I didn’t think in my wildest dreams I would see a functioning butler’s pantry in this house without a major renovation, so I’m excited to reveal my very own pantry! And look at that light streaming in! I won’t ever want to close that door again (unless in true butler’s pantry style I’m stashing everything out there during a dinner party).
It helps when you have friends who have trade skills but it helps even more when you have a relative who can build and we only have to call in trades as required. I did as many jobs as I could, assembling cabinets, plastering, painting, tiling and grouting, and at the end it all passed a certification inspection now required in Melbourne for a S32 when a registered builder doesn’t complete the works and the property is to be sold.
There are many people who bag Ikea, but I’m not one of them. I have always had good quality cabinets that have gone together easily and look good. These units are the old Faktum range. I’m excited to be working on a new job that will use the just released Metod system and will let you know what I think. I measured, designed and bought everything needed for the job, and a competent diy-er could do this job.
I bought the sink and tap from Ikea too. Their ceramic sinks are great value for money and this black tap has the colour I was looking for yet traditional styling to go with the rest of the kitchen.
Remember what this room looked like before
Again I’ve used dark paint and the room looks lighter. The white wide slat timber venetian blind sits inside the window frame, where the natural timber blind in the old laundry sat on the outside and made everything look dark.
Black grouting is worth the extra effort, as are the extra tubes of caulk (coloured silicone). I used both white and black around the sink.
Behind the door is the open shelf pantry, made from 2 new and 1 recycled Ikea bookcases. They have been attached to each other and the wall to create a strong unit, and the magnetic doorstop you can see at the bottom means the door can easily stay open and let all that natural light flood into the main kitchen.