How I turned my old hat rack into a stylish hutch

This hat and coat rack, with a special drawer for shoes below, has been in my family for many years. This elegant piece of furniture, which had  once seemed to occupy hardly any space at all in a substantially spacious house, many years later, in a more compact home, had caused me some grief.

 

The problem was that with downsizing, we had to hold on only to furniture which would, firstly, be of practical use, and secondly, fit the reduced space. But unable to part with a cherished piece of my past, I decided to turn it into a hutch for my kitchen without altering it in any way.

 

Mounting three shelves into the wall was all it took. These shelves were made out of a tabletop whose legs had buckled under the weight of tableware serving savories and sweets, which I love preparing for family and friends.

 

A thin wooden bar across the top, and I had my plate rack ready. My every day-use tea set, a cookie jar filled with a choice of tea bags for guests, a cane basket of tomatoes—which I invariably buy in large quantities—a few quirky knickknacks and the transition was complete.

 

Not only do I find the repurposed hat rack useful every day, but I also love the bright colours it lends to my kitchen and the memories it evokes!

 

© Parizad Trikannad