Monday, June 6, 2011

From garage shelves to kitchen pantry.

I recently moved so I am still in the process of unpacking and organizing.  In the midst of unpacking all of my belongings, I had this realization that there simply wasn’t enough storage in the kitchen,  Just take a look.

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I had enough space for all of the dishes, pots and pans, spices, etc. but literally had no room for food storage.  So, Austin and I embarked on an adventure, in search of a reasonably priced hutch/pantry.  I checked everywhere.  I checked Walmart, Target, furniture stores, thrift stores, and garage sales.  I couldn’t find anything.  Frustrated, I called my mom and she immediately responded with, “Oh, come over, you can use our garage shelves.”

Uh…Sure, mom.  Garage shelves?

So I was a little skeptical.  But as it turns out, mom’s do know best…

We picked up the shelves and took them home. 

The BEFORE

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As you can see, the unit is very tall.  It stands about 7”.

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The shelves pull out and up (very similar to a garage door).  There are 6 shelf compartments.

The first step was to paint it.  I had lots of different color ideas (purple, teal, blue, grey, white, and so on…).  I decided to go for a neutral color, so grey was the winner. 

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The next step was to decide on a pattern, design or embellishment for the shelves.  So I spent a lot of time on google image searches, and found inspiration from a calendar I own.

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I love poppies, so this was the winner.  And then I spent a decent amount of time trying to draw up a plan.

Brainstorm

First, I chalked on the outline of the plan onto the shelving unit.

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Then painted!

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After applying a second coat of paint, I washed off the chalk and…done!

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And now, my kitchen is definitely more organized…and a little happier, too.

Some places to find some incredible people and projects…Click here.

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12 comments:

  1. Um.... this is AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL and so WELL DONE. Really incredible Maggie! It looks GREAT!!! *want*

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  2. Wow! What a really neat idea! It's great to take something that is totally utilitarian and make it pretty!
    xo,
    Sena

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  3. This is terrific!! I love poppies and your painting looks great! Lots of storage here!
    How do you ever reach the top drawer?
    Barb

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  4. Awesome! I wish I could come up with some inspiring drawings like this! :) I can see them in my head...making them happen is totally a different thing! Great upcycle!

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  5. wow great job! the finished product is beautifuL! I found your blog through a link party and i LOVE it! I am your newest follower and would love it if you would check out my blog and follow me too! thanks!
    -Nikki
    http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

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  6. Oh wow!! That is a pantry if I have ever seen one. Great job. It almost make putting away groceries fun!!! I found you through Cherished Bliss.

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  7. I love this project! You made a shelf unit into a work of art! So beautiful!

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  8. Thanks for stopping by. I wish that I could make some suggestions from experience, but I can't. I would assume that if you are willing to water, anything you want to plant is possible. Veggies like tomatos and beans would work and so would annual flowers. I hope that this is helpful.
    I'm your new follower!
    Barb

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  9. Wow I am amazed that looks beautiful Great job. I found you through a linky party! Come and say hi, enter my giveaway and vote for my picture. Thank you.

    A mommy's life...with a touch of YELLOW
    tyandwhitneyulrich.blogspot.com

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  10. Wow this looks amazing, you are a great artist! Thanks so much for linking up, I will be featuring your project this week!
    Crystal
    www.chocolatedroolandkisses.blogspot.com

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  11. Very nice. I'm following you from Fingerprints on the Fridge. Would love to have you link this up at my {wow me} wednesday link up party going on over on my blog right now. :)

    Ginger
    gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com

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