pantry makeover

This project somewhat embarrasses me. I’ve lived in my house for more than two years, and I’ve never really touched the kitchen. We repainted the living room and the dining room. We tore up carpet in the upstairs. We got a new deck in the backyard. But the kitchen – the place where I spend regular quality time – basically looked the same as when I moved in. I once cleaned up a shelf and put up some jars to store rice, beans, and oats. But other than that, things have remained the same, even if it wasn’t functional.

The catch 22 with this duplex is that my roommate’s grandparents once lived here, and their stuff was never really properly removed. Our dining room table? Theirs. The coffee table? Theirs. The china cabinet? You guessed it. So with Cat moving out, I’m trying to revamp the space so that it feels more like mine. Therefore, I tackled the pantry area in the kitchen this weekend. I removed the table that, although providing counter space, wasn’t really functional or aesthetically pleasing. Check out the before and after:

Major changes:

• I received a free kitchen cart from my friend Kelly and replaced the table with it (thanks, K!)
• I used the 1950s chair as a bookshelf rather than an actual chair
• I hid the recycling bin behind the chair/bookshelf
• I reduced the amount of appliances and stored away the bread machine, Crock Pot, espresso machine, and coffee grinder
• I replaced the pantry doors with a curtain since one had already fallen off
• I used the coal shoot as an additional storage area for books!

I think this space is not only more functional but cleaner, too. Kelly was instrumental in the process, as I sent her photos from my phone on Saturday and applied her design feedback. The project took me about three hours, which also included cleaning out all drawers and cabinets, emptying the top of the refrigerator, and creating a new storage space for cleaning supplies.

This space finally feels like mine. Yesterday, I spent two hours cooking up goods from the garden. I set my laptop above the books, turned on WYEP FM, and immersed myself in the culinary arts. I finally feel like myself again.