The Pantry Project

Another project complete!

...Well, almost. I need to paint the last foot or so up to the ceiling...but it's pretty much done. :)

This project was my pantry. I kind of what to go buy some cute little container and baskets for some items, but for now, you will get to see the paint job. Now before you continue to think "Please, a pantry project? Like 4 shelves and a door?" Wrong. If you have seen my pantry, you know it is its own little room. I would guess it is about 4x4 room with 11 shelves and 10ft ceiling. There is a lot of space, which is great, but not a 2 hour project to spruce up.

Here is a picture of it before (with some blue painter's tape already in place).

The other half of the pantry is hidden, but it looks pretty much the same. The walls, especially around the trash can, were pretty yucky. 10 year old home, several different families, and I am certain they have never painted or cleaned the walls. The shelves were never lined with any sort of protection (you see my quick, messy job of such when we first moved in).

My goal: Paint the walls with the same paint from the kitchen, blue. I want a decorative design on back of the main 4 sets of shelves. The top two and bottom shelves were "add-on's" and I use them mainly for light storage...the installer did not anchor them the best.
I also planned to rip out the messy contact paper and replace it with clean, fresh, and accurately-cut contact paper.

I first planned to block off the design with painter's tape and  paint over it leaving the wall behind it with the "X" design once peeling off the tape. Now, I have painted 85% of my house thus far and I know that textured walls + painter's tape = why bother?

And here's why:
Looks okay from a distance, it's something you could just say "I could live with it." But since this house has been set-up with that mindset from previous owners, I was about to accept this motto.

Here is the mess up close. Just not pretty and a bit "chunkier" than I wanted.

So...what to do?

Well, I already planned to line the shelves with white contact paper...so I wondered if contact paper would also stick to the wall. You know, like all the super-popular wall decals these days?

It did stick. So, I threw out the painter's tape idea out the window and begun measuring and cutting little strips of contact paper. Once painting the entire wall, I would then go back and add the white contact paper in the same pattern. Using a triangle shaped guider, I individually angled and placed each strip of paper.

I LOVE the completed look. So sharp, clean, and subtle. You can also easily peel off the design if you want a simple look, or different pattern latter.

 I rearranged some things, threw out some things, consolidated some things...and tada!

I would love to get a better plastic-bag-dispenser and maybe a crate or two for the loose spice bottles and baking supplies; but you get the over-all look!








So easy, affordable, and the possibilities are endless!
This idea was inspired by pinterest but refined by yours truly. ;)

Again, here is the before and after side-by-side:

  As silly as it might seem, I really love opening my pantry 10,000 times a day now. And for all my visitors who have to throw away any little thing, I think they will appreciate the clean, fresh feeling as well...maybe. :P

What's next? I am thinking the console table project or the over-the-tv shelves. Stay tuned!


M.LEWIS