- The horrid old cabinets and countertops
- The five layers of old vinyl and linoleum – with water puddled between each layer
- The rotted floor and subfloor
- The drop-down ceiling with its translucent panels and fluorescent lighting
- The beyond-nasty appliances
- The 220V hard-wired floor heater (that was on an as-yet-undiscovered separate fuse box; thank God for a husband using insulated wire cutters!)
- The wallpaper
- The exploded canned goods
- The grime. Oh, the grime…
It was one of the things that drew me to our old house… and one of the things I looked forward to having renovated. Notice I didn’t say I looked forward to renovating it — because I didn’t. In fact, I did NOT.
In truth, we renovated our house for an entire month before I could even bring myself to step across the threshold into the space. That’s what scraping wallpaper every day for a month will do to you! I woke up one Saturday morning and decided “Today’s the day to tackle the pantry!”
The pantry was filthy – exploded canned goods leaving their marks everywhere – with years of grime stuck to the cabinets. Sorry about that, but you really do need to get the full picture to appreciate from whence this baby has come!
I’m joining Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Wow, Susan, this level of renovation is not for the faint of heart! You were exceedingly brave to jump into that dish pantry, but the results are incredible! What a wonderful space for dishes!
I adore your wall paper in the renovated kitchen, dear one!
Is it Waverly, by chance? I have similar Waverly with Pears in my kitchen.
The paper has been up 12 years and I have yet to tire of it!!!
We, recently painted cabinet door fronts here for a divider in our craft booth. . .
a never ending job while you’re in the midst of it, but very gratifying once it’s completed!
What I wouldn’t give to have your pantry!!!
This HEART of the Home will bring you much JOY and reward in the years to come!
Thank you for sharing!!!
Visiting from Susan’s MM!
Fondly,
Pat
Pat, I lucked into that wallpaper on clearance, but I don’t recall it being Waverly. I loved it, though — still do!
I know what you mean about some things being “never ending jobs” when in process but gratifying when they’re done. My kitchen was definitely one of those!
I enjoyed seeing your kitchen and dish pantry renovation. I think it’s more fun to sit back and see the transformation than actually doing the work–of course! I live in a old house with a dish pantry like that–it was really neat!
Incredible! Wow, Susan. I am speechless, and to say I am in love with your pantry is not an overstatement.♥ It reminds me of my grandma’s pantry.
I need that dish pantry in my life. 🙂