Cupboard Dilemma!

Ever since we moved into our home over 6 years ago, I have been dying to paint our Kitchen cupboards all white. When we began to renovate our 133 year old home the kitchen started off with open shelves either side of our window…it didn’t work with the space, made it heavy and they had to go. Now I see photos and think “I wouldn’t mind having some place to display my collection of white ceramics and ironware”, but I don’t want open shelves. I have been thinking for a while now that when the cupboards get painted (sooner than later) I would like to change one of our double pantry cupboards into a wire fronted display piece and have the other one in chalkboard paint…but now I have added our little chalkboard on the side of the pantry, I think that an all blackboard pantry would be too dark….sigh!

So, now I have become obsessed with cupboards and how I can pretty our Kitchen doors up with out spending a bomb doing it…this I can do!

I have thought that maybe I could tear off 2 of the doors and have some shelves exposed and maybe a gorgeous skirt (like Brooke has done here in her Chanel Islands home)…but that would mean a major configuration of the other pantry which is attached and lots of $$$ – not going to work.
..maybe we should rip that side out and have a freestanding unit in its place – no, then it would mean re plastering the wall and we would still have to re configure the other pantry…argh!

…bite the bullet and take off all the doors and have some wonderful colour splashed onto the back of the cupboard to highlight my collection? What do I do with ugly tins of food?
I would just love to have a huge Armoire that I could fill with beauty, open when I felt like it, shut if it was a little messy and be done, but no…an old house is never going to play your way!

So, I am back to the idea of painting the cupboards all white, maybe cutting some panels out of two of the doors, filling with mesh (so you can see the collection) and keeping the other two doors intact to hide everyday food items and dressing the doors with some nickle bin pull handles on the drawers and nickle knobs on the doors.
How much can I pull this off for? I am going to do the math and try to shock you when it is done…do you think I can do it on a shoestring? Any tips??
Ness xx

Comments

comments

Comments (13)

  • oh how fun! I think the best idea is to keep some doors to hide the mess and some open shelves to show your beautiful collection. lovely! xo

    Reply
  • Oh, those photos are SOOOOO lovely 🙂 I’ve had that top one in my files for a while and recently used it to inspire our kitchen/garage door project – http://homeforthebetter.blogspot.com/2009/11/style-injection-kitchen-door-before.html

    I think Brooke’s closet space is just gorgeous, too. You surely can’t go wrong with all of these wonderful photos to work from – especially with your talent 🙂

    Can’t wait to see what you come up with!!!

    XO,
    Jacci

    Reply
  • i can’t wait to see what you do!!! I think it sounds like you’ll be getting the best of both worlds. I love having pretty things be seen but of course having a hiding space is a must. this sounds like it’ll be perfect!!

    xoxo

    Reply
  • I am working on my kitchen transformation too, I am looking at open upper cabinetry & closed lower cabinetry to open up the room.
    Good luck,
    Leslie

    Reply
  • I loved the idea of white cabinets until I actually had them… just a warning, they constantly look dirty, smudges of coffee and dirty finger prints and spaghetti sauce and randomness… I have to wipe down the front of all my cabinets 3X per week just to keep them looking somewhat white… Wish I had thought of that before we painted them all white

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  • I love the look of open cupboards. Those displays are great. I could never do it …I’m too much of a mess. I’m sure yours would be beautiful!

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  • Mmmmmm……….lovely pix!

    Warm blessings,
    Spencer

    Reply
  • I have had this problem too, at present I have a large converted bookshelf painted white to display the lovely white things, and also a little white cabinet with mesh in the doors for some more. But you just have to have balance, and some stuff has to be hidden away. Some gorgeous inspiration here tho’.

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  • i know you can Ness…xv

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  • Hey Ness, As if you need our advice! Haha – you know you will have the answer! I am excited to see what you end up doing – lots of before and after pics too 🙂

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  • Hey Ness,
    Thought I would add my thoughts also. Sounds like you have nutted it out and it sounds great. Three and half years ago we gutted our kitchen and because we live on a farm I went for full gloss paint on everything, from walls, ceilings and front of cabinets, all one colour of course, and I agree somewhat with the above comment that they do pick up the marks, you can see them easier. I do a really good clean once a week and I still love it. If I had my time over again I would still go with what I have now. I consider myself so lucky to have the kitchen that I do and while others say too high maintainance I just think it all goes with where I live and look on the bright side at least I know it’s really clean!!!
    Hope you have a great day and even though I don’t always leave a comment I enjoying “calling in” when I can.
    Take care

    Janine
    XXOO
    N.W. Coast

    Reply
  • Definitely need to leave some of the panels in. We all have mess in there that we don’t want to share.
    Alison

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  • i think that open cupboards can look very nice.
    i think the 1st pic with the chalk board door is fabulous.
    do that one!!
    xx

    Reply

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