That is a lovely hutch. It's really hard to estimate a value because they can vary significantly by region and frankly items often sell for a fraction of their apprasal value or worth on Craigslist every day. eBay seems to set higher prices since they can command a wider set of potential buyers--esp. if one is willing to provide shipping; however, many would-be buyers may be deterred by the cost of shipping. Also, keep in mind that what an antique store will charge to sell is not the same as what they would purchase it for--same as a consignment store, hence why many people turn to Craigslist to sell their antiques. I bought a few of my better quality antiques from a company that specializes in running estate sales at the sellers' home over a single weekend and then gets a take of the proceeds from the owners--still at a fraction of their worth. It all depends on finding a buyer who wants it bad enough to pay full price. To me, I think the real value in this is that it is a family heirloom. It's a shame the person who inherited this now has to pay for half the appraised value in order to keep it and the person who treasured it, no longer has possession. But I am sure you already know that.

Thanks so much for all the great ideas and opinions. Here is a little more info. It's actually all one piece and not a top and bottom and there were never doors on it. There is a label somewhere that says "True Grand Rapids-Cabinet Making Certified" although they advertised it as being in excellent condition it's definitely not. I like the examples that were posted and my family room has a side table and coffee table that are distressed off white (Broyhill Attic Heirloom series) but the wall behind it will be a tan color when the drywall is finished in a week or two, the floor it will sit on will be honey oak and the chairs around the table are black. My table actually matches the color of the piece now but I always have a table cloth on it these days (I've got 4 kids). I've kicked around the idea of going barn red but either black, off white, or red, I'm just not sure the formal piece will look right going rustic although some of the examples above have that same formal look and they painted up very nice. I'll try to post pictures of the surroundings tomorrow. Thanks again for the ideas and opinions.

pps - I've seen pics of your beautiful house and would trade in a heartbeat. Too many unfinished projects in mine anyway :-D shay - I painfully scrubbed this hutch with a toothbrush and wax remover (and even acetone) several times to get rid of the wax finish. That toned it down a bit but I then bleached the wood because I initially wanted the grain to show through the glazing. If I had known I'd end up using a solid paint then I would have still needed to go through the wax removing process but wouldn't have bleached the wood. I've used a commercial wood bleach (a powder you mix with water) on a pine piece before and that worked well but the hardware store was out of stock. I ended up using a homemade liquid drain cleaner solution found here: Homemade bleaching/aging solution Be sure to test a small area before you do this and wear a protective mask, gloves, etc. Also, allow plenty of drying time between removing wax/bleaching and applying a new finish.

Unfortunately the condition of your cabinet is pretty rough! You could try to replicate the finish by doing a technique called combing. It would be difficult though and the finish you have now is in such poor condition with large gaps and areas that need repair I’m not sure you should try to salvage that.