Operation Pantry Remodel: Phase 2

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays! It was my first year ever with just the two (three) of us. I missed my family but it was nice to be our own family too. 

Here's our one and only holiday photo (in case you missed it on instagram or facebook):

Susie was a good girl and dressed up for the occasion.

Now that the holidays are over, it's that time again...

Yep, we've jumped right back in to our pantry remodel!


Let's go back to where we left off last time:

I came up with a plan, purchased a few boxes and glass jars, and was ready for the next step.

During this month-long hiatus, I was still stuck on what to do with the very top shelf. Should I add more boxes/baskets? Keep everything out in the open? Nothing was really working for me.

And then.... last week... out of nowhere, it hit me.

Ditch the top shelf altogether and get a medicine cabinet. This made perfect sense for so many reasons:

1) I could utilize the otherwise wasted vertical space up to the ceiling
2) Concealed storage without having to pull down an entire basket to grab one thing
3) Items inside would be lined up in a single row, easy to find and sort
4) The shelf below this will have tall jars which I can now easily lift out without a shelf above in the way (the cabinet is only 7" deep)
5) The bottom nook makes a perfect spice rack, which I hadn't yet figured out a solution for.

This cabinet from Lowe's (Estate by RSI) just happened to be the exact width of my pantry and the most inexpensive model I could find. Plus it was white so I wouldn't have to repaint. It was meant to be.

With my dilemma solved, I had new motivation and excitement to get the ball rolling.

I went to Lowe's to find my shelves, and found this 24"x72" ready to paint board for $31. It was perfect because it was the exact width of my pantry, and when cut into 4 pieces, it was also the exact depth I needed (18"):

Here's a closer look:

4 shelves for $32, not bad.

I'm only using 3 shelves, so it's good to have an extra just in case I need it later on. Or for other projects.

I also picked up some 1x2" primed MDF pieces (you can see them on the left in the photo above). These will be my shelf supports—more on that in the next post.

Lowe's had my cabinet in stock so I picked that up also:

I'll be swapping out the stock knobs for cute ones from Hobby Lobby.

After removing the useless bifold door, it was time to clean out the pantry:

Then it was shelf demo time.

I was left with some nasty anchor holes...

The whole thing was basically just a mess from lazy construction practices... so I took some time (but not too much) to patch and sand everything down.

Then, it was time for paint!

I decided to use the leftover paint from our sunroom ceiling—Valspar's Tropical Mist.

Here's a mid painting shot, via instagram:

Once the walls were dry, I added a fresh coat of white to the baseboards:

And finally, Brad installed a couple recessed lights this morning:

They're a little off center because there's some piping in the attic in the way. But the bulb direction is adjustable and you can't see them unless you're on the ground, so no big deal.

We put them on the same circuit as the rest of the kitchen lighting, and they are dimmable as well.

Here's the pantry as it stands now:

It looks *way* lighter in these photos than it does in real life... I hate this lens. Anyone want a Canon 10-22? Bleh.

Here we go... I just ran into the kitchen and took this from my iphone. It's grainy, but realistic:

See... it's very blue in there. A little jarring but it will come together once everything is installed and in place.


Before I jump into phase 3 (the not so fun part of shelf installation), I'll share what I've been scheming for the fun part: fabric.

Luckily, Brad agreed to let me leave the bifold off and hang a curtain. Since then, I've been keeping an eye out at every fabric/home improvement store I've stepped into, hoping to fall in love with something.

Here's my vision: mostly aqua and (gasp, a new color!) yellow. Something floral or organic or graphic (but not too bold). Seems like there would be tons out there, right? Nope. Or maybe I'm just too picky.

I spent entirely way too much time searching the world for "the one", and never really found it. There were countless close calls, so eventually I had to settle for the best option.

Here were the final contenders (all via Etsy):

Which one is your favorite?

Can you guess which I finally settled on?


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I *almost* pulled the trigger on the bottom left, but decided the colors weren't exactly right.

So McKenzie Bohemia in Aqua by Dena Designs it is.

I purchased it here and it came to $22.22 shipped for 2.5 yards. I'll use stitch witchery to make it into a curtain, and of course document that whole process later.

Hopefully it will be yellow enough in person—but if it isn't, I have other plans to add a splash of yellow. And I'm pretty excited about that project.


Cross your fingers for me that all goes well and we have shelves and a cabinet installed next week!

VERANDA AND ANN HOLDEN!

The latest Veranda features a renovation project done by one-half of the talented New Orleans duo, Holden and Dupuy. Known as the “Two Anns” – Ann Holden and Ann Dupuy have been creating fabulous interiors together and separately since 1976. They design interiors in the beautiful, classic NOLA style, but they also create designs that lean to the more contemporary. Mostly, their interiors are a mix of the two – classic with a touch of contemporary, which many times is highlighted by the art work used in the project.

If you are a reader of Veranda, or once – Southern Accents - you are probably well aware of Holden and Dupuy. Their work has been published many times over the years. Today, the two Anns mostly work solo on their projects. In 2010, Ann Holden was honored when she was named to Architectural Digest’s Top 100.

I’ve been a huge fan of both Anns since I first saw their work, but, that shouldn’t be a surprise. Ann Holden is the daughter of the great interior designer Gerrie Bremermann, and her influence is definitely seen in Ann’s designs. Being such a fan, I was thrilled when Veranda asked me to present some of the images that are in the new January issue. But first, let’s take a look back at Holden and Dupuy!

An early image which shows the mixture of old New Orleans and new. Trendy slipcovers hide antique fabric on priceless chairs. An antique French desk sits underneath a classic painting – but the focal point is the contemporary portrait.

Another famous image from the two Anns shows antiques mixed with contemporary chairs and fabric. Curtains by Mary Tait are a trademark.

This dining room shows again, the mix of new and old, with bold curtains.

Fabulous chairs and table – mixed with antique rug and, again, bold curtains.

A red lacquered powder room with a slipcover chair and painted console. Just beautiful.

This vignette shows a more classic New Orleans styled chest with Fortuny lampshades and a gorgeous mirror.

Ann Holden designed this house in Austin, Texas, using portieres to frame the entrance to the living room. Villa Savoi Embroidery produced the curtains. HERE.

Holden and Dupuy did work in Houston too – here, the living room with the coral colored silk curtains and contemporary day bed mixed with antiques.

The Houston dining room is so beautiful with handpainted wallpaper and a gorgeous chandelier.

But, the Houston powder room is the show stopper. Grisaille mural and rough edged marble vanity is mixed with a Venetian mirror. Sooo pretty!!!

The esteemed architect Ken Tate built this sprawling estate near New Orleans. When it came time to redecorate it, Ann Holden was chosen. This spread was featured in Architectural Digest in 2010:

The main entry way, with limestone floors and arched French doors.

The grand living room has twin chandeliers and two main seating areas. Off to the left is the library.

Close up of the living room – Villa Savoi did the embroidered curtains in this house too. I love those sconces.

Behind the living room is this eating area.

The family room is bathed in yellows and creams.

The main dining room has Gracie hand painted wallpaper. So pretty! Gorgeous chandelier. This dining room is a favorite on Pinterest.

A closeup of the antique French buffet with contemporary styled gilt lamps.

The music room has matching trumeaus that flank the French fireplace. Notice the beautiful beamed ceiling.

The music room is a mix of velvet covered contemporary styled chairs and traditional sofas. Love the suzani covered chair.

Holden updated this paneled dining room with contemporary light fixtures mixed with damask curtains.

The paneled library off the main living room.

The entry hall leading to the master bedroom.

The master bedroom is calm with ivories and aquas. Beautiful French mantel.

On Holden and Dupuy’s web site is this pretty house. This project, recently completed, shows a shift from their usual golds and creams to a more white palette. Here the entry hall with the Fortuny light fixture is between the living room and dining room.

The entry hall with antique console and chair, mixed with contemporary art work – a Holden and Dupuy trademark.

The living room has twin white slipcovered sofas with a large leather tufted ottoman.

The dining room is so dramatic with the dark walls and curtains with white linings pulled back. Gorgeous chandelier!!! Love this room!

Off the living room is the library with the contemporary table mixed with antique chairs and banquette and grisaille mural. LOVE!!!!

Finally, here is a sneak peek at Ann Holden’s newest project in this month’s Veranda. The house, built in 1884, is on famous St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. To start the process, first the 3,000 sq. ft. house was stripped back to its beginnings – all former restorations and additions were removed. Once that was accomplished, a new, seamless 4,500 sq. ft. addition was added to the back. From the front façade, there is no hint of the addition in the back.

The ceiling in the entry hall is original – and it’s fabulous! The wood floors were stripped, but picking a floor for the addition wasn’t easy. The antique lantern came from Chateau Domingue.

The dining room is in the original part of the house. Gorgeous antique table and chandelier. The ceiling is original and was stripped of its stain.

The new part of the house with steel windows.

My favorite picture in the photoshoot. The breakfast room – love how it looks like it’s in a glass box! Beadboard ceiling. Love the chandelier and the size of the prints – wonderful!

And finally, the library, painted dark gray. Another favorite! There are plenty more pictures in the magazine, I only picked my favorites to show here.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Holden and Dupuy and Ann Holden’s latest project!! The new Veranda will be on the newstands on December 24th.

There’s another good blog story on Ann Holden HERE at the Vintage Mulberry.

AND ONE MORE THING:

The Peak of TRES Chic is doing a series called Designer Diaries and she interviewed me for her blog! To read the story, please visit her blog HERE. A huge thank you to Sam for featuring Cote de Texas.