Retro Den Featured Pick: Hutch with a History

When Susette and her husband brought this mid-century modern hutch into the shop to sell, they had barely made it in the door when they proclaimed, "This hutch survived a tornado." 

I was all ears. It's an exciting occasion (at least in our lives) to learn that a vintage hutch isn't just a pretty face, but has a colorful history too. 

The hutch originally belonged to Susette's aunt and rode out the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak in her home. Luckily, Susette's family members came out  uninjured and the hutch remained intact although other property was damaged. 

They pointed out that the hutch had a scar from the 1979 tornado–a scratch on its top from a flying branch.

Although we sometimes repair or lightly refinish pieces in the shop, this was one scratch we didn't dare touch. 

Furniture like this reminds us that we are all a sum of our stories, and sometimes it's the scratches that bring out the best patina in us all.