There is no way to totally protect it from warping/splitting/separating if weather can get to the piece. Best you can do is coat every surface---inside and out---with paint. Primered first and then painted.

Then, hope for the best.

The survival of the piece has more to do with how the piece was designed and built, i.e. the types of glues and joints, and whether the joints can handle the expansion that will come with higher outdoor humidity, than with any coating you can put on it. Some pieces wouldn't fare well outside no matter what you did to them. An occasional splattering with rain won't cause your hutch to implode, but I wouldn't do this with a piece of furniture I was really attached to.

Thanks for the replies!

Handymac, Are you saying it is ok to prime/paint over what ever is on there now? Should it be latex or oil?

Jon, this piece is a roughfly put together primitive piece (not old) and on second thought I probably shouldn't have gotten it to put on the porch, but what is done is done. Do you recommend a coating of polyetherane or some other protective coating?

Thanks, Zoe

Priming/repainting will help. Latex is easier and will be fine.