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hopedrogers

What to do with this homemade cupboard in the kitchen

8 months ago

The cupboard is made out of plywood with a glass insert on the top 2/3's. The rest of the little kitchen is in shaker white cabinets. The house is 100 years old. Like to somehow turn it into a pantry use but....Dimensions are the entire cabinet is 88" tall and 30" wide. The glass area is 64" tall and 30"wide. The kitchen in Kraftmade and I would have to have it built custom which will run over $350 if it can be done.


Comments (15)

  • 8 months ago

    it is storage....i see its empty...is there something about the shelves or the doors opening/closing that makes you avoid using it ? Rather than a tear out maybe some adjusting could give you what you want .

  • 8 months ago

    Just moved into this home and I want to use the cupboard as a pantry and don't want to see what is inside for example vitamins, medicine, cans et....

  • 8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    I would say you have a few options:

    • Change the doors to solid ones;
    • Change the glass to frosted glass;
    • Apply translucent window film to the glass;
    • DIY something to achieve a frosted glass look; or
    • Hang curtains on the inside.

    I'm assuming you would also paint the doors to blend in with your walls and change the hardware to match whatever you do with your kitchen cabinets.

  • PRO
    8 months ago

    Replace the glass with solid panels.


    Some cabinet companies sell just the face frame and doors that you might be able to use if you want to match the kitchen cabinets.

  • 8 months ago

    Change the hardware.

    If keeping the glass, use baskets to hide stuff.

    You can also wallpaper the glass panels.

    Paint it the same color as your kitchen cabinets.

  • 8 months ago

    Window film on the glass is easy, inexpensive, and easily removable. You can get opaque in many styles. I used a rice paper film in some glass front

    free standing bookcases and it has worked well for years.

  • 8 months ago

    Just do an internet search for opaque window film. The options are many

  • PRO
    8 months ago

    You can either install a lovely glass film to obscure the contents




    or you can install shirred curtains inside the doors like they do on French Doors.





  • 8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    Oh, I like the fabric curtains, but if that’s not the look you’re going for, definitely consider the window films. They're so inexpensive and easy to install. I used Artscape film on my sister’s first floor powder room window, then I did the windows in her boys’ upstairs bathroom too. Her home is a Tudor revival from the 1920s and I used Old English (below), but there are so many beautiful options to consider. You would cut them to size and apply these with a little water and a squeegee to the inside of your cabinet doors.


  • 8 months ago

    The films can last as long as you want them to; if you change your mind you can remove them so easily by just lifting a corner, and you’ve made no permanent change to the cabinet or the glass. They cost about $25-30, so they are incredibly cost effective.

    Speaking of permanent changes, consider painting the doors of that cabinet white.

  • PRO
    8 months ago

    I do not see a big issue with making it a pantry as mentioned so film on the glass or get really anal and use glass containers for most stuff you store and make it pretty You need to decide what you need to store and then plan from there. I guess you could paint it white but I need to see the whole kitchen to comment on that

  • 8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    A glass film would be an easy solution and there are all kinds of styles. I noticed the upper handles are quite high and adding longer handles will help (use same ones on lower, but shorter).


    This style would work well with the film shown above.


  • 8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    I like the frosted glass ideas above, and I hope you check out the link that @eam44 posted. There are some really pretty options there, like the stained glass looks.

  • PRO
    8 months ago

    You can replace the glass with solid panels or you can find films with light to heavy opacity for a frosted glass look, with or without a pattern.



  • 8 months ago

    I wouldn’t change the doors, they are part of the history of an old house. Film obscures but doesn’t block, fabric might do a better job if they go along with your look, and so many options for color and pattern and texture.