WOW, what a change in your pantry!....good organization.
I really do like your tile behind the stove, what is the name and brand of that? Also what kind of countertop are you getting? But so far, it looks great.

I'd be standing in there just absorbing it too (the big drawback in wall storage has to be that lack of pantry immersion). And fonding the backsplash! Looking forward to seeing your other backslash up.

Well really...I don't know what was wrong with the first pantry...you could easily find the dog bones anyhoo :oP

Is that stainless I see next to the range? I love the idea of the backsplash with stainless...but if it's not stainless...it's a nifty gray anyhoo :o)

Yep, those are stainless counters, Igloo. We love 'em. Thanks Rosie and Phoggie. The tile is slate from Home Depot. Don't know the brand. I found it on their special order floor tile rack. Not bad for $2.99/sq ft. The color is Arctic White. The island top I mentioned is Douglas fir cut from our own property and milled by a local guy. Dh built it and I finished it, and it's just waiting to be installed.

I think I am becoming an organization addict...Any storage in our former homes has been pieced together with odds and ends of things. With a new home, with every space planned by me, I want it to work just right. As you can see by the way the kids kept the pantry before, it'll be an uphill battle, but I'm hoping the 'place for everything and everything in it's place' will help encourage better habits! I went crazy buying all the plastic stuff at 'Storables,' my new favorite place!

Thanks for letting me share.

rhome -- thanks for the pantry pics. It looks like a dream come true. What are the dimensions? Is the shelving on both sides and back, or just the one side, w/ hooks to hold the broom, etc. on the other wall?

Really looks great -- thanks for any info you can pass along!!

Scootermom, the pantry is 48" wide and 45" deep. It came out of a last minute change in our plans after we'd started framing, so it was all I could fit...But it's far better than nothing and I am very thankful to have it.

The shelves are in an L, on the back (16" deep) and on the right (12" deep). There aren't hangers on the left yet for broom, etc., but we plan to add them.

There is nothing as beautiful as a well organized pantry. :) Especially when you need to feed all your dc.
It looks very nice. Your backsplash is wonderful, looks like it picks up the green on your walls perfectly.

I bet you can't wait for island countertop. Should be a fun week.
Be sure and post some more pics when finished.

How lucky are you to have such a beautiful pantry and kitchen! What a wonderful deal you got on your slate. It's really coming together nicely.
Barb

I love your pantry! It looks great! Your backsplash is so pretty! Goes well with everything you have done. Congrats on all your hard work and great choices. I can't wait to see more picts!

The pantry looks great! What are the containers you are usig for flour etc. I have to buy new stuff for my new pantry ad your's look practical.

Rhome, I remember when you found the tile! It's so exciting to see it up on the wall, and it looks GREAT! Can't wait to see the rest. Congratulations!

THanks, everybody for the compliments and encouragement.

ajpl, I got all the plastics at Storables. I'm linking the bulk foods storage products page below. I have beans in the 11 qt containers, the flour, wheat, and pet foods in the wheeled 30 qt containers, and the grains (and our cereal in another cupboard) in the pitcher-like 1.5 gallon 'bulk foods dispenser.' If you have a store nearby it'd be best, because I think shipping would add more to the cost than is reasonable. The baskets I have for oranges, potatoes, garlic, and onions were from there, too. I used to think Tupperware was the only way to go, but these, so far, seem pretty great, and less expensive.

Here is a link that might be useful: Storables bulk food containers

Since I am stuck out here in "Kansas land", I have had no luck trying to find the backsplash slate tile at our area HD....and why is it "artic white"?...I don't see any white in it...
but oh, I love it~

Who knows why most color names are decided? ;-) I really expected more of a lighter overall appearance, more bleached out colors, but it's growing on me.

Thanks. that store isn't in this area but hopefully I'll find something similar.

I so envy your pantry!!!!

Thanks for posting the before/after pics. It's really inspiring.

What you've showed us so far is gorgeous. Keep the pictures coming! :)

Thanks to you both. I will post photos as more things happen...I'm especially waiting for the cabinet painting to be finished and the hardware to go on. I should have the backsplash done about the same time and it should all look much more like my vision at that point.

Ajpl, I just thought to look at the brand name on the storage containers in my pantry you asked about. The wheeled ones that sit on the floor, as well as the rectangular ones on the 2nd shelf, are made by Iris USA Inc. I linked the page that lists their retailers below...Since you don't have a Storables nearby, maybe one of these others will be of help.

In case you were also interested in the containers with the handles on the bottom shelf (they look like pitchers), they say they are made by Buddeez. http://www.buddeez.com/

While I'm here I might as well show you all that Ddh got my island top on!

Before and after, with a lot more yet to come before we say 'finished':

Oh! That island top looks nice! And from your own property...even better. That should be a great heirloom!

I also love your pantry...it's so organized! I may start out that way, but I know I won't end up that way...my children & DH aren't the only ones who sometimes "stash" when in a hurry!

Your kitchen is looking so nice! I can't wait to see the finished product...and btw...I also love the BS...it's very similar to what we had picked out b/f it became a victim of cost cutting!

You know, I don't think you should bring your kitchen with you--I think we should all come up to your kitchen :)

I just want to fondle that island countertop in person. How completely *fabulous* that it came from your property.

All the colors go so well together, rhome. More than the sum of their parts. BRAVA :)

Buehl, I'm sure the pantry will become disorganized, soon and often, but the good part is (I hope) it'll be fairly easy to put back to right. The methods shown in the 'before' photo weren't...It was almost a 'start over' each time.

Flyleft, you are all welcome in my kitchen any time! Sounds a bit easier than driving it to Portland... DH was off spraying cabinet doors today. I really can't wait to see all the colors really come together. It's getting a little exciting!

Wow! That island is gorgeous! There is nothing better than something made with your own hands, from your own tress, with a beautiful story behind it (says the hand-quilter)! I also really like the cookbook niche!

rhome - - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pantry!! I'm stealing your layout for a closet I'm trying to plan for my husband to build (AFTER the kitchen is done, that is!!) :-) It looks like you really planned just the right heights on each shelf to maximize space. I see you even made room for your WonderMill! It looks like an amazing job of organizing and I think because you made a place for everything it will be easy to fix it back up often!

Your tile, doors and countertop are STUNNING!! Please keep the pictures coming! They are so inspiring!

Blessings!

OOOOO... that's the kind of shelving I want my DH to build for me whenever it is I actually get to that point. Functional, easy clean, easy access... PERFECT!! LOVE the island!

Wow! I mean, a really big WOW! At this rate, I'm sure the next group of photos will be in the WOWEE category. Bring 'em on!

Thanks so much everyone! I definitely need to credit Buehl and a post she wrote, quoting SharB's post that listed the distances between her pantry shelves, and why (So thanks, SharB and Buehl!)...That really helped me get started. I had to adjust for things like the location of an electrical outlet that was in the way, and I made sure things like my grain mill had adequate space. I had the rolling storage containers when we started, because something for my 50 pound bags of wheat berries was a top priority, but added the others after it was all built, being very lucky to find things just the right size to fit.

Bluekitobsessed, I do love that cookbook alcove. It was one of those things that 'just developed' during the design process. For so long, I had planned to have the cabinets wrap around the corner, but in the 3D renderings they looked so heavy, and I'm not a big fan of corner storage or counter corners anyway. It is so handy to have my most often grabbed cookbooks right by the stove. It was also a way to deal with the base cabinet height change, since the cleanup counter is at 36", while the stove area counters are at 34".

Here is a link that might be useful: pantry thread with SharB's distance-betw-shelves measurements

Ah, I see my old friend The Whisper Mill. Does that thing not sound like a small engined jet? LOL!

I'm off to check out out some storage doohickeys because mine are either too big (huge buckets w/wheat beries) or too small.

rhome410 - Wow it's looking great so far! Love the pantry and love your backsplash. Thanks for reposting the link for the shelving distances - useful stuff!

Wow so much to look at and it all looks so beautiful!

Great job on the pantry! I love your BS and mosaics, it
blends so nicely.

I love the fact that the island top is from your own land...that
is totally awesome!

Can't wait to see more!

Thanks, Kev!

Yes, Inkycrab, it's the good ol' Whisper Mill. Sleepyheads are not too thrilled when I want to start grinding wheat first thing in the morning. The name is pretty oxymoronic. ;-) I've always just kept my wheat in the original bag, and I got to thinking that probably wasn't really advisable. This is much better, but I don't get my weight lifting exercise this way! Best wishes on your container hunt.

Thanks to you, too, vicnsb, for the nice compliments...We must've been writing at nearly the same time. :-)

rhome, your kitchen is looking fantastic!

I love the way you handled the corner with the built-in bookcase. Would've loved to do something like that in my kitchen if it weren't so small.

The Douglas fir island top from your own property - WOW!! That is really special. That's the kind of thing that, if you ever move, you have to tell the new owners about, and then when they move, they'll do the same, and on and on through the years because no one will ever want to part with it!

Thank you for posting the pics and info on your pantry. It is helping me a lot as I try to decide how to design mine. I can't get over how good yours looks! Did you build it yourself? What material are the shelves made of? And what about that post in the corner of the L? How is that fastened, to the floor or just to the shelving? Sorry for so many questions!

Oh, to have a walk-in pantry! [Mine is 22 inches wide.] And the island top is just absolutely stunning. Such an incredible focal point.

Thanks, lily and maydl. I hope moving is not in our future and that the only future owners will be one of our kids...That's the dream, anyway...Not sure how realistic it is!

Yes, we built the pantry. In fact, our whole house was (still is) a family DIY project...from beginning/designing to end. We hired just a few subs here and there. The pantry shelves are melamine with a fir edgebanding. The supports/cleats under the shelves (attached to the wall) and that corner post are fir...again, from our trees, like the island, our baseboard, and door and window casing. The post is notched for and firmly fastened to each shelf, but not the floor. I think DH would've opted for plywood, as he did for our cabinets, but I voted melamine for easy cleanup and brightness.

--Ask all the questions you want! I hope I answered with what you needed to know...and, hopefully, not too much more. I can go on and on about these things! ;-)

Rhome, my jaw is dropping at that countertop. It's gorgeous! How thick is it? It's so cool.

And I love how you handled that corner. Looking forward to seeing the next set of pics!

Now you're making me admit my secrets, scootermom!...The edge of the countertop is 3 1/4"...But the whole thing isn't that thick. We were going to do an edgegrain top that was that thick, but time and circumstances (and remaining amount of clear lumber) made us get a little creative. The fir is laid flat on the top...it's most 5/4 x 4, so 1" thick. The whole thing is shaped like an inverted, shallow box, and slipped right over the counter structure you see in the 'before' photo...So it looks thick, but isn't. I never wanted to cut directly on it, so it didn't really matter that it wasn't edge or end grain. Way back when I wanted to make a Brazilian Cherry end grain butcherblock, but time and money started changing the plan...And using our own fir has a 'cool' factor the other wouldn't, even though it might have been more practical. This was, after all, essentially free, which fit right into our budget!

We're really not sure it'll last, because fir is pretty soft for such a purpose. But we're only out the time and sweat if it gets tired looking after awhile and needs to be replaced.

It looks like I wasn't the only GWer who had to figure out where to put her grain mill and massive amounts of grain berries in the new kitchen design!! :-) Rhome - have you seen a gamma lid? I keep my berries in a large bucket (I think it's size is six gallons) with a gamma lid on top that is EASY to open and comes in different colors. I have white for hard white, red for hard red, blue for soft white and black for spelt. When the buckets are empty I just refill them. I LOVE my gamma lids and I don't worry about moisture issues because my grain is in buckets. Again, I'm loving your pantry! You did an awesome job! (Isn't it amazing in summer when homeschool is not the majority of your day how productive you can be!!? :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to show gamma lids

Wow, 3 homeschoolers that grind wheat on here, how cool!

I have those gamma lids and 3 huge buckets but I have to store them in my laundry room which is nowhere near my kitchen. I'm thinking about some of those storage containers rhome has.

Rhome, your whole kitchen is beautiful, but your panty and island counter really are the stars. It's so impressive how you and your husband put together such a lovely room and all while homeschooling your children. Congratulations!

I had never heard of the gamma lids before. Where've I been? ;-) Of course, I really wouldn't have had a space to store 5 gallon buckets before, anyway. In our last house I had to empty some of the wheat into a large Tupperware container, and stash the rolled back in a cupboard. So far I've only used hard white and spelt, so maybe I can expand my horizons now. Have either of you ground beans into flour?

Cheri, building the house was a great homeschool project! :-D It's my dh being sort of off for the summer that helps. I say 'sort of' off, because he's a public school teacher, and unlike the perception that he has summers 'free,' still has school-related things to accomplish...but he is getting some time to work on the house again, too. Summer will zoom by, so we're trying to get as much done as possible.

Rhome - - You could keep your big buckets of wheat with gamma lids in the garage or closet and be secure in the knowledge that no 'critters' or moisture were invading! ;-) Then you could refill from them to your smaller tubs in your fabulous pantry.

I have ground flour from beans that are found in ezekiel mix. In fact, I made brownies this week from ground ezekiel mix and the kids had NO idea they were eating treats that were a complete protein!! :-)

I love how sneaky I can be! My chocolate chip muffins (made with milled soft white grain) has shredded zucchini! The kids have NO clue!

So we don't keep going off-topic and boring the rest of the TKO crowd ;-), would you mind emailing me through 'my page' with your Ezekiel mix recipe? And maybe we can talk about other homeschooling, grain milling things? I have been milling wheat for years now, but still feel a newbie at it. I love the bread I can make with Montana Prairie Gold hard white, so have pretty much stuck with the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality and not tried much else.

I also love sneaking veggies into things, as a benefit to us adults, as well as the kids! 2 of my favorites are raw spinach in strawberry smoothies and pumpkin in chili.

Right now we have no garage and absolutely no spare closet space...So my little pantry is it for grain storage. I'm so thankful for a last minute change in our floorplan (while we were framing) that allowed it to be added!!! One of the benefits of DIY building...adapting and changing as you see the need.

I'll be the 4th homeschooler who grinds her own wheat :)

Great use of space in the pantry, rhome!! And ditto everyone else who is oohhing and ahhhhing over the island :)

Yay, Faithseed! Happy to meet you, and thanks!

Faithseed, I should have invited you to join our discussion about grinding flour on the Conversations side of the forum. The link to the thread is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread on grain grinding on Conversations side of Kitchen forum