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| These are the original flat front "walnut" cabinets! |
On to the pantry area! I can't tell you how much I hated that wall of darkness. Besides being ugly, every time we slid the doors open, items inside would shift and fall out on us. I'm talking canned food! We measured and brainstormed on how to handle it. I finally decided to rip it out while my husband was out of town. It is my coping mechanism. He leaves on business and I rearrange, remodel, repaint...make big changes in our houses. He doesn't even give me big "While You Were Out style" reactions anymore. He expects it and politely acknowledges it. He probably thinks he shouldn't encourage it too much and I can see his point. I can't tell you how fun it was to tear it all out! Hard, dirty and stinky but fun. There were lots of shelves and supports so I had a lot of holes to patch. Well worth the hard work!
Now the kitchen feels bright and open. AND I can rearrange my kitchen if I want. I love that! My sister says that proves I am the ultimate commitment-phobe. Maybe so...maybe so. But I can rearrange my kitchen if I want! Yah!
I also love that it is unique and one of a kind. It's hard to tell in the pictures but it feels to me like it's been like this for a long time. I wanted it to feel like you were in a grandma's kitchen. My grandma wouldn't have had a kitchen designer and she may have made some design mistakes. If I did, I don't care. I love the warn wood of our rustic floor and the mismatched pieces of furniture. I love it's simplicity. Perfection is not my goal. Making a home is!
So, next up for reveal are the island and the range area. Confession: they aren't quite done. They could be though! The island top is visible in one of the pictures. It may or may not look like that next time you see it.
Ooooh, a mysterious cliff hanger!
Author's Note: The large font is dedicated to my husband's beautiful eyes.
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| Can you feel the oppression? Need.. oxygen.... |
Once the pantry was ripped out and the wall patched and painted, I needed to round up some freestanding furniture for storage. The furniture, the key element to an unfitted kitchen, was very important. I was worried but finding it but it was surprisingly easy. It is the kind of thing that I hate to read on other blogs. You know the ones. You love the project but you can't replicate it because they magically found a one-of-a-kind super-incredible piece of furniture on a corner for free and then their really handy husband made it even better. Super annoying, I agree! So I apologize but the stuff I needed just walked in front of me!
The new pantry area is on the left.
I found the little blue cupboard first. It was at an estate sale of a man who built his furniture. I had spontaneously stopped by on the third and final day of the sale and got it for $22. Yes, I know what it looks like, my husband wasn't impressed either. What you can't really see in this grainy before picture is the wood inlay on the counter top and drawer fronts. It is so sturdy. Also, it was originally a dry bar so it is perfect counter height and very deep and spacious inside. It was EXACTLY the size I needed....to the inch!
A diamond in the rough!
I painted all but the top with homemade chalk paint and then painted the inside bright white. In order to make this a little breakfast station, we had outlets put in for the coffee maker and toaster. I bought two thick pieces of cull wood for $1, four metal supports and some little cup hooks to make the open shelves above. I think the whole shelving area cost $28. The shelves hold cookbooks, tea and coffee supplies and the bread box plus a little pile of junk. (The bread box was another crazy magical find. I'm telling you, it was amazing how I found everything that I needed and wanted.)
My silver bread box is only partially visible on the shelf above.
Next up is the "larder". I really, really, really wanted a larder. I had researched them and pinned my favorites. Most were several thousands of dollars and in England! I checked with the kitchen designer but they didn't have anything like that really. It could be constructed but would be very expensive. Most of the ones I liked looked like armoires so I decided to go look for one. Worst case scenario, I knew I could probably find an old tv cupboard but didn't want that to be the case. Thankfully, I didn't have to go that route. It only took one trip to the thrift store. (Right, I know. Grrr!) The armoire wasn't even on the floor yet. I saw one of the workers in the back polishing it and checking for any needed repairs. It was solid wood, a real armoire and the perfect size. I decided to be brave and go ask about it. They didn't even have a price for it. He sold it to me for $150. I was thrilled. I didn't have to do anything to it except add one extra interior shelf. $150 was way less than we were prepared to spend on an entire wall of cabinetry. I have incredible amounts of food and small appliances stashed inside. Everything in the entire old wall of shelves fits into these two cupboards!
We use these pieces of furniture daily!
Now the kitchen feels bright and open. AND I can rearrange my kitchen if I want. I love that! My sister says that proves I am the ultimate commitment-phobe. Maybe so...maybe so. But I can rearrange my kitchen if I want! Yah!
I also love that it is unique and one of a kind. It's hard to tell in the pictures but it feels to me like it's been like this for a long time. I wanted it to feel like you were in a grandma's kitchen. My grandma wouldn't have had a kitchen designer and she may have made some design mistakes. If I did, I don't care. I love the warn wood of our rustic floor and the mismatched pieces of furniture. I love it's simplicity. Perfection is not my goal. Making a home is!
So, next up for reveal are the island and the range area. Confession: they aren't quite done. They could be though! The island top is visible in one of the pictures. It may or may not look like that next time you see it.
Ooooh, a mysterious cliff hanger!
Author's Note: The large font is dedicated to my husband's beautiful eyes.
