New Pantry!

I am a bit of a hider.  There are items that disappear into closets and spare rooms never to be seen again. But with my new project, I am working on using my usable spaces.  This is the closet in my dining room.  It was originally set up as a coat closet.  But it isn't really convenient for that.  What is convenient for?  Just check out the before picture.

This is usually what it looked like.  And most of the time it was a squeeze to get it closed.  Also you can see evidence of when I was going to strip all the paint off the wood.  I got bored and never fixed.  That is a project for another day.

Once we got all the items out, it wasn't as big as I remembered.

I am proud to say this project was free.  I had a set of shelves that used to hold DVDs.  We took the back off and stuck it in the closet, but it didn't work like I wanted.

By the way, somehow this pile of stuff fit in it.  I am only slightly embarrassed.  OK, I am a lot embarrassed, but that is what this project is about.  Better living through Pinterest!!

My husband got some cinder blocks from the yard to raise it, so the shelves would sit flush with the wall.  He was worried that it wouldn't be secure, so he added plumber's tape to secure it to the wall. 

Next thing you know, we have a shelving unit.  We filled it up.  All those appliances that you use a couple times a year and take up space in the counters.  Then the overflow of all our shopping bargains.  Soon we had a new walk in pantry.

Here is the after.  There's still plenty of space for more.  There is a window in the closet that gives light during the day but I will need a light at night.  But I think it came out pretty well.  And it only took a few hours, including the moving of Mount Crap from the middle of the living room.

Now I have empty space where the DVD shelves were.  I'm thinking some kind of bench.  Might need to go hunting for pallets.