely had my favorite outfit.

How many of you remember that one?  That outfit was awesome.

I have actually hung onto one of my Barbie’s outfits.

My grandmother knitted that for me.  It’s far more classy than the psychedelic number on Live Action Barbie.  That’s probably why it’s still in such good shape, Malibu Barbie rarely actually wore it.

But today’s post isn’t actually about Barbie, it’s a furniture makeover post.

Hallelujah, I have completed another piece of furniture!  Four more to go before the snow flies.

I picked up that hutch at a garage sale earlier this summer.  I thought it looked a bit outdated in that wood tone, with those aged brass knobs.  I knew it would be fun to give it a new lease on life.

Well, I’m not sure ‘fun’ is the right word.  These sorts of pieces can be so much work.  Especially if you’re opting to paint both the inside and the outside.  I started with removing those knobs and the decorative metal back plates behind them.  I then used some of Dixie Belle’s Mud to fill some tiny nail holes left behind by the back plates.  Then I cleaned the piece, followed by a light sanding overall, followed by a coat of Dixie Belle’s B.O.S.S. (again, an ounce of prevention for bleed-thru).

Then I got to work painting.  I painted the outside and the upper inside with Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.  Once dry I sanded lightly to distress.

I know that not everyone is a fan of distressing these days, but I still love the way it brings out the detail in something like this.  I also like that you’re not quite so worried about wear showing over time, because it’s meant to look a little worn.

And here’s where this hutch joins the Barbie world, I painted the inside of the lower portion in Dixie Belle’s Prickly Pear.

Wowza, now that is a pop of Barbie pink!

And why not have a vibrant pop of color inside?  No one will know it’s there unless they open the cabinet.

Sidebar note; our new fence is earning its keep in that photo (right side of above photo), it’s blocking the neighbor’s pickup truck from view.  It was worth every bit of blood, sweat and tears that went into putting it up.

I added re.design with prima’s Flower Collector transfer in gold inside the top portion of the cabinet.

I like that it’s very subtle in the gold on white (it also comes in black), and I know most of it will get covered up if the cabinet is full of stuff, but as I’ve learned from my own glass fronted cabinet, you can artfully arrange things to allow that background to peek through.  Especially if you’re a fan of the ‘less is more’ approach.

As you may have noticed in that photo, the shelves in this piece are adjustable.

Once the transfer was in place, I added a topcoat of Dixie Belle’s flat clear coat over all of the Drop Cloth and over the transfer.  The Prickly Pear interior didn’t need a topcoat since it’s the Dixie Belle Silk paint with a built in primer and top coat.

Finally, I added replacement pulls from Hobby Lobby.

I wanted something a little more updated, and a lot more gold.  Although these pulls came in ‘gold’, they weren’t quite gold enough for me.  So I added some of Dixie Belle’s Gold Gilding Wax to them to brighten them up even a bit more.

Although you could use this hutch in the traditional way, filled with china or knick knacks, I think there are so many other ways to put one of these to use.  You could use it as a linen closet, filling it with stacks of pretty towels.  You could use it as a small library, filled with books.  You could use it in the potting shed, filled with clay pots and other gardening items.  You could use it in your craft room, filled with all of your crafting supplies.  Or in the end, you could fill it up with one of your non-collections, like my matte white pottery!  The possibilities are endless.

What do you think of the transformation?

And I have to ask, do any of you have ‘I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world’ stuck in your head now?  Or it is just me?

This hutch is for sale locally, check out my ‘available for local sale‘ page for more details.

Thank you to Dixie Belle Paint Co for providing their products used in this makeover.

32 thoughts on “in a barbie world.”

  2. Super duper rehab. I’m looking for a desk piece for our extra bedroom when our basement upset is done..and this is what i will be doing with it…except for the pink—I may use a bright lime green though…grins, Sandi

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    1. I used to bring home any color or item (vases, planters, etc), but ultimately narrowed it down to white and aqua vases only. Although I do still have a couple of small planters that I just couldn’t part with 🙂

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  4. What a gorgeous makeover! Hit this one out of the park. I love the subtle distress. Really gives the details dimension and the pop of the pink is so fun! I like that with the transfer, there’s no stress with arranging. Just let that shine if you want! Loved my Barbie’s. I wish I still had them but I’m sure they went in a yard sale at some point🤣

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    1. My Barbie’s perished in a flood. The flood my parent’s had in their basement when a pipe burst while they were out of town (visiting me, in fact). So sad 😉

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    1. As always, I see your makeovers and look around to see where I can squeeze it in my tiny house. I bet the person you got it from would never recognize it and if they did, would be kicking themselves for giving it up! Just a stunning makeover – you should show to the paint company to use as inspiration!

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      1. LOL, already done. I am a content creator for Dixie Belle, so I share all of my furniture projects with them and they sometimes use them for marketing. As for the hutch, the seller asked me to send her a picture when I had it done, so you’ve reminded me that I should do that!

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    2. I didn’t notice any labeling while I was working on it. I’ll pull it out and look at the back when I have time and let you know if there are any labels.

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  8. Day and night!!Love the choice of color and like the gold graphics. Subtle all the way. Just the right size also. Would be wonderful for whatever need you have,I need mire book storage. Great makeover. Have a blessed day.

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  10. I am so happy to see another furniture update from you. This is quite a bit different than your usual and I love it. Your staging on this piece is so stunning, casual but elegant. I think this will sell fast. (And I never was a Barbie fan, but the pink interior is such a fun punch of whimsy).

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  11. Quite a few thoughts bounced around in my head while reading this. Pink? Green? Neutral?
    So fun to see this transformation – love the gold graphics and the pop of unexpected interior color!

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    1. I did debate painting this cupboard green! But in the end I thought I’d have a better chance at selling it if I kept it more neutral … on the outside anyway.

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  13. The cabinet turned out quite lovely. I love the pop of pink. I took out my old Barbie. She is a #4 Barbie from 1961. She actually is worth quite a bit. Who would have ever thought 🧐

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  14. Wow! What a fabulous make over! Love the gold lettering! Just had to giggle about your Barbie story. I still have my Barbie, a bubble hair style one. (Midge & Skipper are long gone.) I have a Barbie dress and jacket that my Grandma crocheted.

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  15. I thought this piece didnt have much potential while looking at the before pic, but it’s BEAUTIFUL now! Great makeover.

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