We live in a 1928 Craftsman bungalow and have attempted to replicate what would have been in the house originally when we have remodeled or updated. No crap-tastic MDF faux-Victorian crown molding, no modern melamine, no exotic wood finishes on the kitchen cabinets (ours are painted white), and no light fixtures that would be at home on the set of Lost in Space. If we would have wanted a mid-century, something out of the 1980’s, or a “modern” house, that is what we would have bought.
Our last major undertaking with projects at home was the building of the butler’s pantry off of our dining room. I have matched the original cabinets and hardware on all my projects so far and wanted this to be the star example of that attention to detail. My sincere hope is that when someone looks at all the cabinets in our home they say to the effect of, “Your original built-ins have held up really well! How did you very find a place this intact?”
I am building the pantry the old-school way (ignore the occasional use of pocket screws): solid wood face frames and quality plywood carcasses, under cabinet storage, a granite top, matching the arches in the kitchen, and matched door styles with the rest of our home. In this video, I will take you through breaking down the material, the cabinet carcass build, hanging the upper cabinets, a little drywall work, how I make adjustable shelves, and how I build door frames.