When we first looked at this house, in the kitchen there was a nook…cubby…cut-out? I don’t know what you call it, but there was this space cut into the wall between the studs. There were shelves within the space and the shelves were about 6” deep. The kitchen is pretty small and lacks cabinet space, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what this space was used for. It’s rather long, so its use wasn’t strictly as a spice cabinet – what was its purpose? The cabinet, at the time we purchased the home, had no doors on it – just an open shelving unit. Maybe it was for knick-knacks?
Much to my delight, we discovered ‘kitchy’ robin-egg blue doors in the garage that fit perfectly over this space. Not only did the doors conceal it’s awkwardness, but its great at keeping little fingers out of the goods within. Not to mention, it’s a wonderful talking point because of it’s color.
Here’s what the space looks like now, and I have to say, I LOVE IT!
We have everything in this cabinet from spices to salad dressing to PB & J. I can put stuff for the kiddos on the bottom shelves, and the more fragile items (jars of spaghetti sauce, etc.) higher up out of the reach of little hands. It’s really been a fantastic space, and helps to free up precious cabinet storage for the larger items in our larder.
If you’ve got a small living space (or just a small kitchen, like I do), I highly suggest giving this idea some thought. It’s simply a cut out between 2 studs that has been lined with wood and had some shelves added to it. You could make it as big or as small as you need – cabinet doors are optional.
I think you’re going to love it. If you give it a try, or if you have a space like this in your home, I’d love to see pictures! Oh, and if you have any ideas on how to make the most of your small kitchen, let me know. We could use all the help we can get!
Rantings from Across the Street 