Much needed Pantry Storage & Organization

 I live in about 1,100 square foot home, which means there is very minimal storage built-in. My kitchen has very few cabinets and there is no real pantry.  I do have a small area where my washer and dryer go that has a few shelves on either side for storage.  This is less than ideal for a family of 4! 

What you can't see in the photo is the other side of the peninsula, there is one 12 in drawer bank of cabinets, and one 24 in base cabinet. All together I have 7 drawers, 2 base cabinets, and 4 upper wall cabinets. The cabinet that you can see on the peninsula is where we store our dog's food, toys, extra bowls, and anything else she may acquire. 

I have been thinking about how to maximize my space the best way I possibly can. So the wheels started turning. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted, but I knew I wanted to hold more than a week's worth of groceries. With 2 growing children that like snacks I knew I needed to be able to hold canned goods, snacks, and baking supplies. I just needed to decide on the look I wanted to go for.  

I had already repurposed parts of my Ashley entertainment center (stock photo of what it looked like originally). So I decided the two pillars could work for my additional pantry. So I got to work! I went with Chalky Chicks DC Blue, at this point I had never used chalk paint and wanted to give it a try. I was very happy with the color when it all dried. Once the towers were dry I decided to redo the tv stand portion as well, the color was just perfect (I have had Starry Night hung above the fireplace and the blue is the perfect complement. 

While this was a big help and allowed me to store more dry goods, snacks, and produce, I just didn't feel like I had enough storage, and I have been wanting to add a chest freezer. If you remember my tiny kitchen photo from the beginning you would have seen the tiny standard apartment-sized fridge freezer combo. Which allowed me to hold very few items especially if I wanted to use my ice maker. So after about 8 months of planning, I decided on the right size chest freezer for my space and ordered it. 

While I waited for my chest freezer to be delivered I had to decide what I was going to do with the two little drawer banks I was using for my overstocked canned goods and baking supplies. 

I decided to add them to either side of the TV stand, I wasn't sure if I wanted the drawers on top of the bookcases or not. I ultimately decided to put the drawers on the bottom. This project will be fully completed at a later date, I'll be adding in some wood shelving between the drawers and bookshelves as well as adding a wood top to the bookshelves. Follow me on IG/FB/Pinterest to see the updates for this project. https://www.instagram.com/cheysdesignhouse/  https://www.facebook.com/cheysdesignhouse
 https://www.pinterest.com/chanelde87/_created/ 

Now that the chest freezer has been delivered I could start moving things around, decanting items that needed to be put in canisters, and re-organizing my existing stock. Which took me to Walmart. My first stop, whenever I go to ANY Walmart, is their clearance aisle. This day I found a beautiful wallpaper by the Pioneer Women for half price! I snagged it up and I was sad it was the only one there, but one is better than none. I looked for a few canisters to match some of the ones I already had. Most of my original canisters came from dollar tree a few years ago, I also have 4-5 Better Homes and Gardens flip tops I found on clearance half off, and some random glass jars from Ross. Nothing in my home matches exactly, which is just the way I like it. I find it easier to incorporate new items when there is an eclectic mix.

                                

Adding this wallpaper gave a burst of color that matches Starry Night just perfectly.  The traditional lines of the towers play in well with the floral print as well. Sadly the glass for the top doors was broken during the process of getting everything updated, so I have to get the glass replaced. which is a quick and easy fix running to the hardware store and having it cut to fit. However, this has opened me up to alternative options. Do I replace the glass alone or do I add burlap or cane to the glass for a more hidden pantry look?

It was all coming together!  I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. But I knew I wanted more!  

I needed at least one shelf but I wanted two. Realistically two would only work if the shelf that was closest to the chest freezer was only a partial Shelf. So I cut down the original shelf that came with the entertainment center to fit and sanded it down. Now this shelf was particle board with a veneer so I had to be very careful, especially around the edges to prevent over sanding.







I still have to finish the top shelf, I just can't decide if I am going to stain and paint it or if I will just be painting it. Once that has been decided I will be able to stain the middle shelf close to its natural color. This is a part of a much larger project. I have a beautiful dining table and chairs that I am working on. Once that has been finished a full final look will be shared over on IG.