Friday, September 17, 2010

More Procrastinating, This Time in the Pantry


When we first moved into this house, it wasn't very clean but I only had time to clean one room properly and that was the pantry. It had mildew all over the ceiling and walls and revolting lino on the floor. I wasn't going to put food in there. I ripped up the lino and gave it a wash down but four years later it was back to looking like it had never been cleaned. So I got out the sugar soap and the bleach this time. Then I thought, "While I've got the shelves out and it's clean, I might as well fill the gaps. That won't take long."

(before and after cleaning)


And you can guess what happened next.
"Well, while I've cleaned it and filled the gaps, I might as well give it a coat of Primer so it's ready to paint when I am."
"Now that it's cleaned AND filled AND primed, I might as well paint it."

So I did.

(With Dulux Aqua enamel in Antique White USA for those who like the details.)


Here's an after picture of the same spot of the first photo.


It's a bit hard to see the difference in the above photos, but in the next photo you'll see how shabby the rest of the house is, and what a difference a coat of paint makes.


You'll notice that I painted the floor too.
You can imagine that after four years of being walked on and having food dropped on it, unsealed floorboards wouldn't look, or feel, very nice.
And not to mention the large gaps between the floorboards which had 60 years of accumulated gunk and dust congealed in them. It was a nightmare to clean.

But filled and painted......aaah, it's so clean. And easy to keep clean too. I can sweep the dirt right out of there now and any marks come off easily with some vinegar on a rag.

The white makes it look so clean and fresh
and with all my foodstuff back in, it's like the pantry that I always wanted.



I always wanted my pantry to kinda look like an old general store, with everything stored in old glass bottles, which I've picked up here and there. (They also keep out the grubs and moths better than anything else I've ever used.)
I've been making swing tags for labels to keep with that feel, but I'll show you how in another post...to come soon.



And if you're not sure why I call this procrastinating, when it seems like a lot of work, have a look here.

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm taking part in My Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday

20 comments:

  1. What a sweet blog! I found you from The Inspired Room....surfed around and just LOVE your home and the real way you live. Bookmarking and coming back here, like being at a friends house!

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  2. I love that you painted the shelves a different color and added a rug! SO CUTE! You have given me inspiration!

    Sarah @ threeboys-home.blogspot.com

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  3. Just found your blog. Your pantry looks great! I love all the jars. What do you do w/ the extra is something won't all fit in one jar?

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  4. Now that is a fabulous pantry! I love the window and all of your wonderful glass jars!

    Cathy ♥

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  5. That is wonderful! The fresh paint is beautiful and the jars are terrific. Great look! and now, a joy to use.

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  6. Looks awesome. Cleaning my pantry is on my "to do" list and you've inspired me to actually start working on it. Thanks for sharing.

    ~Alana~

    PS I absolutely love your glass jars and tags. Brilliantly beautiful.

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  7. wow, this is so lovely. I love the white floor and you've summed it up perfectly: a general store. It looks fantastic and is a great inspiration to get my pantry clean. Thanks!

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  8. Lura,
    To answer your question, firstly I try to buy jars that will fit a whole packet of foodstuff. For example, my cereal jars will fit a whole box of cereal in them.

    Secondly, I have a basket that sits on the floor and this holds any half empty packets that don't quite fit.

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  9. Absolutely FABULOUS! you must be so proud of yourself. Great work..
    Love
    Mum

    PS Love your blog

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  10. ooooh i have pantry envy. i only have one small shelf in my kitchen for pantry items.it reminds me of nigella lawsons pantry. what a beautiful masterpiece you have created

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  11. It turned out wonderful! My pantry is wallpapered and the wallpaper no longer goes with the room it is adjacent to but I never work up the wherewithall to empty it out and re-do it. You deserve a big pat on the back! Enjoy!

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  12. What a lovely pantry now you have finished it. The glass jars are an inspired touch too.
    I miss having a pantry - they are such useful rooms.

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  13. I love your pantry redo. What a wonderful difference some paint and a ton of work can make. Just read your short Bio and I have to ask, what is a chook? Whatever they are we must not have them here in Utah, USA because I've never heard of a chook. Or is this some Australian word for pebble or something like that? Terribly curious now.
    April @ homehinges.com

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  14. Hi April,

    I've been asked this question before and it surprised me that a word I thought of as an everyday term turned out to be Australian slang.

    A chook is a chicken and I have two black ones that are currently scratching around in my yard outside. I LOVE freshly laid eggs.

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  15. Wonderful job you did in the pantry. It looks fresh and lovely. I really need to get at organizing mine.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

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  16. Esther,
    So a chook is a chicken. I love that. I'll have to remember it next time I see a chicken. It's so much more descriptive than chicken. It kind of sounds like a chicken type sound if that makes any sense. So fun!

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Get to know me

  • I love the smell of cinnamon and vanilla.
  • My favourite flowers are daisies.
  • My favourite trees are pine trees.
  • I always like to have the bickie jar full and a cake on the cake stand. I know...not that healthy, but so good to look at.
  • Autumn is my favourite month, although I do wish we had more of a change of colours up here in Queensland.
  • I love Anne of Green Gables and Laura Ingalls Wilder. They started my love affair with "old-fashioned" stuff.
  • I'm a boots and jeans kind of girl, but also love vintage skirts and dresses.
  • I like sewing and am in love with quilts at the moment.
  • I love reading. (I have a weakness for archeological thrillers and historical romances, but not Mills and Boon-type ones.)
  • I love old houses with character. No new estate houses for me. (Sorry Rosie.)
  • I love vintage/cottage/farmhouse decorating and pretty pinks and blues, with a splash of red for colour.
  • Polka dots can make me sigh with delight.
  • I have 4 chooks. They are MY pets. Another tick on my dream-come-true chart.
  • I don't eat dessert much any more. I'm not dieting, I just don't want it. (Does that mean I'm growing up if I say no to an icecream cone?)
  • I'll still always say yes to chocolate though!
  • I like to sit on the front stairs in the sun, to drink my morning cup of tea, while I contemplate what to do in the garden.
  • I've got the gardening bug again recently. It comes and goes with the weather. I'm envisioning cottage flowers in pink, blue and white to go with my green picket fence.