Fall farmhouse buffet with chicken wire

This buffet and hutch had been in our inventory for a while. We got it for free from FaceBook marketplace from someone who just wanted it gone. I thought the lines were charming and I could definitely see it had potential for the modern farmhouse look that is so popular right now.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our Disclosure Policy for details.

But the glass doors had to go for this fall farmhouse buffet. Originally I had thought we’d leave the top open, but the glass inserts themselves were only held in with small clips. Once we’d removed the inserts, the doors themselves looked good and we decided chicken wire would give this buffet a little charm and character.

We chose to paint the main part of the buffet and hutch Fusion’s new color, Sacred Sage. It’s really more of a grey than a green and in some light even has a bluish tone.

It took me a while to decide on the interior color but in the end I went for Fusion’s Goddess Ashwagandha. Stuart keeps calling this color white. It’s really not. It more light grey/cream. Fusion describes it as “equal parts, light, warm and airy” which is a pretty accurate description.

Both colors are neutral and we were confident they would sell quickly (which is always the goal after being on hiatus for weeks!). Also, as it’s late August, I feel myself drawn to those natural fall colors already, rather than brighter summer hues.

Working with chicken wire

Adding chicken wire to furniture ramps up the farmhouse look. Surprisingly, you can buy chicken wire online or at most major home improvement stores (or maybe it’s just surprising to this city girl). One roll is plenty and it doesn’t cost too much (compared to replacing glass).

The chicken wire proved to be more unwieldy than we had anticipated. It does not roll our easily or hold it’s shape without being bent. Stuart resorted to hugging the role to get it’s co-operation.

Below are our tips for creating a chicken wire hutch door:

• wear gloves (the ends are shape which is great for protecting chicken but not so great for my poor fingers);
• measure out the dimensions you need for the door opening OR use the door as a template BEFORE painting (the chicken wire will scratch your paint job if you touch it with the chicken wire);

• use sharp tin snips (like these) to cut the wire (dull tins snips are just frustrating)
• use a staple gun to secure the chicken wire to the back of doors, pneumatic is great if you have it;
• staple at least every 3 hexagons of the wire (this is necessary to help the chicken wire stay flat) and
• trim any excess wire (you don’t want anyone getting scratched when they open the door to get things in and out of the hutch later).

Other country touches

We swapped out the hardware on the drawers for bin pulls. Evert time I put a bin pull on a cabinet in instantly ups the country, farmhouse charm factor big time.

We also kept some natural wood by sanding down the top and sealing it with hemp oil. We only did the wood on the inside of the top and not along the edges since it was a different type of wood and it would have been tough to match the stain colors.

The final of this fall farmhouse buffet is so charming! The earthy colors are neutral but they are so much more striking than a simple white or grey. The hardware and the chicken wire add the perfect amount of character and interest to the piece as well. Maybe I’ll just have to hold on to this one until after Thanksgiving!

Have you worked with chicken wire before? Do you have any tips or tricks? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!