Have you been watching the Hoarders TV show on A&E lately? It really motivates you to clean up and clean out doesn’t it? That is how I felt about my pantry. It was a mess and so unorganized it drove me crazy! These pictures are embarrassing and I can not believe I am showing you them, but I am so proud of the end result it just wouldn’t be the same if you hadn’t seen how it looked before. 
I thought that the producer of Hoarders might be calling me soon if I didn’t do something about it. 
You know how it is, so many things to do and so little time! I just put it on the back burner for that a some day project. A couple of bloggers got me inspired when I saw these posts
And this post
Aren’t those amazing! But I had other projects to complete before I started this one. Then…we had a visitor. A visitor you don’t want to see, the kind that are uninvited but show up anyway. I won’t show you any disgusting pictures, it wasn’t that bad, but it was enough to get me motivated to halt all other projects and get this pantry into tip top shape.
Since this is just a pantry, I decided this would be a good time to attempt something that I have been wanting to try. Putting fabric on the walls using starch.
I have heard of people doing this, but wanted to see how it really worked and if it was hard. They say that you can take it down easily when ever you want, and it doesn’t leave any marks on the walls. You can wash the fabric and re-use it for another project when you are done.
Of course if you know me, even just a little, or just cruise my blog, it won’t surprise you that I used a damask fabric print. And this one was such a pretty teal blue. It gave the room such a nice airy feeling. I used Behr paint that matched perfectly.
The actual process of putting the fabric on the walls with the starch wasn’t hard, but my pantry is a funny shape and the cabinets are deep, so it made it a little more challenging. Using starch on fabric is just like applying wallpapering. I used a brush to apply liquid starch on the wall and also on the back of the fabric. You put the fabric on the wall just as if you were wallpapering, matching your seams. I will say, the starch isn’t as sticky as wallpaper paste, so I would just use blue tape to hold the top edges while you smooth out the bottom half.
I even had to pull down a piece the next day when it was dry, and it came off very easily. It is truly a fun way to spruce up a space but not feel too committed. I wish I would of taken pictures during the process, but I pretty much was on a ladder the whole time, either painting or putting up fabric.
I choose not to put my baskets back up on the top shelf, I liked the view of the fabric better.
I used a coordinating fabric and chalk vinyl for labeling the pull out shelves. I just hope my family will read my labels and put everything where it needs to go, they have promised they will. I purchased various containers at Wal-Mart, Home Goods and The Container Store to organize the various foods on the shelves.
Much better don’t you think? I can not tell you how much expired stuff I threw away!
Oh and I couldn’t just put back this useful but boring gray dog food bin
So I gave it a make over too. I had just enough of the left over fabric to Mod Podge the fabric to the outside of the bin. I made a ruffle with a coordinating fabric {even though my dog is a male..shhh}. I wanted to mimic my labels but didn’t want to use the chalkboard fabric, so I sprayed chalk board paint on the lid and used a chalk paint pen to write “dog food”
Flows much better than that gray one don’t you think?
Here is a before
And the after
No more hoarder pantry. Thank goodness.
Now that I see that I actually have some open wall space, I think a pantry subway style sign is in order.
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“ghetto pantry”, lol! what a huge pantry! It looks great. I really need to work on mine.
looooooooooove that pantry! I never thought of using fabric on the walls but that is a great idea!
Looks really great! love the fabric on the wall idea.
Hi, my name is Melissa and I think I want to steal your pantry. I LOVE what you did and it is HUGE! Super cute! Great job!!!
WOW! That pantry is incredible. How wonderful to have it all organized and pretty. Well done.
I love the fabric on the walls! Your pantry is huge compared to mine!! I just redid mine as well.
http://ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com/2010/09/pantry-makeover-at-two-price-points-0.html
I love the fabric on the walls! Your pantry is huge compared to mine!! I just redid mine as well.
http://ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com/2010/09/pantry-makeover-at-two-price-points-0.html
What a beautiful pantry!
Wow! The pantry is amazing. Great work, girl. Now the hard part, keeping it that way.
I love the show Hoarders as well. It’s kind of like a car wreck…I just can’t look away. It is also good motivation to me to keep things neat and under control. I don’t want to be a detached old lady who’s burried under her furniture stash, paint cans, and bolts of fabric some day. Well, I’d also have to have about 50 cats…
I love what you did to the dog food holder. I’m totally inspired to go transform my ugly (but useful) one. Great job.
I am in love with your pantry. The fabric and paint color you chose are just fabulous. I am inspired to do this in my pantry. I’m going to feature this on my blog next week:) and the dog food container- ha!! too cute!
I’m *drooling*!!! I came over from Tatertots and Jello…I think I’m hooked! =)
Hi, It’s Michelle from Faith, Trust, and a Little Pixie Dust. This looks so fabulous. I’m VERY impressed. Thanks for sharing. I’m off to read some more posts on your blog!
Wow! Our pantry looks horrible compared to this. I had never even considered doing anything like this before. If you have a free moment, I have a new weekly (I hope!) Linky on my blog called Not “Baaad” Sundays with LambAround. I’d love for you to post this
AWESOME JOB!!!! You did such a good job with your pantry makeover…. Love how you used fabric instead of wallpaper for your walls, very creative, and the paint color goes perfect with it!!!! BRAVO!!!!
Michelle Torres
decorater4life@aol.com
love your pantry makeover! i wish i had a pantry like yours:) thanks for your comment today! such great idea you had about the fin!
Hi Stephanie-
Thanks for the comment about my lamps. I am planning a post on the shade. I love what you did to your pantry. I just cleaned mine up over the weekend – no mice, but moths! Yuck. I love what you did to store your dog food. Very clever and pretty, too.
My best – Diane
What a great post! Love what you did in your pantry. I need to address mine.
Leave it to a mouse to be give you that extra organizing kick. Unfortunately, I’ve been there. I was even cleaning things that were already clean!
Anyway, love the fabric and the new pantry! A put together space is a happy space.
I like the size of your pantry, not too big and not to small. And such an excellent job organizing your pantry
Wow, you did such a great job! It’s adorable in there- and that dog food bin? Too cute for words!! Thanks for sharing!
-Kendall
{Songbirdsandbuttons.blogspot.com}
That looks so good! I don’t blame you for sticking with that fabric, it’s fabulous in there!
Yes, I love this and your right it is just like wallpapering, It opens up a whole new world of design, I have never heard of applying starch to the fabric and walls, I have always completely dipped it. I did a whole room once below the chair rail. If you ever try it again I think if you completely dip the fabric you will find that it really sticks to the wall, no painters tape. I love the blue damask and how in the world did you get such a PERFECT paint match! It is so funny that you just did a post on this! I had not seen it anywhere in blogging world . Thanks for stopping!
Carol
Love your pantry makeover – especially that fabric – both the color and the pattern on it are just beautiful.
Though, I think your pantry might be the same size as my entire kitchen.
wow this is so inspirational..
What color are the walls in your pantry?
Samantha, I can not remember the color I used
And of course, I didn’t write it down anywhere. I even tried looking in my paint stash for leftover paint to get the name, but then I remembered I used every last drop. Sorry I couldn’t of been better help!
Where did you purchase your wire baskets with the chalkboard labels? I love them!
Beautiful job on your pantry!! It really didn’t look that bad looking at the before pics. The colors are beautiful, and that dog food container: ADORABLE!!!!
This is gorgeous!! Great job making a simple space spectacular!