Rustic Hutch

The hutch as we know it today has its roots in the homes of early American settlers. It was furniture born of necessity, capable of serving multiple functions in a small home and built with rudimentary techniques. A hutch could be built by the average person, who might not be a consummate craftsman and has only a relatively small selection of hand tools. The form can vary widely, from hutch tables to more modern china hutches and dressers (like the one you see here). Despite this, the broad concept of the hutch is unified by two principles: prioritizing function over form and using simple yet effective joinery.

While fanciful hutches aren’t hard to find these days, our designer, Dillon Baker, chose to take a more traditional approach. With this project, much of the usual ornamentation has been stripped away, allowing Dillon and Marc, our shop craftsman, to focus on the color and texturing first.

Just as early settlers would select something local and inexpensive, we decided to use yellow pine, which was used predominantly in early hutches across the southeastern United States. A beadboard backing draws the eye upward, toward the arched frame of the upper case, to the molding across the top. This hutch will help you “flex” your fundamentals to create a project that, while simple, is far from elementary.

Building the BASE

In building this hutch, it’s best to begin at the bottom. Namely, the