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Not feeling the ’90s vibe of a bulky hutch? That’s no reason to pass one up, whether you inherited it or found a deal at a thrift store. That’s because you can upcycle them to add lots of storage to your home — plus, it’s not difficult to make them stylish. Separating the top and bottom often makes it easier to find a use for the piece in your home — like transforming an old hutch top into charming laundry room storage. In this DIY, TikTok creator LivingWithQuinn uses the top as a TV stand. It works well because hutches typically have plenty shelves you could use as storage for complementary TV components, and the large top is perfect for holding the TV itself.

When choosing a hutch for this idea, consider the shape, size, and amount of storage to make sure it’ll work well as a TV stand. It needs to have a large enough base to create a steady freestanding cabinet. If it seems like it would be wobbly, you may need to modify it by adding an extra horizontal wood board at the bottom or cutting off part of the hutch. Have the tools and supplies on hand in case you need to make those modifications.

You can basically use the hutch top as-is, but you may want to refinish it to make it look more modern. Small adjustments, like holes drilled in the back for cords, are also helpful as you transition the cabinet into a TV stand. While you only need the top portion for this project, there are plenty of uses for the bottom portion, too — you can turn a dated hutch into a gorgeous entryway storage solution, for example.

Convert a hutch top into a TV cabinet

Close-up of a hutch top used as a TV cabinet

Assess the bottom of the hutch top first to decide if it needs additional support. Hutch tops are typically shallower than the bottom cabinet portion, and the supports on some styles curve in as they near the hutch bottom, which could hurt the stability of the piece on its own. Even if the sides go straight down, there’s no bottom support piece going across once you remove the top from the base. To solve this, you can cut off the excess wood below the cabinet portion. Or, cut a piece of wood the same size as the top and screw that to the bottom of the piece. Add furniture legs to the bottom for a more intentional design.

Once the piece is stable, it’s time to make cosmetic updates. One woman turned a secondhand oak cabinet hutch into a modern masterpiece by sanding it and recreating a paint wash effect — try this method to modernize your new TV hutch. You can also paint it a solid color or simply clean and polish up the existing finish. If the top of the hutch has trim pieces that stick up above the top, you may want to remove them to avoid blocking the view of the screen. You can also add new trim to adjust the look.

If you’re putting gaming systems, sound systems, or other electronic components inside the cabinet, use a hole saw drill bit to cut a smooth circle in the back of the cabinet. To hide the view of those components through glass-front hutch doors, use glass film or frosted glass spray to update the look. You can also add extra shelves or adjust the location of the shelves to better fit your component configuration.

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Read the original article on Hunker.