The Red Hutch: God’s Grace and Backdoor Clutter

[Note: this post got a little long, 🙂 so if you’d like to skip right to all the pictures and organization part, simply scroll down to the end.]

We moved into our current house in Northern Virginia after a cross-country move (from Texas) and in the midst of a difficult, high-risk pregnancy.  Older Brother had just turned three, Mr. Native Texan was tasked with starting up a new branch of his Dallas-based company, the new house was twice as big as our former home in Texas and our only friend in the area lived 45 minutes away.

It was a challenging time.  Truth be told, it was a dark time for me, lasting at least one year.

While we were so thankful for our new home–it was almost everything we’d been hoping for: out in the country, an older home with personality, in great shape for its age, came with a few acres and an outbuilding, surrounded by great neighbors, etc–we were overwhelmed by the prospects of furnishing and decorating our new abode.

Specifically, yours truly was the only one concerned about furnishing and decorating said home.  Mr. Native Texan was primarily concerned with bringing home the bacon from his new and completely unchartered position, with a new mortgage in one of the priciest real estate markets in the nation and a new baby on the way.

I’ve always relished my role as Home Decorator and Household Manager.  Under normal circumstances, I would have dived right into scouring thrifty finds, arranging and rearranging furniture and organizing all our stuff in this new space.  Instead, I faced the daily struggle of severe physical limitations while attempting to care for a three-year-old, both of us still reeling from being uprooted from all our friends and familiar resources.

Not only were we in a completely new location, but our new home was (is) far from most shopping venues.  Although we’d wanted it that way, it still came as a major adjustment.  And coupled with my physical circumstances, shopping was pretty much out of the question.

So, I spent a lot of time sitting in our new home, envisioning decorating and organization projects in my head with little ability to bring any of those visions to fruition.  Have I mentioned my type A, task-oriented, go-getter personality?  What a refining, character-producing time!  And truthfully, I went through the process kicking and screaming.  I can look back now and see lessons learned and fruit produced, but at the time I struggled to submit to my circumstances with a joyful spirit.

I mention all of this to illustrate how God’s grace came to me, as it often does, in an unexpected–and completely unmerited (which is the definition of grace, no?)–manner: through the Red Hutch.

I’d identified a sofa on Craigslist that seemed promising and wasn’t too far away.  We made the arrangements to stop by the owner’s home, and when we arrived, she explained that she was moving in with her boyfriend and had many other pieces to sell.  Her decorating style and colors were similar to mine, so I agreed to take a look around.

Would you believe that we walked away from that condo with the sofa, plus a day bed, a stuffed chair and ottoman, a love seat, an antique dresser, a beautiful antique library table/desk and a distressed Red Hutch, all for less than what we’d have paid for a new sofa?  

Each piece filled a very specific need, and we were so thankful.  In fact, almost four years later, we still have and use all of them except for the love seat (which was given to a friend who put it to good use).  But the most special item of all was

The Red Hutch.

It was the perfect size and color for our backdoor entry area, where we needed something to hide and organize typical backdoor clutter.  I tend to be {ahem} super-organized and find it difficult to relax when surrounded by clutter.  In my opinion, everything just runs better when items have a logical home.

I’ll never forget walking upstairs in that Craigslist lady’s condo.  The Red Hutch was the very last item she showed me and I was instantly smitten, but I knew our list was already growing longer and more expensive with each room we toured.  It wasn’t a necessity, but I could just picture it right by the back door.  Perfect size, perfect color, and just my style.  Plus, it had roomy drawers (be still, my heart) and a large storage compartment, all hidden behind adorably-detailed doors.  And it was on old-fashioned caster wheels!  It was clearly old and well-made–two of my top furniture requirements. 🙂

I just knew it would cost too much.  We were trying to furnish all our extra space as frugally as possible, looking for great deals on only the necessities.  Just for kicks, I asked how much she wanted for it.  “Oh, fifty bucks,” she said.  I looked at Mr. Native Texan, my eyes bulging out of my head.  He nodded.  (Of course–what a deal!)

As a side note, we actually got it for less than $50 when you consider that I added up the prices she’d mentioned for each of the eight items, and then offered her a much lower amount.  I was sure she’d turn me down, but to my great amazement, she agreed!  I think she was relieved to get rid of so many items in one fell swoop, and quite possibly she took pity on my large, pregnant self.

[Perhaps another time I’ll relate the highly amusing tale of how we transported all those items to our home, without a truck or trailer.]

And there you have it: God’s Grace to me, the woefully incapacitated Organizing Queen of Decorating with Junk.  We found eight useful items in one place, fifteen minutes from our home and at an amazing price.  One of those items–the Red Hutch–is one of my all-time favorite finds.

I’m no emotional, over-spiritualized gal who looks for signs in every little turn of events, but this Red Hutch was like God wrapping His arms around me and whispering in my ear: It’s going to be OK.  You’re going to make it.  I’m here, and I’m using all of this for your good and for My glory.  Here’s a tangible reminder for you, a tailor-made gift you can look at every day and remember my goodness.  

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…(James 1:17).

Here’s the inside of the Red Hutch, back when it was a bit more organized than it is today. Bags are stored on the right side, hanging on S-hooks from the original bar (bags for the library, church, groceries, handbags, etc).

This is the top drawer, whose contents prove how long ago this picture was taken–back when we still used regular diaper cream and wet wipes! 🙂

The second drawer, again filled with items we no longer use like regular (aerosol!) sunscreen and insect repellent.

This is the shoe basket tucked out of sight under the Red Hutch. Now, we have a second shoe basket for Little Brother. I love that they can find their shoes easily, and the baskets can be pushed under the hutch to hide the clutter.

Here it is again: a daily reminder of God’s grace to me.