Home Remodeling: Kitchen Storage

(Before...a lone little cupboard that couldn't hold much.)

This past weekend we caught the "bug" again, and decided to tear into the kitchen to add some shelves to maximize our storage space. I have some big 3 gallon ice cream buckets that I use for storing sugar and other dry goods, but didn't really have a place to keep them other than the garage. And since our garage isn't insulated the temperatures can be quite drastic in there.
Well, I read a blog where the gal was talking about food storage and how even if you have a small house there are still plenty of places you can find to store bulk goods...like under the bed, in a closet, etc. But we really didn't have any extra places like that. Still, I kept looking through our house and re-looking at everything and got to brainstorming. Then one day it hit me! The corner of our kitchen to the right of the sink is kind of odd because of how the wall for the laundry closet sticks out, and there was just a small cupboard that I hardly used on that wall.

(Cupboard off the wall!)

I whipped out the tape measure and discovered that the wall sticks out just enough that we could put a wide enough shelf to hold my buckets! I was so excited about my revelation, but was hesitant to tell my hubby about it. I figured he'd probably think I was completely crazy to rip out a cupboard and such. He did give me a funny look but then said if that's really what I wanted and I thought it could work, then we would do it. I love him!

(My little helper...sanding supports for the new shelves.)

(Wall painted, shelves stained...waiting for everything to dry.)

So, this weekend we jumped right in and ripped that useless cupboard down and got to work. However, as most projects go in this house, it took longer than we planned, and there were a few kinks. Such as the wall being neither flat nor square, and finding hardly any studs in the wall to anchor the shelves to.But we managed to get it done by Sunday night and I am loving it!
It is great to have a place to keep my buckets, and right in the kitchen at that! We have definitely been making use of every space in our small house.

(The finished project! Just need to fill the rest of my buckets and get them up on the shelves!)

Now I am just pondering where to store my big 5 gallon buckets............... ;)