Or maybe the pre-quel.
I know we haven’t gotten to the pantry part. I have become my mother. She used to take 20 minutes to tell a 5 minute story.
“You know I talked to Helen today. She has a niece who married that Taylor boy. His mother was such a good cook. I remember when she had us over for dinner. They had just moved into their new house. Oh, she had the most beautiful house, the drapes in the living room were just lovely….”
Anyhoo……………..
Our aim to restore the pantry (see I’m keeping on topic here), was borne of our desire to keep the kitchen as true to what would have been era-appropriate as we could and still have a livable house.
The POs we purchased the house from had left the gas oven (circa 2000) and we purchased a 2003 simple refrigerator. Both functioned perfectly fine, but neither one fit the kitchen and were severely lacking in the charm department.
Solution? One was tucked in the basement, next to the original pantry cabinetry.
An early 1950s Tappan. We met the children who used to live here (now well into their 60s or more) when their father passed away a couple years ago. One of their daughters told us that was the “canning stove” their mom used every year.
The other we found at an antique store -
A 1934 GE Monitor Top.
Both have obviously been used. But they both work great and look terrific sitting next to each other. Of course, monitor tops don’t have a real freezer section, but a chest freezer in the basement fills the bill. I have to tell you, that monitor top gets so cold in some spots, it could be considered a freezer. And, I don’t even mind defrosting it. It only takes about 30 minutes.
Not too long after the Tappan was moved upstairs, we found this little baby:
I tried in vain to find replacement Bakelite handles, but we found something workable and someday, it will come upstairs and the Tappan will got back to the basement. We use this 1930s Grand gas oven on holidays when we need additional oven space.
The pieces we started with (see here) were put into service:
The china cabinet was sanded and painted Buttermilk Yellow milk paint and Linen Napkin high gloss latex.
The Napanee cabinet got new doors courtesy of an Amish gentleman in Central Ohio, a back, and a new maple top made by Dennis.
Everything we buy, we use. We plug in every electric gadget we want to buy at the antique store to make sure it’s useable. Dennis knows how to rewire everything…Thanks Heavens!
Okay, so what happen to my teaser in the last post? Coming next: hidden treasure, the search for the perfect yellow paint, and the trouble with plaster. And what did this post have to do with anything? It may help explain why we chose the path we ended up taking during our renovations.
So next time: hidden treasure, the search for the perfect yellow paint, and the trouble with plaster.
Really!!
