I think you may know how much I adore this part of our home. My goodness, I have carried on about it too many times I'm sure. I don't imagine you will be surprised to learn that our very first "toast to our new home" (bubbly for the big kids, chocolate milk for the little one) took place is this small space just off the kitchen. It was unplanned, but looking back I can only think how fitting it was we wound up in here!
Thankfully, all of that beautiful wood was not touched over the years. It turns out this pantry is not original to the house (1922), it was built in the 1930's by the gentleman who lived here. He was a machinist by day, and as a hobby he happened to be an excellent craftsman. We learned about the origin of this room when our home was on the Victorian Home Tour in town a few years back. A woman who lived next door as a little girl in the 1930's came on the tour and told us all about when it was built. It was so interesting to walk through our home with someone who had visited here so many times, nearly seventy years before.
The mini-blinds were of course removed right away. Sadly, replacing the 80's linoleum counter was something that never did get checked off our list in our time here (a portion of the counter is solid marble at least), and as for the floor... well, thankfully we pulled it up with the kitchen floor pretty early on.
Oh my. After hours and hours and hours of sanding and refinishing, these tired and worn (solid oak) floors were restored to their original beauty.
And it is right in here that I have stayed through the years, with apron strings tied, making good use of this beautiful and functional space. As we look ahead, it is impossible to say for sure what life will hold, but I do know for certain that a tiny part of me will always remain in this little room.
What a lovely thing to hold on to.
