Friday 8 January 2010

Pantry Upcycling...

My pantry was appalling when I moved in. The previous owner seems to have closed the door on it about 1990 and hoped it would all go away.
There were exploded and rusted jars and tins that had dripped all over what were once rather nice WIDE pine shelving. It didn't smell too bad (!?) but was all blackened and sticky - like molasses over every shelf.
So we just hauled it all out and burned the lot.
There was also a great pit in the centre of the floor with a mud brick wall beside it and a hole in the wall to outside. The idea being that the hole was filled with water, air rushed in through the hole from outside and cooled the pantry. All I could see where teams of snakes, bush rats and spiders marching in...
So the Smellies and I filled it all in.

Since then the pantry has had a mish mash of shelves made from planks and besser bricks, and old pine dressers. The dressers are lovely, but impractial really.
The room isn't at all antechinus proof. Nor mouse proof...though the antechinuses mostly keep the mickey mice down totally cos they are such lovely carnivorous little marsupials.

So this is what it all looks like when you open the door:

It now has a bricked floor but is very messy. There isn't enough storage. It needs seriously sorting.

Am also VERY inspired by Poppytalk! Check that lovely pantry with it's baskets and golden shelves. (Country Living, Photo: Keith Scott Morton)


The other week I had a brilliant idea for cupboards.
I am upcycling old timber TV cabinets.
This sort of thing on eBay.
(If that link has expired think about those pine uglies with a big gap in the centre for the tv, and with glass doors either side, a shelf or two for DVD player and VCR, and some cupboards or drawers at the bottom for vids, cables that belong to nothing, old dvd covers without their contents
Everyone (else, ha ha) has WIIIIIDE screen tvs now.
Consequently, they are flogging off their monstrosities for peanuts.
Incredibly cheap cupboards and shelving!!!
I bought one yesterday for $110. It is 2400 long and the pantry is 2400 square. So that is one wall taken care of!

Off to pick it up today.

That is my Friday Flaunt - my brilliant greeny idea!!!!

4 comments:

Kate said...

LOVE the post - I love sticky-beaking into other people's houses!! I DO like that dresser in the 3rd picture down - 30s or 40s?? Silky oak or something?? Anywho - nice!!

I cannot IMAGINE what the original pantry must have been like - nor WHY!!

AnnieO said...

Pantries that large are sure a luxury--no wonder you want to maximize it completely. I love the wood dressers too but can't think what you are storing in there--linens or tins? Good luck with your new upcycling, clever one, you!

cinzia said...

Very impressive.. pantry and ebay purchase... love snooping in people's homes:)

Ann Ferguson said...

You're so creative! Happy New Year and may the creativity keep flowing. Ann:)