Sunday, March 13, 2011

Details in the Kitchen: Part Three

This is a three part post so if you have not followed this and want to start at the beginning then just click the image below, the before photo.....


My one big concern was that our kitchen be functional as a kitchen should be....but more importantly that everything be organized according to the way we function in the kitchen.
So, that meant thinking about what we need from the kitchen.
We have always enjoyed entertaining, having friends over for small dinner parties as well as throwing larger soirées where we can entertain throughout the year on special occasions or holidays. That means, extra plates, wine glasses etc. that need to be stored and out of the way from day to day storage.

The Food Pantry:
I am still in disbelief at the amount of food we get in here.  The food pantry runs all the way to the ceiling and is nice and deep.  Of course that necessitates the need for sliding drawers.

One drawer is designated to pastas, boxed dry foods etc and another holds all the canned goods.

We had room for a shallow drawer so it allowed us a place for tea towels and dish cloths. This was in the plans as a must-have and I love it.
The top two shelves were designed as static shelves and house the 'extra' food. (spices, canned goods, sauces, jellies etc.) Almost all of our food storage is contained within this tall pantry making it very functional.

The pantry is the place where a lot of food prep takes place.  It is a great place to hide warming dishes during a party as well as all those extra glasses, plates and serving dishes.
All the small appliances that take up a lot of counter space in the kitchen are stashed in the pantry.  
Baskets are my secret storage space for more unsightly/less used items. The island below is another storage space.
A more traditional island, with drawers and closed in cupboards  was out of our budget, so this was built to hold baskets. The island costs 250$ to build. The large baskets on the bottom hold extra fry pans, salad spinner, shredders and other kitchen items.  The upper shelf baskets hold all our produce such as onions, garlic, potatoes and bread. Very handy! And all baskets are from Ikea.

,
The cupboard above the fridge is my go-to storage for entertaining.  Extra bowls, large pasta bowls, baking dishes, chinese steamers for dumplings, dipping bowls, casserole dishes etc.



Yep, guilty.  These baskets have been around for many years but....they have always served a purpose beyond just looking good.

The one on the far right stores candles of all sizes.
The one in the middle stores fondue pots and the hot stone plaque that are all great at a dinner party.








So, that is it ....the finale...ending of course on a realistic note with the garbage,
compost bin and
recycling bin which all roll out
from under the sink...
now,
you have seen it all....my kitchen fully exposed.


 I hope this helps some of you that are considering a kitchen renovation. 
If you have a budget to respect, a small kitchen and lots of needs/wants....well, planning is the key. I read, before starting our reno, that you should write down everything you want, everything you need and then list and categorize ......
oh...
And a bit of purging along the way doesn't hurt either.




 A tantôt!


I am linking up with:


UndertheTableandDreamingPhotobucket

9 comments:

  1. I definitely have pantry envy. Your pantry is adorable! I also like your island with the storage baskets in it. Not only do I like the look, but I like the practical storage space in it!!! Great job with your kitchen :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Ricki Jill. I have always wanted a pantry and realized that I could easily have one...ahem...just cut a hole in the wall to the laundry/bathroom...et voila!...anyway, you do what you have to do when space is at a premium. And yes, practical in this space was the key word...next to purge. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness, your pantry has mega storage space...that's fantastic! You seem to be completely organized. The island is great too. I need to listen to your advice & purge.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gina,you will feel so great if you do purge...well I think you will. :)
    I realized that we had a lot of "stuff" that we just did not need and never used. I am older than you but I know what I like t do in the kitchen and it made sense for me...finally...took awhile to get to this "place".

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow- how fantastic your kitchen is! So much storage!!! I agree with Ricki Jill~ it is gorgeous AND has so many places to put things away and keep everything nice and tidy! Thanks for sharing at FNF! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would love a pantry like that - I can't believe how much you have in there. We keep a lot of those things in the basement on some shelves as there isn't room in the kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This was so much fun to read!! I loved the before and afters and the details, and the little writing you did on the picture. How do you do that? This is my first time here, but I'll be back. Such a great kitchen!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love it! It is so charming! It is my favorite kind of kitchen. It looks like it was always there.

    I'm working on ours now, and it is going to be eclectic mix also, because the budget is as small as the kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful job! Did you buy the pantry cabinets with the shelves/drawers already in place, or is that also something else you added (from Ikea, for example)?

    ReplyDelete

You can leave a comment....totally up to you....Yep, I do love it when you do!