Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation

We may not have a huge walk-in pantry in this old house of ours but we do have a gorgeous built-in cabinet that we are using as a pantry.

Gorgeous is a description that is a bit “in the eye of the beholder” as it didn’t start that way. That’s why I titled this blog post “Gross To Gorgeous Pantry Cabinet Transformation.”

The gross pantry cabinet started out violating multiple health codes if such a thing existed for pantry cabinets.

Then there were the violations of our visual sensibilities. I think it is safe to say this cabinet would not win any interior design awards.

However, if you can get past all of the visual noise, the cabinet has good bones.

But those bones needed cleaning!

The pantry cabinet was grosser than the above picture can depict. Decidedly gross.

The most important thing we did was cut off any and all access mice had to this cabinet. There is nothing that triggers my neurotic tendencies like mice in the house, especially around our food.

We cleaned decades of grime off the insides of the cabinet, which prompted so many questions but we had no answers.

We also removed all of the decals and window paint adhered to the glass doors. I’m not going to lie. That took a while and the help of a friend. She not only helped with the physical aspect of this task but also provided emotional support.

Next up was painting. The entire cabinet received multiple coats of black paint. Why black? Well, I painted the floor and then just kept going up the cabinet with the same black porch paint. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Fast forward a couple of years. I’m not joking. This is a slow-mo transformation.

I hate to point out the flaws in this room but in the above picture you can tell the ceiling in this room is slanted. The ceilings are also short and the drywall job leaves little to be desired.

What could disguise all of that?

Extending the pantry cabinet to the ceiling could disguise that.

By making the cabinet look taller, it might make the room feel taller.

So that’s what we did.

We extended the right side of the cabinet to the ceiling with a piece of plywood. We also added face trim around the sides of the pantry cabinet and connected it to a piece of trim along the ceiling.

We did not add any wood to the back of this cabinet extension.

Instead of smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of a taller cabinet, we would be relying on paint and trim.

Here’s how the new trim looked primed.

I am pretty good at visualizing how something will look after it is painted but this cabinet paint job exceeded my expectations.

Look at it now.

As a reminder, this is how it started.

*eyes widen in horror*

And this is how it’s going.

Paint and trim work are the only things that have changed with this view.

I don’t know how old this pantry cabinet is but it brings so much soul and character to our home.

While I chose to paint it black (for now), I can imagine it looking amazing in a slate blue, emerald green, burgundy, grey, etc.

Admittedly, I would have a bias toward and affection for any place where we store my favorite snacks, but this pantry cabinet really does serve our family well.

I’m so happy I was able to see past the decals, the glass paint, the mice poop, and the gross gunk to imagine a pretty and practical transformation for this pantry cabinet.

What do you think of my pantry cabinet transformation? Does your home evolve slowly like mine does? I’d love to know. You can always comment on this blog post, email us here, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.

Project Sources:

Black Paint: Behr Porch and Patio Paint in regular black. It’s used on the floor and cabinet.

Wainscoting Paint: Behr Khaki Shade in semi-gloss

Baskets and Wood Bowls: Thrifted

Rug: old

Wood Step Stool: Handmade by Handy Husband in high school shop class.

Thank you for reading today’s blog post. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’ve got another two minutes, I have another blog post or three for you to choose from. Enjoy!

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