Pantry Remodel with Classy Closets

June 7, 2017

When we first bought our home 3.5 years ago, the overwhelming desire of a makeover haunted me on a daily basis. Rooms were left empty and less than stellar furniture was bought to pass the time. I constantly would think… how do people do it? Not only is it expensive to purchase a home… but then you have to furnish the entire thing!? Sigh. The thought was dreadful and never ending.

Before buying our home, we spent our first couple of years together moving from apartment to apartment, gathering a couple of items along the way but inevitably making design changes. I went from vintage grandma style while living in San Francisco to now a mid-century modern design. Call me trendy. The main problem I have encountered through it all, other than the fact that I am not much of a designer, is the inability to make decisions. It’s a struggle. So, I have come to the conclusion that I need help from a professional to make them for me.

After getting through our big renovation early last year, we took a break to focus on the nursery until Vivienne was born. Once that happened, I was excited to start tackling another project. We have a small room off our kitchen that we half did the year we moved in, creating a pantry space using the company, Classy Closets. The remainder of the room was left to potentially turn into an area to do our laundry (laundry is currently in the garage) yet was only left collecting “stuff”, diapers, and strollers. A space for laundry would be great, but we always thought, ‘what would be the most useful to us?’ Then one day it hit me. One of my biggest pet peeves are our everyday items not having a place. Keys, mail, purse, jackets, wallets, etc. The items you walk in the house with that end up left all over the kitchen counter. Yeah, drove me nuts. This was exactly what we needed.

I spoke with Classy Closets and set up an appointment to have one of their designers, Teresa come out to discuss wants and needs for the space. I didn’t have too much in mind, other than a lot of closed storage space and a counter top. The rest was up to the designer. So, she drew something up and sent me the drawing for revisions and a price point a couple days later. Everything looked perfect and we were ready to roll! I was SO excited to get this room done.

A couple of weeks later (since the doors needed to be ordered) we had the pantry room installed. I stepped out to have lunch with V and a girlfriend for lunch, and came back to a beautiful sight. It was finished! The room was bright, white, and appeared SO organized. A dream come true. My mind was racing with how I wanted to decorate. The bad news? A couple of minutes later I was calling 911 and rushing Vivienne to the ER. This completely rocked our world. Vivienne ended up having RSV which took a couple of weeks to get back to her normal self. This also meant that it took me a couple of weeks (ok months) to get back to my normal self. A month after, she got sick again. I felt like I couldn’t catch a break and was mentally and physically exhausted. Once that was all over, I started the process of organizing and decorating the space. Since the room is small and randomly placed in the home, I had the most difficult time deciding on what to put on the opposite wall. Should I do artwork? should it be a bench? I liked the area of the room being a mini mud room/entryway space. I took my questions to IG story, asking for people’s advice, and picking up some amazing organizational items such as the white board and key rack from The Container Store. Rugs USA sent a simple yet stylish jute rug, keeping the room neutral yet polished. After a few trial and error pieces, I finally decided on this cubbie from The Container Store. It was tall enough yet still left me an area to hang my purses and coats. It fit perfect (yet was slightly tricky for my husband and I to put together).

The space was finally decorated and keeping in mind the items we truly needed for our family. Storage, “mini mud room,” and an area to keep our everyday “things.” After a couple of months of using the space I can truly say that it has been working perfect for our growing family. I am pretty obsessed.

If you are interested in having your space organized, I would highly recommend going with Classy Closets. They make the process super easy and straight forward, while creating exactly what you are looking for… even if you may not even know what you want. Thank you, Teresa and team Classy Closets! See below for before and after photos and contact Classy Closets for a consultation!

*During this project, we also installed and organized closet for the guest room. Blog post coming soon (and I promise it won’t be next year).

BEFORE

AFTER

So, what do we store in these closet and storage bins?

I struggled with how I would decorate, keeping in mind that everything now a day seems like it should be “Instagram worthy.” Well, Instagram Worthy is not always realistic, especially in the new mom world. So, I’ve decided to just keep it real with you all. The storage container holds our ergo baby carrier and umbrella (for morning walks), the diaper bag, my work computer to grab on the way out, some sandals to throw on and our Gathre mat for outdoor activities. On top we have a couple of dishes for mints, loose change, and sunglasses.

On the counter space, we have a white board to jot down “needed items,” a calendar, a container for loose paperwork that needs to be looked at or stored, and a pad of paper. Above that is a mail holder and place to hang your keys. Behind closed doors are baby products, diapers, dog items/food, and storage for my pumping supplies. It’s a real moms world in there, and I love it!

DECORATED

 

Closet design and build: Classy Closets, Scottsdale Arizona
Stackable Storage Bins- The Container Store
Notepad holder- The Container Store
Acrylic letter tray- The Container Store
Rug- Rugs USA
White board- The Container Store
Key and Letter holder- The Container Store
Calendar- The Container Store
Purse/Coat rack- The Container Store
Drawer organizer- The Container Store
Small bowls- Target
Plant- Trader Joes
Mini Succulent in ceramic- Home Depot

xoxo,

Lola

FILED IN:

SHARE ON: