DIY Queenslander kitchen makeover and pantry build

My husband and I recently took on an exciting DIY project to transform my parents dysfunctional and ugly kitchen. We aimed to create a more functional, beautiful space that was sensitive to the age of their gorgeous Queenslander whilst adding all of the modern amenities we expect in kitchens these days. They wanted to keep the stove alcove, and mum has wanted a plate rack for years - so we had to add one to the design. We also wanted to add a walk-in

pantry with functional storage for a 'clean counter' kitchen. Here's what we did

🏚We opened up the entry into the kitchen to create more light and flow
🏚We knocked down the wall between the kitchen and dining area to create an open-plan kitchen with a walk-in pantry. Giving us more space for the kitchen design and a whole lot more light
🏚We added a pot filler by the stove to make cooking easier for my parents
🏚We designed and built custom shelving for their pantry using Bunning's wood for shelves for food storage and Bunnings Acacia hardwood Project Panel for the countertops to allow small appliances and a coffee station to sit.

🏚We up-cycled circa1920 French doors (in fitting with the house) and hung them using barn door hardware. The doors were a great feature to keep in fitting with the house's age and save space.
🏚We painted the kitchen using Dulux Vivid White

🏚We added VJ panels to tie in nicely with the rest of the house and tiled the back of the sink area

all that's left is to finish the flooring

Claire & Derek

Ins @Renowayoflife

TT @renowayoflife

🏚WAfter: Open-plan kitchen and walk-in pantryAfter: Dining and pantryAfter: Sink and cookerAfter: DIY pantry shelvesAfter: DIY pantry shelves section twoBefore: Kitchen sink and cookerBefore: Original kitchen to diningBefore: Dining roomBefore: Galley kitchen wallDuring pantry build

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sandy_d

@Renowayoflife Firstly welcome to the workshop community and it’s great to have you on board.
I love the attention to detail in your kitchen and pantry build. I’m a big fan of the mason jars!
Did you run into any problems with your build? We would love to hear more about your kitchen makeover.

Thank you for your entry and best of luck!

Sandy

KatieC

Hi @Renowayoflife,

I'd like to also extend a warm welcome from the Workshop community. This is such a great kitchen makeover, keep an eye out on our top 10 most popular renovation projects as it may make it in there one day!

The VJ panelling in vivid white makes the whole space look clean, modern, and fun. Great job. Please keep us posted on what you do with your floors.

Katie

Renowayoflife

Hi @sandy_d

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!

I'm so glad you liked the reno 😁. YES, Mason jars are a great! they look wonderful and also budget friendly.

We did run into a few problems, I always like to say - always expect the unexpected 😉

When we removed the original kitchen we realised there were oversized holes in the floor where pipes and electrical had been drilled previously leaving free access to a family of rats who made a nice home behind the sink. By the amount of droppings, it looked like they'd been there a while and had been eating well. (My parents had only just bought the house)

We had different floor levels between the kitchen and original dining area so when we removed the wall we needed to create a transition. Rather than create a step down we created a slight slope for the transition using a ripped-down, extra-wide floorboard.

A previous DIY'er had removed the belt rail, which is important to the structure of the single-skinned VJ walls, we decided to reinstall it in the room behind.

There were a number of damaged VJs, you expect that from age.

Claire & Derek

Ins @Renowayoflife

TT @renowayoflife

Renowayoflife

Thank you so much @KatieC

I appreciate the welcome. I'm so glad you like the renovation and that's so lovely of you to say. Yes, I love a bright, crisp white.

Not sure we will get to the floors as we have a massive renovation on at our own house now and they plan to redo the floors in other areas of the house. I think we have a year, at least, of projects so I'm not sure they'll wait that long. 😂

KatieC

Haha good things take time @Renowayoflife. Keep up the great work!

Katie

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