From built-in to pantry

My house was built in 1932. For me this means amazing trim work which I showed you here but it also means lack of adequate closets, one bathroom located on the 2nd floor that is the size of my thumb which I showed you a little here, and a built in in the kitchen which was perfectly charming but really un-useable.
We were using the top part as a coat closet of sorts but it wasn’t deep enough for hangers so everything had to be smooshed in there to close the doors. Also it had 3 drawers on the bottom which we used for flashlights, batteries, etc. but they were hard to pull out and put back in. I wanted a place to put my vacuum and trash can away. I was tired of having my cleaning supplies sitting out. I was also very very tired of my dog emptying the contents of my trash can every time I left the house if I didn’t remember to put it outside before I left.
SO. Handsome Hubby took my vision of an actual floor to ceiling closet/pantry and helped me make it possible.
Here is what we started with once we removed the drawers:

Then we proceeded to use a reciprocating saw- my Dad’s by the way, he lends me all sorts of things totally LOVE my Dad!- (Hubs would like to point out that some people call it a ‘saws-all’ because it saws everything but I prefer to use the proper names thankyouverymuch) to cut the drawer supports and the dividing shelf out.

I am obviously using the term ‘we’ very loosely here. But in my defense I did swing the hammer a few times and broke out the shelf! Just not all the way, obviously by the following picture…..plus I was 6+ months pregnant at the time!

 

This is what we were left with once all the supports/shelves were removed:

Here is when we noticed that one of the previous owners had put sheetrock over the plaster in the top portion so when the shelf was removed we had un even walls. So I did what any resourceful girl would do….I called Dad. I knew he had to have enough sheetrock in his garage/basement/somewhere to give me.

Who was right? :) Thanks Dad!

So the parts I don’t have pictures of are the mudding/taping the new sheetrock, the caulking of seams/gaps/imperfections all over and then the painting. I just used the rest of a quart sized can I had previously used in Little Man’s nursery. It is a shocking lime-ish green. I thought it was an unexpected surprise when you opened the pantry door….plus it would make it lighter in there since there is no light source.

I also had Military Man (aka Handsome Hubby aka Hubs) cut down a glass panel door that we had removed from the playroom last year to fit the opening. I sprayed one side of the glass inserts with frost spray so you wouldn’t see all my junk.

Here is what the door looks like in place

 

I still need to ‘finish’ this project by painting out the door and trim but if I didn’t post this now who knows when it’ll get finished….I do have a one month old & almost 3 year old…projects for me now include potty training and spit up catching ;) he he.

I added some command hooks to hold my cloth shopping bags (above left) & my homemade plastic bag holder-tutorial found here- (below right). I also added those wire shelves (that I got at Lowe’s) to hold Ziplocs, parchment paper, cans, rice, etc. (and by ‘I added’ I really mean I added- not taking credit for Military Man’s hard work here…I did it myself!)

Below you will see my much longed for storage of trashcan & vacuum! YAY!!


So that’s how I added storage to my older home only spending money on the shelving, command hooks & a dishtowel for the bag holder!

What cheap-o projects are you most proud of?


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