Planning a Functional Pantry in an Early 1900s Farmhouse

Come along with me as I plan out the pantry in our early 1900s farmhouse. We are turning the old bathroom into a pantry so we can continue to have access to our cellar.

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Thank you for joining us on our journey as we restore our forever farmhouse and begin our homestead!

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DISCLAIMER: My husband and I recently bought a neglected 34-acre farm with several barns, buildings, and a two-story farmhouse. Our plans are to restore the farm and farmhouse to its former glory all while adding our own individual style and design. We decided to vlog the entire renovation process for our own personal records and for future generations. We are in no way experts in renovating nor do we claim to be professionals. All Lewis Acres Homestead videos are for entertainment purposes only. We recommend you always consult professional experts when completing any home renovations and wear proper protective gear.

I am not a professional I am only sharing what I have learned and my opinion.

[samanthabroaddrick]

Looking forward to seeing your pantry when it's finished. ❤

[elfprincessplume]

It's awesome that you're planning your countertops for what will be on them. People don't always do that and then it comes back to bite them. You're taking the time to do it right and make it work for you. Excited to see it all come together!

[ladystef]

I think your plan is the best was to get the most storage space. Closing up the old doorways is smart. You won’t miss them and you’ll love the pantry space. Can’t wait to see it come together.

[sanlen]

Cant wait to see your pantry when you get it all finished, I know it will look Great !

[poodlegirl]

Great plan. The cheapest way to get sturdy, adjustable shelves is to screw boards to the sides that the shelves sit on but aren't fastened to and just do extra boards so you have choices of where to put the shelves. We did that in our shed and it's handy.

[lynsmith]

How exciting getting a pantry. We sure need the. When you live like us, I’m very happy for you. 🇨🇦🌷

[minnamae]

Our basement was always wet before we moved in. It had white mold and mildew. We sealed the walls with a good paint. Then we cut the drain pipe more flush with the floor, our basement floor is actually all loose stones. Then my husband put in a dehumidifier and rigged it so that it will automatically drain into that drain pipe when it's full. It's definitely dryer down there now. We always leave a little light on and there is no more mold and mildew. Old basement's suck, but with this small house and all the canning we do, we needed to make this basement work.
My husband built about 6-4 tier shelves for storing our canned goods at our last home. We definitely brought those with us and they work fabulous for storing all our canned goods and we can A LOT!!!!
Having a nice pantry is what I've always dreamed of, you're gonna love it.

[kristenhead]

You know I’m going to love it! You have a great decorating sense and still be functional!

[Pursuit_Of_A_Homestead]

It’s going to look so good when it’s done! Love the practicality of it and having a space to store all the kitchen appliances is going to be awesome 🥳🙌🏽

[roszcutler]

Our farmhouse was started in 1908 and completed in 1910. There was a trap door off the kitchen for the cellar. We made a doorway underneath the stairs and piewedged a staircase to the cellar which is by our dining room. Then we built a piewedged staircase to go up to the room above the kitchen which covered up the trap door to the cellar. I’m 73 now and that was 30 years ago and I’m so glad we did that.

[ajones]

Good utilization of space! It’ll look great once you both finish it. 👍🏻 I’m excited to see it!

[deannaoverstreet]

I’m excited to see this happen! Looks amazing

[marywest]

have you researched trying to waterproof the stone so water won't seep into the walls? it is even possible?? I know in new builds with cement blocks there is a paint product you roll on to keep water from seeping in, but they also apply a membrane on the outside of the rock as well, it would cost a fortune to dig around the cellar and retro fit water proofing probably, , but if this is your forever home it would pay off in the long run in make an usable basement

[shery]

Suggestion: 1. Don't do all of your counters 20" deep. Do one that deep to allow for your appliaces but do the other 2 sides more shallow. Don't set your buckets on the floor. I would do a low shelf. It will stabilize your counter top and keep the buckets from sitting directly on the floor. 3. You can do adjustable wooden shelves. if you feel you need to do the brackets all you have to do is top with a wooden shelf and create a fake front with a 1x2 to hide the brackets. I think if you keep researching though you will find a way to use wood. Maybe just make the sections narrow so you don't end up with long shelves.

[kimmykingslanddecarvajal]

Ive been wanting to do the same for my 5 gallon buckets (want to buy countertop and put shelves above) in our dining room. Want to stack 2 high the buckets.

[lindaroyal]

I understand exactly what you're describing, but I've also been here from the very beginning, when you 1st purchased the house. Maybe draw the plans out on paper, rough sketch, to give viewers a better idea of what you're doing.
Sounds like you have it planned out pretty well for your specific needs. I like the insert photos you showed, the counters will work perfectly for you. I hope you're doing wood shelves in keeping with your house. I know you want adjustable ones, but you could designate one wall to each size jar, one quarts, one pints, etc.
Suggestion - The one wall of ship lap, taking that down might be enough to cover both doorways, once they're closed in. The wall you're taking down, to create an entrance, you can use newer ship lap on each side of the entrance. Just thoughts!

[karenruise]

The pantry sounds great. I am confused why you didn't open the whole wall to the basement stairs. Wouldn't it be better to have it all open and then you don't have to reach over the opening to open the hatch. Also, if you are closing up the door to the outdoors, then you can put a few upper shelves above the hatch opening.

[kmarch]

I see there were stairs in there at one time. Where did they go? Also where will the bathroom be?

[adrienneberrydesigns]

Do you have to have your canned jars in a climate controlled area? Can they be stored in a cool cellar?