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Decorating the Summer Hutch with Vintage Finds

By Rachel

published 07/11/2024

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Welcome back to my Summer home series! Today we are going to be decorating the Summer hutch with vintage finds.

Calling all vintage lovers and decor enthusiasts! Are you ready to add a touch of nostalgia to your home this Summer? Look no further than your trusty hutch, the perfect canvas for displaying your treasured items. Come along as I share thrifty tips for decorating the Summer hutch with vintage finds!

Vintage Summer Decorating Ideas

Hello, guys! Welcome back to the blog and to the third (and last) post in my Summer home series. Over the past month or so, we have been styling thrifted and vintage decor in blues and whites! If you missed the first one, you can find that here.

Table of Contents

Today we are styling the hutch…my favorite! From charming trinkets to heirloom pieces, decorating your hutch for Summer has never been more fun or easy.

Join me as we transform this timeless piece of furniture into a whimsical and inviting space, filled with personal touches and unique finds. Let’s dive into the world of vintage decorating and discover the endless possibilities for your Summer hutch!

How to Style a Hutch on a Budget

Decorating my hutch for the seasons is one of my favorite activities. However, hutch styling is a skill that, with practice, develops over time.

Just like anything, when you want to get better at something, consistent practice is the key. That goes for decorating, too!

Styling a hutch has many layers and, truly, this topic could be a blog post all its own. But, for the purpose of time, here are five important factors for styling a hutch on a thrifty budget.

Purchase decor at thrift stores to use in your hutch.
Shop your house and use items that you already have.
Don’t be so ‘match-y’. Feel free to mix and match dishes and other decor together.
Shop for faux stems and greenery when they are on sale.
Incorporate ribbon into your hutch by simply tying it on to a few select pieces.

Shop the Look!

Decorating the Summer Hutch with Vintage Finds

For my hutch decor this season, I stuck to the overall Summer theme which includes the colors blue, white and yellow. Through the use of thrifted and vintage decor finds, the hutch display has an overall charming feel that is light and airy.

I’ll walk you through the elements that I incorporated throughout each shelf of the hutch and give you tips on how to achieve a similar look. Let’s get into it!

Blue and White Ironstone in the Hutch

Let’s kick it off with one of my favorite vintage items…transferware!

To start off the hutch decor for Summer, I wanted to use select pieces from my blue and white transferware collection.

Using these ‘like’ or similar pieces not only drives home the blue and white theme but helps bring balance to the display as a whole.

So, front and center on the middle shelf, I placed a showstopper tureen! I found this at an antique mall last year for such a cheap price and is one of my all time favorite vintage finds.

Each piece of blue and white ironstone is a tad different but still hold similar qualities such as color, pattern, and a cream-colored base.

A vintage blue and white vase sits in the top right corner alongside a vintage blue onion sugar dish. The subtle differences in the blue hues complement each other in such a beautiful way!

For some cohesiveness, I placed another transferware vase on the middle shelf but on the opposite side of the hutch.

Again, the blue and white transferware connects each shelf with the next. By having those linked elements throughout, you will achieve a harmonious display.

Vintage Glass in a Summer Hutch Display

The next vintage element that I incorporated into my hutch for Summer is a variety of vintage glass.

This eclectic mix of glass includes milk glass, jadeite, blue glass jars, and clear glass jars.

In my Summer hutch, I have at least two pieces of glass showcased on each shelf. On the bottom shelf, this milk glass creamer sits atop a stack of jadeite dishes and holds a lovely stem of red flowers.

On the opposite side, a large blue jar is a vessel for trailing greenery amongst a plethora of vintage dishes.

On the middle shelf, a milk glass pedestal bowl holds a few white geraniums while the small milk glass dish corrals vintage thread spools in blue and yellow.

The clear, waffle-patterned jar rounds out the vignette with a gingham ribbon tied around the zinc lid.

And, on the top, a vintage hobnail cruet rounds out the milk glass.

Lastly, another clear glass jar adds height to this side of the hutch while helping to tone down the bright colors.

Mix and Match Thrifted Decor Finds

A hutch decorating tip that I’ve learned over the years is that it’s totally okay to mix and match decor, especially of the vintage variety. Again, as I stated above, this is a skill that is learned and refined over time. But, with mindful practice, you will be able to discern what pieces of vintage decor to pair with what.

As an example, I used this very method on the top shelf. First, I placed an ironstone tureen in the middle.

Then, to bring in the blues, I stacked two enamelware cups beside the tureen.

To round out the vignette, I paired those cups with a green flower frog as well as a few pieces of coordinating ironstone.

Now, if you notice, none of these pieces of decor necessarily ‘match’. Yet, due to the vintage aesthetic and similar colors, each piece flows seamlessly in with the next.

And, truly, there isn’t a set of rules for mixing and matching decor in a hutch. Practice this skill by just doing and trying things. Start with one decor item and try something…move it around, take it out, add something else…that’s the name of the game!

vintage and thrifted hutch decor for Summer

Once you start to get an eye for what decor pairs nicely together, start challenging yourself and really think outside the box.

You’ll surprise yourself at the vignettes that you come up with!

a vintage jadeite teacup with faux yellow flowers inside

Display Collections in a Summer Hutch

Another decorating tip that I love to accomplish in a hutch is to style a collection together. There is just something about a whole collection altogether that is just a ‘wow’ when looking at it through the hutch doors, you know?!

For Summer, I wanted to style my collection of ironstone creamers. So, on the bottom shelf, I did just that!

For a colorful background, I first placed my very favorite thrifted barn painting. Then, I simply spaced out each creamer, turning each one slightly left or right depending on the style of it.

Other collections you could display in a Summer hutch include:

pottery
glass bottles
jars
ink wells
wooden spoons
books
spritzers

Faux Florals and Greenery

The last but certainly not least hutch decorating tip is all about incorporating faux floral stems and greenery.

This is my very favorite way to add color, texture, and dimension to any hutch display, whether it be for Summer or not!

When choosing flowers to use in a hutch, try and select colors that you have used elsewhere in your home so that your hutch decor feels cohesive to the rest of the space.

So, for my Summer hutch, I used a combination of yellow, white, and red flowers paired with fern-like trailing greenery. These are all hues and tones that I’ve incorporated into other rooms, making my hutch feel united with the rest of the house.

Speaking from experience, without the use of flowers or greenery in a hutch vignette, there will not be enough movement and the display as a whole will feel incomplete.

So, to help, I’ve rounded up a list of some of my very favorite faux florals to use in a hutch. They include:

Vintage Hutch Decor for Summer

With that, my Summer hutch is complete!

I hope you can see just how fun and rewarding it is to decorate with thrifted and vintage finds. Each old thing adds a unique charm that can’t be found anywhere else.

The joy is not only in finding the decor items but also decorating with your finds in your own, special way.

No one sees things in the same way nor does anyone decorate the same so take this cue to be your one-of-a-kind, authentic self, especially when styling your home!

Closing Tidbits on Decorating the Summer Hutch with Vintage Finds

I truly hope you have found inspiration and easy-to-follow methods in this post today.

Decorating your Summer hutch with vintage finds not only adds a charming touch to your home but it also allows you to re-purpose and give new life to old relics.

By following the tips and ideas discussed in this article, you can create a beautiful yet meaningful display that captures the essence of summertime. Be encouraged to hunt for those one-of-a-kind pieces, keeping an eye out for those special treasures that help tell your own, unique story.

Leave me a comment! How do you like to decorate your hutch? I love hearing from you!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!