our pretty pretty pantry---done!

 I was determined to finish the pantry project that I started last night, and I did! Even as I was laying in bed half asleep this morning, I was thinking about how much I wanted to paint! I was up for about 10 minutes before I got started. It was a lot of work, and this little pantry sure soaked up the paint, but we now have a bright, pretty, and most importantly, clean and functional pantry.

This is what it looked like yesterday:

 

And here is is today:

 It was sooo gross and dirty before

 

But after vacuuming, some lots of elbow grease in the form of scrubbing and bleach water, an entire gallon of primer, a quart of paint, a tube of caulk, and some new floor tiles, it's totally fresh.

I am in love with the paint color that I used on the walls! I wanted something light and bright, but a little bit fun too. This really light blue-green reminds me of Mackinaw Island. It's called "Window Pane" and is by Behr. It's really subtle but such a light and happy surprise when you open the door.
I used ultra white, high gloss white paint on the shelves themselves, and lined the top of the shelves in cork contact paper to cover up the grossness that was there before.

 

Everything in the pantry are items that have been in boxes since we moved, and after I took pictures I unpacked even more, and it all fits in really well, with room for even more. It's perfect for the items that aren't used on a daily basis, but we still want easy access to. Our kitchen is going to be so much more functional now that there is a place for everything and it doesn't need to go in and out of boxes in the basement! It's amazing that just 24 hours ago, I hardly wanted to open the door to the pantry, much less put food and dishes in there. Now I can't stop going into the basement just to stare at it.

Now that we have a pretty, pretty pantry, the basement surrounding it is looking even more dingy. Those mustard colored walls and 1941 tiles have got to go. Working on the laundry room is definitely a project that I want to work on soon!