Our Kitchen Improvements Post Paris

I think we'd all love to renovate our kitchens. It's a universal ambition. And I have huge plans for our kitchen, but it's not currently a high priority or in the budget, so I'm just making a few improvements post Paris. 

One, I am removing the light fixtures. It comes down to this: I didn't pick them out, and they're not pretty. And life is too short for ugly kitchen fixtures. So I found these matte black fixtures on Wayfair and got them both for under $175. Dave installed them and BAM and instantly more in love with my kitchen. 

New Light in Front, Old Light Behind

Then there's our pantry, which is kind of a hot mess. First, it's got wire shelves and bagged items get caught between the wires. The cans section is dropping, glass jars get knocked over and it's got this bifold door that should be used for closets, not kitchen pantries (in my opinion). 

Our Pantry: The Current Situation

I've made attempts to organize and sort, but it always ends up looking like this. Since living in Paris, I've been buying bulk items, shopping for only what we plan to eat today (or this week) and avoiding the "oh, I'll use this eventually" mentality. I'm a planner and seeing food just sit, ticking closer to it's expiration date makes me stressed.

So, here's where I'm going:

The Pantry: The End Goal (Almost)

I'll turn the bifold doors to French doors. I'll install custom wood shelving using a bunch of DIY videos I've seen all over the internet and, most importantly, hire an electrician to install an outlet so I can store the microwave in here and get it off the counter. And of course I'll paint and clear out whatever I don't need.

The more research I can do, the easier this project seems and not too expensive. Certainly cheaper than a full kitchen remodel.

Wish me luck!

Afters coming soon ...