Like we told you yesterday, we planned on removing the pantry (and a wall) to make way for a hutch.
We would gain a little counter space and extra storage. Let me tell you why this won’t work. Maybe it will prompt some additional thought in the future to keep you from getting your hopes up.
We knew that the pantry backed up to the wall visible in the stairway. We planned for that space to be lost, but what we didn’t plan for was the small step-down in the stairway wall wasn’t where thought it was.
This translates to a small platform that can’t be removed in the hole the pantry left behind.
I made sure by using a flat pry bar to remove the nails that were holding the plywood down.
I peaked under it and found the bad news. The drywall on the step-down side (stairway) is under the plywood.
We didn’t take this into account before because we thought that step-down was at the floor level. We can’t remove it, because it creates head space while walking down the stairs.
We aren’t sure what our plans will be for finishing this piece of the kitchen, but we are working on a new design. It won’t end with putting the pantry back into the hole if Melissa has anything to do with it.
Stay tuned! What ideas do you have for this space? Ever had a similar situation when you wanted to remodel something and your house just wouldn’t let it happen?
Build a hutch in the wall with the counter space you want and a false front on the bottom. Will look like a cool custom cabinet/coffee bar area.
That’s one of our options…And a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
I agree with Shelley about doing it with a false front on the bottom.
I have been struggling to decide what to do with our kitchen. It’s small, has three doorways and a big built in hutch. All of the existing doorways really can’t be moved over or anything. We just bought a new refrigerator and had a hard time finding one that wasn’t too deep so we could open the door that is next to it. I think my kitchen hates me.
ugh! That is so tough, Cheryl! Good luck finding a solution. We also had some fridge issues. (Ours is currently in the corner and we can’t open the door all the way!) Here’s hoping we both find a better solution!