Combined Effort

Still hunting for that perfect hutch? Here’s a design trick: Mix and match furnishings to create the illusion of a freestanding unit. Debbie’s ironstone pitchers preside on a wall shelf paired with an antique cupboard in her dining room. Scales strategically positioned on each side and English advertising pots throughout help unify the two separate pieces.

“Antiques stir fond childhood memories.”

Even though Debbie collects countless vintage wares, she artfully blends items to form nostalgia tugs. She props a door beside a dining room cabinet brimming with books and pottery. Then she tops the cabinet with an old window, ornate frame, mirrors and found objects. “I always manage to find a place for the things I buy. And I like to fill bowls, dishes and vessels with little things like inkwells and mother-of-pearl buttons. If you collect inexpensive things, you can always buy a bunch,” Debbie says.

Mirrors on the interiors of hutches serve in a multitude of ways. A mirror as the backdrop in Debbie’s dining room hutch reflects sunlight through the room, brightens the interior of the cabinet and allows visibility of an English teapot collection from all angles. Consider propping up a framed mirror in the back of a cabinet’s recessed area for a boost of illumination.