Welcome to the back hall, an area so dark that I needed a hard hat with a miner’s light just to find my way to the washer and dryer. Seriously, people, I could grow mushrooms in here. Turn on the light and it’s even more horrifying.
But, with a little cleaning, decluttering, building, and painting, now the area looks like……
What? What’s that you say? That’s a blow-your-hair-back difference.
Why, yes! Yes, it is! And, here….she proudly said…..is how it came together.
Step 1: The mud room unit was refinished in a soft white chalk paint, slightly distressed, and then sealed with a polycoat that isn’t glossy, but will still bounce the light. And, notice the old-time jam box? Huuum, yea. Do yourself a favor and have tunes going while you work. It makes everything so much easier. You just gotta have tunes. 🙂Step 2: Notice the door to the right (above picture)? This is a small closet that was mostly filled with outdated sporting equipment. I don’t know why. It was such a terrible waste of space. So, the sporting equipment found a new home and the closet got what I call a “bare-bones” refinish. Creamy white paint, store-bought shelves, and dollar store baskets made this an amazing storage area. On the right side of the closet, hooks were added to 2 by 4’s and installed to store “whatever.” They hold extra pots, pans, aprons, and coupon bags. You name it. This is where the clutter collects. In this one little spot. Behind closed doors. You know you have to have a space like this. Somewhere. Am I right? Might as well plan for it.
Step 3: Then finally, to get the real makeover party started, a clock with a drab silvery finish got a hot aqua updo. I kid you not. Once this clock was hung, I totally envisioned the look for the rest of the pantry. ***Note to self: Never underestimate the power of one accessory to trigger a vision for the whole room.***
Step 4: Remove the laundry room door. There! I said it. The five scariest words in the English language.
But, here’s the deal. This area needed space and natural light. And, for these elements, the door was a total buzz kill. Yes, I know I will have to keep the space super tidy and the verdict is still out if this is even possible. But, you know what? The change in the back hall is nothing short of amazing, so I’m surely willing to give it try.
Step 5: Build some easy custom-sized shelves that fit your space, meet your shelving needs, and match the rest of your decor.This may be a huge unit, but it was actually super easy.
The shelves are made from 3/4-inch MDF and hung on inexpensive furring strips. They combine to make what I call a “floating” bookcase. Because they were so big, two separate units were built and hung side-by-side. The directions for the shelving unit are thoroughly explained in one of my earlier posts. (Link is here) About ten photos are included on the post that illustrate the assembly.
Step 6: After you’ve built and hung the frames, meet me back here to add the front trim.But, first. Did you know that my house is traditional? From the front gates of the neighborhood all the way to my front door. It’s completely and totally a 1990’s traditional-style neighborhood. I say this because it’s hard to have a traditional house on the outside and then go in a totally different decorating direction on the inside. At least, it is for me.
So, what I do is use traditional elements and add a twist where I can. In this case, a traditional frame and finish was used for the shelving unit and then a wee bit of farmhouse popped on the scene by slightly distressing the trim.
The trim is made of simple screen molding that was glued to the edge of the shelving unit. That’s right. The pieces were cut to size and then held into place with tape until the glue dried. This way, there were no nail heads to hide. If you’d like more photos illustrating how to attach the trim, this technique was also used on a big bookcase I built last year (link here).
Once the glue was dry, any gaps or nail heads on the frame were filled in with wood putty or caulk. Then, the unit was totally sanded and painted with two coats of the same creamy white chalk paint that was used on the mud room unit. When the paint was dry, the shelves were buffed with 240-grit sandpaper and the trim was distressed using 120-grit sandpaper and then buffed with 240-grit sandpaper.
The last step involves applying two coats of polycoat. This will protect the chalk paint and also bounce the light.
And, that’s all there is to it. I will tell you that, if you look really closely, the shelves are more rustic than traditional. This is ok for this room and for their function. But, I doubt this rough build and chippy goodness would likely be found throughout the house. Never say never, so we’ll see.
In all, these shelves measure 10-feet high by 8-feet long by 5 and 1/4-inches deep, required over 100 linear feet of screen molding, and add 80-square feet (35-cubic feet) of storage. They were specifically designed to fit cans and containers with little or no wasted space. The flat mudroom wall-unit is 3-feet wide and 5-feet high. And, these units are attached to wall spaces that were designed by the builder to be left empty. A design that, in my opinion, just totally wasted great spaces.
But, I gotta tell ya. Even with all of this great storage and I do love the storage, the best part is still the natural light. The glorious, hall-filling, life-giving light. It is so cheery and such a joy to see every day. I can’t imagine ever going back.
But, more importantly, what do you think? Is a pantry/laundry room without a door completely cray cray? Yay or nay?
Right now, the routed places in the door frame remain. As I complete the other side of the room, which involves refacing the builder’s grade stock cabinets and adding more shelving, we will see how going without a door works out.
The final decision about the door will come in the final reveal. #FingersCrossed #NextWeek
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. Let’s talk pros and cons about this room and its doorless existence.
Linking to these great parties:
Something to Talk About via The Crowned Goat
Show and Share via Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday via A Stroll through Life
Totally Terrific Tuesday via Live Randomly Simple
The Scoop via StoneGable
Wow Us Wednesdays via Savvy Southern Style
Wonderful Wednesday via Must Love Home
DIY Like A Boss via Pretty Handy Girl
Treasure Hunt Thursday via From My Front Porch to Yours
Fab Friday Link Party via The Painted Drawer
Share It One More Time via One More Time Events
Best of the Weekend via Sweet Pea
Before and After via Thrifty Decor Chick
81 Comments
Oh my gosh this is fabulous! I’m a “light” girl, so I’m really crushing on the new look. You’re right, the change is unbelievable. I say leave the door off! (And my pantry never looked so organized in my life lol) xo Kathleen
Thanks, Kathleen. I’m ready to take the newly refinished door and hardware to the basement. I think my pantry/laundry room has found its bliss. Lol.
Thanks for sharing on A Stroll Through Life Linky Party where I found you, this looks great. our storage is in the garage so light is an issue but one I cant do anything about.
Sorry about that.. Maybe take a second look at walls inside the home to see if a small pantry could be added. Thanks so much for stopping by! Good luck with your pantry.
Susie, I AM DYING! This space is beyond amazing. I’m pretty sure it should be in a competition or something. What the what – it looks SO good! You’re awesome! Hugs, Coco
Lol…CoCo… Thanks so much! You’ve just made my day. I was a little worried about posting it, but it works for us….so here we are. Thanks again.
This is all so incredibly clever! Kudos for having such a genius vision! I love how bright it is, but I also love that the shelves are kind of narrow. I’d much rather have lots of shelves with things I can easily get to than just a few shelves that are so deep that things have to be moved out of the way to remove other things.
It’s absolutely perfect! Congrats 🙂
Thanks so much, Christine! I totally agree. When the rest of the little laundry room is revealed, it will be obvious that the narrow shelves were chosen for the reason you described and because I didn’t have the space to go wide. I’m working on the laundry room side today!! Hope to have it posted next week. Thanks again for your kind and encouraging words!!
Awesome! I can’t wait!
Hey, I enjoyed this makeover so much that I included it in a new feature I have about my favorite posts of the week! Thanks so much for inspiring me! 🙂
Oh, Christine! How very exciting! I’m so honored. Thank you so much. Look forward to finishing. You’ve inspired me to get moving. Lol… XOXXO.
Susie this is so amazing. Completely envious of your pantry! I love the shelving and the pantry organization is so beautiful. I continue and continue to fix my pantry since my teenager will move things around without putting them back in the right place….not to mention that I have two little rascals that live in my pantry…haha. My 3 and 4 year old keep going in there and shuffling things to look for snacks. Pinning and sharing. 🙂
Oh my gosh I love this! The finish on the shelves makes it look like it’s been there a very long time, like my grandma’s shelves in her garage. But I’m all about the light you get in the hallway from removing that door! If you decide you don’t like seeing the laundry area maybe you can find an old French Door and frost the windows so you still get the light.
Thanks, Toni. That is a great idea! Wish you lived nearby. When the weather breaks, we could lunch and shop and have coffee and shop and shop and chat and….. Lol.
Wow! This looks great! Love the shelves and how you built them. You can see what you have on hand with a glance. You don’t have to dig through deep shelves to see where that one can of something you were sure you had…right? The light is so cheerful and uplifting. You did an amazing job.
Thanks, Sally. Appreciate so much.
Love it! And I especially love that clock!
Thanks, Medina. That clock!! Yes, my favorite, too.
What a stunning difference! Okay… um I need you to come over to our house and do a complete overhaul! Seriously amazing and I need to aspire to be as organized as you are! I so want a house of our own that we can fix up now! And I will for sure be asking for your advice! ;o)
Thanks so much, Lucy! Appreciate your kind words.
[…] pantry makeover from The Chelsea Project will astonish you. Chelsea had an amazing vision to turn a dark hallway into a light, bright […]
Well done! I came here from So Domestically Challenged’s blog.
So much light and ease of access, love your pantry. 🙂
Thanks, so much. Appreciate your kind words and your sweet visit to my little corner of the blog world.
Susie — it truly is a blow-your-hair-back difference. The light pours through! And the shelves — I want what you have done. I’m going to call my husband over to the computer now so he can study your post. It’s very inspiring and gives me hope. I saw your link at the Fab Friday link party. Ann Marie @ Iris Abbey
Hi Iris, I’m so happy you find the post helpful. The shelves are very easy to assemble. There is a category on my blog called “I built that” and there are several posts that repeat the same assembly technique. I will tell you that today I got the other half of the room completed and the light level went up another level. I can’t want to get the post written. I never thought I’d need sunscreen to go do the laundry. LOL. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words. Best of luck getting your shelves made.
I love the chippy look. This is so organized, it makes mine look like a disaster! 😉
LOL….Mary, you are so funny!! Thanks so much for stopping by. I just love having you visit!!
[…] Pick by Donna of Two Chicks and A Mom / Chelsea Project/The Pantry Makeover Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / A Dish of Daily Life / 15-Easy Soups For The New Year […]
Oh wow! I just love this. I wish I had these shelves, looks so easy to organize and easily accessible.. Christine
Fabulous!!! Love it. The BEST pantry I ever had was built by my hubby. It was on a blank wall in the kitchen. He made 12 in. deep shelves, it had sliding doors and one one side I stored food and dishes and the other side pots and pands and things like taoster, electric frying pan, crockpot etc. Wish I had it now!!! Came over from Marty’s.
Susie, what a great use of dead wall space! I did notice the boombox – I use mine all the time when I’m painting!
Hi Jann, Thanks so much for visiting. Appreciate much.
Wonderful change. I, too, love the light. Could use more of it in my house. I wonder how that ladder works? Or is it just for the photos? Hope to read that it all works out neatly.
I came from “A Stroll Through Life.” Glad to find you.
Funny you should ask about the ladder. I made it to go over the toilet in the powder room. When I realized that I would constantly need a boost to reach many things, I brought in the ladder to start sizing the space. So the ladder in the pics is just for towels and aprons. However, as soon as the weather breaks and I can get the saw going, I will make one for that space that will bear weight.
Tried to subscribe but wordpress won’t allow it and no way to add blogs to my list. If you can direct me to a link that will let me add a blog, I’d appreciate it. Thanks MJ
Under my photo is a box that ask if you’d like to subscribe. Just under that box is a box to add your email address. It won’t accept a blog address, but is set up to accept an email. Thanks so much. If the email box doesn’t work, please let me know and I’ll call WordPress to find out why.
Love, love, love it!! Great job!!
Thanks so much. It’s great to hear from you!! Appreciate.
[…] Pick by Donna of Two Chicks and A Mom / Chelsea Project/The Pantry Makeover Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / A Dish of Daily Life / 15-Easy Soups For The New Year […]
Hi Donna,
What a wonderful surprise! Thanks so much for hosting the party and for featuring the pantry. I can’t believe how much it has improved our lives. I hope your readers can make one, too….if they should need one. Thanks again. Hope to linkup again soon.
Susie
Hi. Just wanted to let you know that your awesome project is Featured at Wonderful Wednesday#89! Hope you stop by and grab a button
http://bit.ly/1WqA2kq
Wow, what a difference indeed! Looks great, and I’m sure it’s so nice to have so much shelf space! LIz
Hi Liz, Thanks so much for stopping by. And, yes, the change this pantry has made in the looks and function of the area is shocking. I am just thrilled. Thanks again. Suz
I love it! I am so envious. You did a great job and that clock is fabulous!
Thanks, Cathy. Appreciate so much. I got so many comments about the clock that I’m spilling the secret to making the clock today at 8:00am. It will take you about 5 minutes to make. Thanks, again.
[…] The Chelsea Project | Pantry Makeover […]
Thanks so much for featuring my pantry makeover. What a treat! Thanks again.
[…] The Chelsea Project | Pantry Makeover […]
Thanks so much for featuring my pantry makeover. Appreciate it so very much.
[…] The Chelsea Project | Pantry Makeover […]
Erin, thanks so much for the feature. You’ve made my week!
[…] The Chelsea Project | Pantry Makeover […]
Thanks so much for the feature! What a wonderful surprise. Your linky is one of my favorites. Appreciate you guys so much.
[…] from The Chelsea Project shared a hallway makeover that includes built-in pantry shelves. She’s created a great […]
What a wonderful surprise! Thanks so much!
[…] week. It’s been super busy around here, but also super fun. The pantry refresh (LINK HERE) has been running around the internet like crazy. I know! I love it when one of my […]
Awesome job and I love those green mason jars!
Thanks, Taylor. They’re my favs, too.
This is so great! Sharing this morning on the Painted Drawer Link Party!
I’m honored. Thanks so much.
holy smokes this is awesome! LOVE the natural light & your farmhouse trim is perfect. So glad to have found you guys on the tribe 🙂
Thanks, Christy. So happy to have you with us!
[…] Pick by Donna of Two Chicks and A Mom / Oh My Creative / Luck of The Irish Krispie Treats Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / The Scrap Shoppe/ Typography Adult Coloring Sheets […]
Thanks so much! I’m so honored!!
[…] Pick by Donna of Two Chicks and A Mom / Oh My Creative / Luck of The Irish Krispie Treats Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / The Scrap Shoppe/ Typography Adult Coloring Sheets […]
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Thanks so much!! I’m honored!
[…] Pick by Donna of Two Chicks and A Mom / Sunny Sweet Days/ St Patrick’s Day Popcorn Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / Busy Being Jennifer/ Easy Mini Instagram Magnets Co-Host […]
Thanks so much!! I’m so honored!! XOXOXO … Susie
[…] Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / Stone Cottage Adventures/ First Bloom of 2016 […]
[…] Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / Stone Cottage Adventures/ First Bloom of 2016 […]
[…] Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / Stone Cottage Adventures/ First Bloom of 2016 […]
Thanks so much for the feature. Appreciate so much.
[…] Co-Host Pick by Susan of Susan B Mead / Stone Cottage Adventures/ First Bloom of 2016 […]
I love it. What an awesome pantry. Thanks for sharing and linking!
My pleasure. Thanks so much for hosting such a lovely party.
I love how bright it is now, and all the wonderful storage space. Awesome job!
Thanks so much, Christina. It’s really been a blessing to have. I am happy to report that I haven’t run out of space and am keeping it organized.
[…] How the pantry was built and painted to maximize the light (click here) […]
[…] How my custom pantry was built on wasted wall space here….. […]
[…] Like many folks, we suffer from the trifecta of home storage problems —small kitchen, smaller back hall, and smallest laundry room. But even with an overwhelming space deficient, we still managed to find room for an oversized pantry with open shelving. Next thing I know, this photo is doing a little dance —and a little globe-trotting. Click here to see the complete post. […]
[…] Susie from The Chelsea Project never ceases to amaze me with her crazy makeovers! She is the real deal people! This is her lastest makeover featuring Poppie’s Paint Powder. I also spy the ladder as a Poppie’s painted piece as well! To see the entire process; READ MORE HERE. […]