I had a definite plan going in to give our built-in pantry a makeover. Granny Smith Apple green paint with dark wax on the exterior to make it a stand-alone piece in our small kitchen.

Why apple green? Because it's the accent color in the adjacent dining room and living room and I wanted to carry it into the kitchen. I set out to prep the small pantry to paint over the stained finish when the makeover took an unexpected turn.

Built-In Kitchen Pantry Makeover

But before I get into all of that, the motivation for finally giving our built-in pantry a makeover was Furniture Fixer Upper Day.

Six talented furniture painting friends come together on the fourth Thursday of every month to breathe new life into furniture. I've included links to my friend's furniture makeovers further down in the post.

I've had this project on the queue for a year and it feels good to have it off the list thanks to our group. Last month I turned my parent's first dresser from when they married in the 50s into a DIY faux apothecary cabinet.

Because of the sentimental value, I'm happy to report that it now resides in my son's basement media room and is being used as a bar.

A Little History About This Pantry

Before we get into the details of the built-in pantry makeover, I should share a little bit of history about this piece because it wasn't always a pantry.

It used to be a small dining room hutch that matched our oak dining room table and Windsor chairs, purchased in the early 90s. When we needed more storage in our small kitchen, we split the hutch in two.

The base was converted into a small island and the top into this custom DIY built-in pantry. I wrote about it here in my repurposed china cabinet to kitchen pantry and island post.

Why buy new when you can repurpose what you already have. ~Marie

How Prepping For Paint Changed The Direction Of Pantry Makeover

I say it all the time, how to prep furniture for chalk paint is the most important step and the one I dread the most but it must be done for a lasting finish.

I spent a few hours sanding the brown stain to knock back the glossy finish so the primer I planned on using would have some bite.

The plan was to use a clear primer so that when I distressed the apple green paint color, the dark brown would show through the paint.

Then I took a coffee break and stood by the kitchen sink looking at the pantry and in an instant, the direction for this makeover took a sudden turn.

I liked what I saw!

I loved how the dark walnut looked without the glossy finish but even more, I loved the character of the distressed edges around the doors.

And instead of a granny smith apple green painted on the outside, I decided to use it as an accent on the inside.

...and instead of glass doors, they have been replaced with a more farmhouse-style wire mesh cloth.

When comparing the before and after photos it doesn't look like I did much to this pantry but believe me, many hours were spent on this makeover.

Kitchen Pantry Makeover

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommended for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Plan B - Reversing Order Of Apple Green Color

So I set out to prep the upper interior of the pantry much the same way I did the exterior, sanding the stained wood to give the clear primer some bite.

Once the last coat of primer dried the recommended 45 minutes, I set out to paint the interior. It took three coats of Behr Granny Smith Apple chalk finish paint to cover the brown, waiting two hours between each coat.

Painting Tip

I find Behr chalk paint to be thick and so I thin it out with a few tablespoons of water to a more cream-like consistency. The paint goes much further this way and glides easier with the brush.

To Paint The Shelves Or Not To Paint, That Is The Question

Once the interior was painted the decision was whether to paint the shelves green apple as well or leave them stained dark walnut. I hemmed and hawed for hours and asked my sister for her opinion when she came to visit and the consensus was to keep them stained for contrast.

Girl, Tone Down That Apple Green!

I didn't mind the bright apple green but I wanted a timeworn look for the kitchen pantry and toned the green down with dark wax. Working in sections with a round wax brush, and removing the excess with a lint-free rag.

Goodbye Dated Glass And Hello Wire Cloth

I was so glad to finally get rid of the dated glass in the upper doors, I've been wanting that out of here for years. It won't go to waste as I'm saving it for just the right project someday.

The plan was to replace it with clear glass but after the makeover took an unexpected turn, I decided to go the wire cloth route instead. It's a fine 23 gauge hardware cloth with a 3/8-inch square opening.

Wire Cloth Cutting Tips

1. Make sure to wear safety goggles and gloves because the wire is very sharp.
2. Use the old door glass as a template for cutting the wire cloth as pictured below.
3. Cut it one square larger on all sides with wire cutters.
4. Staple the wire cloth to the inside of the opening on the doors, making sure to angle the staples so they don't pierce through the front of the door.
5. I found a very helpful wire cloth-cutting video tutorial on YouTube that I hope is helpful.

Adding Jewelry On The Doors

I had some pretty ceramic floral knobs with the same apple green in my stash and replaced the bronze knobs with those instead.

The lower cabinets in our kitchen are also stained dark walnut so the built-in pantry ties in well with those. But I am going to sand and distress them to match the pantry.

So Now What Will Be The Stand-alone Piece In The Kitchen?

Next up, is the bottom half of our old china cabinet that is now our small kitchen island. I have big plans for it but first, find just the right wine fridge.

So what do you think, did I make the right decision leaving the built-in pantry stained brown? I get that apple green isn't for everyone but it works in our home.

You can see how we used it as an accent color in our 80s wall unit hack in the living room and our dining room makeover.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this small built-in pantry makeover.

Almost all of our DIY ideas have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this farmhouse-style pantry makeover, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

I invite you to click on the links below to see how our talented group members' transformed these furniture pieces. If you don't have time today, you can bookmark the page by pressing the pink heart icon on the right to come back later.

Girl In The Garage
Petticoat Junktion
Confessions Of A Serial DIYer
Salvaged Inspirations
Just The Woods
Interior Frugalista (that's me)

UPDATE 2021

In February 2021 the built-in pantry AND small kitchen island were modified during our budget-friendly kitchen makeover and boy does it look different now!

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.