Farmhouse Kitchen Phase 2 ~ DIY Pantry w/ Antique Screen Door

Once upon a time, a long time ago (before there was Pinterest), I spotted this image

I can't find the original source for this image.
If someone knows where it's from, I'd LOVE to link to the originator.
I found the image here.

and fell. in. love. At the time, my kitchen looked like this

and I didn't have any nice little closets to convert to a pantry. (That door leads to the laundry room.)
So, I tucked the idea in a back corner of my mind and dismissed it as an unlikely-to-come-true dream.

Then one day, as I was dreaming about turning my kitchen into a farmhouse kitchen with painted cabinets, an idea occurred to me: Why not create a pantry?! I had this narrow space beside the laundry room door that was too small for cabinets. The wall was offset from the dining room side of the beam (deeper on the kitchen side) making a 'nook' of sorts. It was about 4 inches on the kitchen side and only about 2 inches on the dining room side. On the other side of the room where the other log beam is, it's about 6 inches on both sides. So, I decided this was the place for a pantry and I would 'build' the beam out to match the other side and make an indention about 8 inches. The side of the pantry toward the laundry room door sticks out into the room but it's not enough to be intrusive.

I began watching for an antique screen door similar to my inspiration photo but any time I found one, they were way out of my budget. I mentioned to my mom that I was looking for one and a few weeks later, she texted me this pic:

It was $25 (I think); did I want it? Oh yes! I DID want it! Granted, it looked pretty rough but she told me the wood was mostly solid and the door was sturdy. It laid in the garage for quite awhile until last winter when I FINALLY began to realize my dream of a pretty farmhouse pantry. I used 1 X 8 lumber and built the shelves, top, bottom, and sides. I had already wallpapered the wall with beadboard so it wasn't necessary to put a back on it. I spray painted it white and screwed it to the beam on the side. I had already been gathering my Golden Harvest Canisters at garage sales and thrift stores so I custom made the shelf spacing to best utilize the space. These canisters are pretty widely available in my area and usually pretty inexpensive. I paid as little as $.10 and as much as $2.00 for mine. I saw them for as much as $10 - $15 apiece in antique stores (and on eBay) but since I was in no hurry, I would only buy them if they were less than $2. I have a few more in my cupboards that aren't pictured. The lids come in several colors but I knew I planned to paint them to coordinate with my kitchen so was unconcerned with the mismatched lids.

After I got the shelves built, I filled and labeled the jars and organized the shelves. It sat like that for awhile until I got the door re-sized and hung. Then, just last week, I finally painted the lids (Krylon Pistacio).

As you can see from the previously shown picture, the door was pretty rough. Red paint that had faded to a brownish-pink and very dirty. The screen was very torn and the surface of the wood was very weathered. I began by removing the screen and the MANY staples and tacks that were attempting to hold it in place. I then carefully removed one side and the bottom of the door because it was too tall and wide. I cut off what I didn't need and made new 'pockets' to slip the tabs into to make it sturdy. I used my Dremel since I don't have fancy joinery tools and it worked fine. A little crude looking but once it was all glued and stapled back together, it looks fine. Some of the corner braces were broken or broke when I removed them so I used plywood the same thickness and using a good one for a pattern, I cut new ones with my jigsaw. They are on the bottom of the door: can you tell which ones? :)

The picture actually makes them look more visible than they do in real life but it's because the wood wasn't as weathered. I used MMS milk paint (tricycle) and dark wax. The dark wax really went into the grooves and toned down the red. Since the plywood had less grooves (weathering), it's brighter red. After the door was re-sized, painted and waxed, I stapled in new screen. I used the black fiberglass screen from Menards and doubled it on the bottom where I didn't want the items to be as visible. I hung the door using cabinet door hinges.

A few pictures of what it looks like now:

(As you can see, I still need to de-country-fy my dining room.)

Pretty organization! Makes me happy. :)

My Tupperware Modular Mates fit perfectly and I didn't even plan it. I love when things like that happen!

For my spices, I got square spice jars (unfortunately, I don't remember where I got them!) that fit perfectly into a Coke crate. A little story on the crate.... I had been looking and looking for one but they were all more than I was willing to pay. I looked locally, eBay, and Etsy. One evening, I decided to check online again and checked eBay first. Finding nothing, I switched over to Etsy and a few down the list, I spotted this one. The first thing that caught my eye was the price and the second thing was the date of manufacture. It is stamped 7-76 inside; my birth month and year! The price was much lower than any I had found so far and in my price range. After a quick conference with hubby, it went into my cart and was on it's way to being mine. After I bought it, I noticed it had only been listed less than an hour! Providential, I say! :) I love how it's framed perfectly when the door is closed.

I know some of you will wonder about my labels and where I got them. I made them myself using the printable vinyl from Expressions Vinyl and my Silhoutte Cameo to cut them out. I will probably end up re-doing the spice labels because I used red for some of the text and it's a little hard to read.

And just for kicks, a side by side comparison:

The third and final phase of the kitchen makeover will be my island. Hoping to share soon!


Note: The spice jars I used are similar to these* but were less expensive. I think I paid around $12 for 24 jars.

LINKING TO:

Vintage Inspiration Party on Knick of Time

from the farmhouse,


*POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINK

Dresser Repurposed to Bathroom Vanity

Here is a quick post with before and afters of a project I finished up this week.

Antique marble topped dresser repurposed to a bathroom vanity.

This was the only before picture I could find. Not awful but in need of a little lovin'.
(Please pardon the messy shop. It's cleaned up now. ;) )
The center drawer was broken. 2 of the pulls were broken and the finish was very tired.

After. I have no good way to show it with the faucet but I will include a picture of the faucet. (I LOVE it!)

My plan of action included fixing the broken drawer, shortening the middle drawer and modifying the top long drawer to accommodate a drain pipe, and paint. I used MMS milk paint in Ironstone and waxed with clear wax to seal and dark wax to bring out the lovely details. Since the center top drawer never had a pull (I suppose you were supposed to open it with the key but I don't have it.) and 2 of the other ones were broken, I found 3 similar and a bit smaller pulls for the top row of drawers. DH helped me drill a hole in the marble top to accommodate the sink drain. We used a diamond hole saw and water. Drilling very slowly made for a nice clean cut. It's now for sale here: FOR SALE

A few more shots:

Linking to:

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

from the farmhouse,

MMS Inspired Hand-painted Empire Buffet~Trash to Treasure

 Yesterday, one year ago, my sister-in-law texted me as I was working in our one rental house. She had seen something out for garbage pick up that she thought I might want. Since I was not in the area, she conned her hubby (my hubby's brother) to help her load it and get it to her garage. It was an antique empire style buffet.

To fully appreciate what it looks like now, you need to see what I started with.

When my DH and I went to pick it up, he and his brother tried hard to discourage me from taking it home. But, if you've been around on the blog any length of time, you know I love a makeover challenge.

We brought it home and it sat. And sat. And DH threatened to burn it because it was occasionally in his way and he couldn't see the vision. :) This fall, I finally started in. At first glance, it didn't look too bad but upon closer inspection, it was really rough. It was covered with dirt. It has veneer that was badly chipping and peeling. The top was splintered and in pretty bad shape.

The first thing I did was use DH's air compressor and take the first layer of dirt off. Then I got the garden hose and a scrub brush and scrubbed it down. After I let it dry, I made a plan of attack. The top was too far gone so I tossed it. Where the veneer was loose, I scraped it off. Then I filled in with Bondo (yep, the car body stuff) and wood putty. After sanding it down and cleaning it again, I painted it with MMS milk paint in Shutter Gray.

This particular buffet was rather plainly styled and I felt it needed some 'fancying up'. Using this buffet for my inspiration, I sketched a design for the doors and drawers. I then traced it off and using white craft paint, I painted it on. Finally, I finished it with MMS white wax. For a top, I found thick slabs of pine at Menards. It was too big so DH cut it down to size using Uncle's fancy saws. I wanted to keep it light to match the soft, light look of the body. I also wanted to minimize the yellowness of the pine. I used Minwax Early American stain which is a nice brown without being too dark. I did one coat of stain and then 2 coats of MMS furniture wax (after the stain was dry). I painted the interior white and lined the drawers with scrapbook paper. The bottom of the bottom drawer was really sagging and splintered so I replaced it. I finished the buffet off with new knobs from Hobby Lobby and now it awaits a new home.

And a side by side:

Linking to:

Furniture Feature Friday
Party Junk
The Party Bunch
Vintage Inspiration Party

From the Farmhouse,

Hand-Painted Signs~New Etsy Listings

Before Christmas I started working on repurposing two wooden cabinet doors that I had gotten from a garage sale last summer. The lady I bought them from said they were from a local bank that was doing a remodel and just throwing them away. She grabbed them because she didn't want to see them thrown away but didn't really have a plan for them. So she decided to offer them at her garage sale. I found them near the end of the day and she was willing to deal. She sold them to me half price and I brought them home with the intention of making them into signs.

Like I said, I started before Christmas but as I mentioned in my previous post, I got really busy during December and I didn't get them finished. So this week I decided to dust them off and finish them. They are now listed in my shop. I realize the one is 'off-season' but I went ahead and listed it in case someone is looking for decor for the next holiday season.

I used Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint for the door and craft paint for the lettering. I just printed the sign off and transferred it to the sign by tracing the letters over carbon paper. (No Silhouette Cameo needed!)

From the Farmhouse

Powder Room Vanity {Repurposed Sewing Cabinet}

Last summer when I was garage saling, I saw a sewing machine and cabinet for sale. I didn't want the machine so I asked the lady if she would sell just the cabinet. She was eager to get rid of things and promptly said "yes, $3". I said "sold"! It was small and kind of loose in the 'joints' but it had such great lines that I knew it was destined for better things than a burn pile.

I got a little carried away and started into the project before I remembered to take a picture.
It was extremely hot the week I was working on this so I brought inside, thus the icky pictures.
Here I had taken the top off and glued and clamped it to sturdy it back up.

It sat in my garage for about a year until several weeks ago when I was cleaning out the garage and getting things ready for a garage sale at my friend's house. I decided it would make a sweet little vanity for a powder room or small bathroom. Having just used the MMS milk paint on the buffet with reasonable success, I was anxious to try another piece. I had used all my linen color on the buffet and all I had was ironstone. I painted it on and it was much whiter than I wanted but I went ahead and did my 3 coats and scraped it where the paint chipped up. Then I wiped the piece down with a soft cloth that was soaked with Minwax stain. (I forget which color, but any color will work. I would stick with the browner colors.) That 'aged' it nicely with the stain settling in the grooves and crevices. I wiped it down with a clean, soft cloth and let it dry. Finally, I waxed it with Annie Sloan soft wax (because that's what I have on hand).

Here it is after painting, aging, and waxing.

Since the original top had a hole cut in it where the sewing machine mounted, I needed to come up with a different top. Enter Uncle with the woodworking shop. He had some thick oak boards that he wasn't going to use so he kindly planed, cut, glued, and sanded them into a solid oak butcher block. I stained it with Minwax stain and waxed it with soft wax. I then fastened it and cut holes for a vessel sink and faucet that I had on hand.

I had bought this faucet several years ago and never ended up using it for what I planned.
The sink was an ebay purchase. I got it awhile back with this project in mind.

I found these cute ring pulls at Menards and thought they looked like they belonged on this piece. Here is a close up of the chipping and crackling on the front. I love how this paint has a mind of it's own. It just does this by itself.

Lovely oak top

And finally, the whole piece in all it's beauty.

It didn't sell at the garage sale but I'm not really sad. I love it so much that I'm seriously considering putting it in my master bathroom. DH has given his approval.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Linking to:

Beneath My Heart's Best DIY Projects of July
Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors' Party Junk
Knick of Time Interiors' Knick of Time Tuesday

From the Farmhouse

MMS Milk Painted Buffet {and some tips}

Hellooooo!? Anybody out there?

It has been so long since I've posted on here that you've probably all given up on me. Unless you follow me on facebook. Then you have an idea what I've been up to.

A few weeks ago, I decided the garage had been a catch-all for too long. It was getting cleaned out! Risking life and limb, I waded in. Tossing junk, unearthing projects, and organizing tools. I think we can actually park 2 cars now if we need to. :)

I had a goal to refinish/repurpose two of the bigger projects I had uncovered by this weekend because one of my friends was having a garage sale. She had invited me to put things on it. I realize, these were not really garage sale pieces or prices but publicity is good, right? As it turns out, I did not sell either piece but I did have a couple people take my number so who knows, I might sell them yet.

Anyway, this post is to show before and after of the one piece; an antique oak buffet.

BEFORE

 The piece was mostly sturdy but had some rough areas. The left front leg had obviously sat in water for quite awhile. It had rotten away and made the buffet sit un-level. The veneer on the top was bubbling and peeling in places.

Peeling veneer on the top

The top also had a gap at the back where the top used to fit down into. Using my heat gun, I stripped the veneer off the top. I then sanded it well and glued an oak board on the back where the gap was. When the glue was dry, I filled the holes and imperfections with a stainable wood filler and stained the whole top with Minwax Special Walnut.

To fix the rotten leg problem, I cut the front legs off level with the bottom of the buffet and added feet from Lowes. They were about an inch or so shorter than the other feet had been so I cut off the back feet to match the height. Now it sits level again. :)

For the buffet 'body', I gave it a good washing and a Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint treatment and coated it with clear wax.

Here is what I learned about MMS Milk Paint:

• Mix it thicker than the suggested ratio. I did a 1:1 ratio
• Even mixing it thicker, you will likely need more than 2 coats to cover a dark piece with light paint.
• Your project will look awful for the first coat or two; don't give up!

I ended up doing 4 coats. The first coat I mixed the recommended 1 part paint to 1 1/2 parts water. It went on very runny and when it dried it just looked like a light wash. I went back online and began reading what I did wrong. On one blog I found where the blogger recommended mixing a 1 to 1 ratio if painting a light color over dark. For the second and subsequent coats that's what I did and it went on a lot better. The coverage still isn't all that great and I did 4 coats until I was happy with the coverage. I noticed in places where the paint kinda pooled (like crevices) the paint dried crackly. It didn't chip necessarily but it just got an old crackly look. After the second coat (which is what most people stop with), I had zero chipping and very minimal coverage. I was very discouraged, thinking all the hype about this paint was just that; hype. I decided to do at least one more coat. Low and behold, after that coat dried, it began to chip a little and crackle. The coverage still wasn't what I wanted so I did a fourth coat before scraping it to peel off the chips. I finished it with clear wax.

Since the inside was pretty dark and nasty, I decided to paint it an line the bottom surfaces with wallpaper that looks like old newspaper. I also added new hardware from Hobby Lobby.

So there it is. I hope to show you the second MMS milk paint project soon. Stay tuned. ;)

Linking to:

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

Funky Junk Interior's Party Junk

From the Farmhouse