This fall, I’m finally refinishing my wood floors — which means it’s time to share our pantry renovation plans. For me, that pantry was where this whole project started.
The pantry is original to the house — beadboard walls, a vintage set of drawers, and so much personality. When we had to disassemble our Folk Victorian cottage, it was important to us to salvage what we could. This little pantry felt special enough to keep. A sweet remnant of the original home.
It had charm. It just didn’t have function.
A charming problem
Over the years, this pantry became a major black hole. Anything I didn’t want to see, or didn’t have counter space for, ended up tucked away inside. The vintage chest of drawers held linen napkins and placemats, but the sticky wood slides made opening and closing them a workout. The shelves were filled with appliances, which meant there was no dedicated place for my glassware.
A few years ago, we removed my glassware cabinet knowing we would eventually create a better solution in the pantry. The fix was a vintage glass and metal tower placed in the only open spot to hold everything.
It solved one problem, but created another. My glasses were now just…out in the open. Not ideal with a new puppy and little kids running through (my late-sister’s grandchildren visit!), so we set up a temporary “block” at the entrance. It worked, but it also made getting in and out of the pantry even more difficult. Sometimes a temporary fix lasts a lot longer than you’d like.
My romantic decision all those years ago? Just not working.
The Pantry from Years Past
Changed renovation plans
With the floor project looming, it felt like the perfect time to revisit the pantry. And I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before — a lack of function is not workable for a Virgo.
My original concept was to open the entire space up, from the fridge to the transom entryway. I scrapped that. I knew there was a metal beam in the ceiling, but I had no idea there were also two pipes running down either side of the pantry.
So the plan pivoted, like plans do.
We gutted the old pantry completely, opening it up while keeping the wing walls. My friends at Forty-One Construction did a beautiful job removing the walls, and my cabinet maker, Doug, filled in the gaps in the floorboards to level everything out.
The finished opening is now just over 5 feet across — not the 10 feet I originally imagined, but it’s still a huge improvement.
A design that suits our lifestyle
For now, I’m using an old armoire from the garage in the space, and honestly, it’s perfect. It gives us a place for the everyday things — glassware, napkins, and placemats. Somehow, the kitchen already feels more open and airy.
Now I have some time to reconfigure the final design, since the floors come first. And everyone in my house has an opinion.
The kids want more countertop with a sink — basically, a bar in the kitchen.
Two thoughts on that: one, they don’t even live here full-time anymore. Two, we already set up a bar on the deck every summer, and it works beautifully.
What I actually want
What I want? More pantry, less counter.
The new design will be a custom unit built for the space. Drawers below, 32 inches deep, will hold linens, placemats, and small appliances. Cabinets above, 18 inches deep, will house glassware, large platters, and oversized bowls.
And in between, 14 inches of counter space — just enough to unload grocery bags or run an appliance when needed.
Function first. Just enough counter to be useful.
My vision of the new pantry!
Lessons along the way
My advice: don’t rush. Giving yourself time leaves room for mistakes (and I’ve made a few).
When I resurfaced the cabinets with Shaker-style fronts, I panicked and reused the hardware from my old, more modern kitchen. It just doesn’t fit with the cottage-y Cape style I love — warmer, cozier, and more collected.
Once the pantry project begins, that hardware will be swapped, and the cabinets will be painted too.
So yes, refinishing my floors opened a bit of a can of worms (like projects typically do!) But I’m feeling really good about where this pantry is headed.
A quick note: since the floor refinishing comes first, this project is on pause for now — but I’ll be sharing updates here as soon as work picks back up.
Thank you notes the kids left me on the chalk board ♥️
