Home MY MOMMY LIFEFAMILY & LIFE AT HOME UPDATE: our cool pantry (and linen closet) doors !

UPDATE: our cool pantry (and linen closet) doors !

by Bre Decena

UPDATE to original post from 2/4/19:  We finally got this pantry/linen closet project completed.  All that’s left is a little trim work (eventually) but we now have a walk-in pantry AND a linen closet!  YAY! 

A couple of months ago, I shared the original post (find it at the end of this post) about the funky hall closet space we have been converting into a separate pantry and linen closet. Actually, correction: Nick did the whole conversion.  And my wonderful dad who came over one day to help me install all of the shelving in the pantry.  I hardly did anything except hold up a few things for support when they needed me and boss around the visions I had in my head, then got pissy when something went sideways or they said it wouldn’t work structurally (and let me tell you, the scenarios were not funny and cute like you’d see on an episode of Fixer Upper).  We found out the wall in our hallway, and the wall in the closet, are not straight.  Which is probably why whoever built that closet originally did it the way they did, so they didn’t have to worry about it not being level.  

I really wanted the linen area to have two built-in cabinets with doors, instead of a closet with a door, because I wanted it to look completely different and separate from the pantry.  Nick really tried to make my idea come to life but this project has been on the back burner for a year-and-a-half and given the extra time and delay it would take to re-level and re-shelve the whole area, he decided a door was the best way to go.  And so, I rolled my eyes and told him “fine do whatever you want” ?.  But now I am so happy he did.  I like it better than what I was picturing and I love looking down the hallway at these beautiful doors.  I was finally able to organize the new pantry and free up some space in our tiny kitchen (although re-adapting to the kitchen once you move things around definitely takes some time, especially when you’re hungry or have a hungry toddler, or both, and can’t quickly find the toaster, or the Cheerios.  Fortunately I do know where I put the wine). 

And now, if anyone else out there is Pinterest-ing ideas on a weird closet conversion like I was, and having no luck, here’s at least one idea.  Although I don’t have the step-by-step notes on what Nick did to make it happen; maybe I will just rent him out to custom make some doors…. Ha, honey just checking if you’re reading this?!?!  Actually, I hope so ‘cause I want to remind you that you did a fantastic job! And I can’t wait to get started on our next project!

Below are some before and after pics. I was hesitant to post a couple of them due to my mismatched linens and poor fold jobs, but I have a two-year-old, who has had this open area to make a mess with for the last year, and that’s exactly what she’s done. So sorry, not sorry. We’re not fancy… just normal. 🙂

Original post from 2/4/19- I’m so excited about this home project my honey has been working on and wanted to share some of the progress! These are the new pantry doors he just finished making. He put them up on Sunday and I love them! Aren’t they neat??? And OMG yay, I finally have a real walk-in pantry!

We had this weird closet in our hallway that (until recently) served as the coat and linen closet and it’s always driven me crazy. Something about the fact that it literally looked like a closet that should be in a bedroom, with those white, rolling panel doors and the 1990’s gold trim/frame. But when you opened the doors it was two totally separate sections: one half being an under-the-stairs coat closet and the other half having large, deep shelves to serve as the linen closet. There is even a full wall between each half to separate the two as well. It’s just not “right”. It’s also located directly across from my kitchen which, for whatever reason, makes my Feng Shui off (like there shouldn’t be a bedroom closet in the kitchen, even though it’s in the hallway!). So, I have been telling my husband for the last year-and-a-half that I wanted to somehow convert it into two separate spaces. One being a pantry on the under-the-stairs side so we can utilize all of that space, and the other part remaining our linen closet but with cabinet doors. He thought I was crazy at first, and suggested a couple of ideas to simply replace the ugly closet doors with a sliding barn door or something else, but I was stuck on wanting them to be two separate things. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted the doors or cabinets to look like but after doing his own research (and probably muttering about how much of a pain in the ass I am) he figured out how to bring my vision to life. He loves me.

I’ll share more of this DIY project as we make progress with the linen cabinet side over the next few weeks, but today I was beyond thrilled to now see this view from my kitchen and couldn’t wait to show it off!

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