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19th Century Pantry

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 26, 2020 60 Comments

Last updated on July 5th, 2020

TRUE CONFESSION: Today I had planned to write an engaging post called “Organizing the Pantry.” Then I realized that my own pantry isn’t well-organized at all. So instead of telling you about what goes where, let me offer you a brief tour of the pantry here at Clover Hill. This 16-feet-long series of wooden cabinets and drawers was installed in the 19th century:

The L-shaped pantry is located in a small room between my kitchen (tour here) and the “servants entrance” to the dining room (video tour here). The deep cabinets and drawers were probably intended for fine table linens, silver tea sets, candle sticks, and certain other accoutrements that defined affluent Victorian-era dining.

One of the cabinets is equipped with lock and key. Perhaps the tea was secured there. For our Victorian ancestors, tea was a luxury item.

Here’s what I store under lock and key. I call it “The Goya Collection.”

Here’s a drawer pull from one of the cabinet’s five drawers. We will not pull these drawers today.

But we may open a cabinet door! As you can see, adjustable shelving was added during the 20th century. On the shelves are the things I use every day — cake tins, muffin tins, bread pans, French casseroles, and wine goblets of all kinds.

When we bought this house, I thought the pantry was built from oak wood. On closer inspection I discovered the wood was pine, faux-painted to resemble oak.

And this concludes our mercifully-short tour of the creaky old pantry at Clover Hill. When at last I finish organizing the thing, I will gladly open the drawers for you. xKevin

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Comments

  1. 1

    reven says

    March 26, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    thank you…in process of organizing my own kitchen…i have a creaky old home as well…always calling for attention

  2. 2

    Amy says

    March 26, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    I literally LOL’d when you wrote the “Goya collection.” Thank you for this much needed laugh!! (and I love your pantry)

  3. 3

    Anne Paulson says

    March 26, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    I love pantries…..I have a pretend one (metal shelving next to my fridge) but it still gives me great pleasure. Yours is gorgeous!

  4. 4

    Bette says

    March 26, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    OMG. This is truly one of the finest pantries I have seen! love love, love it and am soooo jealous. Not many things are on my next home list (well maybe a few more than one can imagine) but I think a pantry will be added to it!

  5. 5

    Heidi says

    March 26, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I’m so jealous! My nearly cupboardless kitchen has a pantry best described as “Plastic storage Bin”

  6. 6

    Justine in Victoria says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Beautiful (and tidy!).

  7. 7

    kath parran moriarty says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Okay — envious of your pantry here. Reminds me very much of the built-ins at Hancock Shaker Village.

  8. 8

    Carolyn D Contois says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:22 am

    thank you for sharing…. if I had walked through the house on an open house tour…. I would have seen this and bought it on the spot…stunning!

  9. 9

    Mary V says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:24 am

    What a beautiful pantry that’s me green with envy!

  10. 10

    Diane Luther Silvia says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:27 am

    Love that spacious pantry! The pine cupboards have the clean lines of Shaker design. Wow, great to have all that space for canned goods and small cooking items. Thanks for the tour!

  11. 11

    Reenie says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:30 am

    My in-laws had a victorian house too – it included a butler pantry and a kitchen pantry complete with marble counter for rolling pastry. Who doesn’t love a pantry!

  12. 12

    Sandra says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:34 am

    Kevin, I was hoping you would tell us what items people had in their pantry when your’s was built.

  13. 13

    Sandra says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Kevin, I was hoping you would tell us what items people had in their pantry when your’s was built.

  14. 14

    Marina says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I am a well-bred lady, but I can’t begin to tell you how tempting it is to sling a salacious response to your promise to “open your drawers” to us.

  15. 15

    sandra allen says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Kevin,
    I was hoping you would tell us what items people kept in their pantry when your pantry was new.

  16. 16

    Pam R. says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:53 am

    ❤️ jealously envying your pantry.

    Thanks Kevin!

  17. 17

    Pat Sylvester says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:59 am

    I’ve been on old historic house tours where they showed a single large locked pantry cupboard in which they stored the silver (probably all sterling!) Love your postings- such a delight on a cold rainy, in-isolation day here in Ontario Canada.

  18. 18

    Pam R. says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    Marina LOLOLOL! Even my ribald humor missed that!! And Kevin, interesting before, even more titillating now. Anticipation….. 😉

  19. 19

    Shirley says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Wow… you are blessed with space!! I had a large pantry before I downsized… but yours is bigger. And so lovely and organized. Very important when you a BLUE bowl as opposed to a yellow one, for a certain recipe!!

  20. 20

    David says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    Envious of all that storage space! Did you have to strip off any paint or finish to achieve that beautiful patina? Thanks for sharing Kevin.

  21. 21

    KimH says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Gorgeous indeed!! Oh how I wish I had space in my house for anything!! I have a pantry in my basement though and I have enough room there for all my heart desires.
    Should I ever build a house, I’m going to ask for a full wall pantry like that. I love it.

  22. 22

    Debby says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    Wow, wish my 1973 prefab had come with one of these!!!

  23. 23

    Dianne says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Kevin, how nice for you that your house came with such a beautiful, spacious pantry! How deep (front to back) is your pantry? I’m guessing about 12-14 inches? Thanks for sharing!

  24. 24

    Christine says

    March 29, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    That is the most beautiful pantry I have ever seen. I don’t remember you ever showing it off in any of your video house tours. Did I miss it? It’s magnificent! I will watch for it in an upcoming tour (hint hint).

  25. 25

    Sandi says

    March 29, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    Wonderful pantry!! How fun! Look forward to your blog each & every Sunday! Don’t always comment but also wanted to say thanks for that lovely drive & walk with Avery. Stay safe & well Kevin & Mr Fox!! And the same to all your readers!

  26. 26

    Peggy M. says

    March 29, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    Thanks for a glimpse of the most valued items in your canned goods collection!
    Stay well!

  27. 27

    nancy says

    March 29, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    Love how gorgeous your pantry is – wish I had space for one. We remodeled our kitchen a few years ago – totally gutted it and used a designer to tell us how best to use the space, which I insisted must have a walk-in pantry. Alas, when we saw the drawings, it took up too much space to allow for the big open kitchen we wanted so we settled for a narrow cabinet beside the refrigerator from floor to ceiling with pull-out shelves. Not as satisfying as your expansive space but we still think a good decision.

  28. 28

    Edie says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    Wow, the scale of your pantry is impressive! I am intrigued by the faux finish. Just thinking how much I would enjoy you playing a few more piano pieces! Hope you will consider giving us a song or two in a future post.

  29. 29

    Barb says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    I’m envious of the space and accessibility of your pantry shelves. It’s beautiful!

  30. 30

    Frani says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    I love your creaky old pantry! I live in a newer house now and will forever miss the charm of my 100-year-old former home (but not the problems that went with it). I nourish my love of older homes by living vicariously through posts of friends, like you, who live in historic homes. ♥

  31. 31

    Georgeann Brown says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    Our neighborhood had a “contest” on which household had the oldest baking powder. Luckily I was not the winner.

  32. 32

    Nancy says

    March 29, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    I love your pantry! It would pure luxury if I had one like yours. Thanks for showing it to us.

  33. 33

    JoAnn Stiever says

    March 29, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your pantry! As most of us are not as lucky, I would like to share how I made the most functional use of my kitchen cabinets. I have adjustable “holes” on their inner sides so I can readjust shelf height as needed….and, most important, I added 1-2 shelves to each cabinet also as needed. Narrowest items fit on the lowest shelf so I can still reach the higher shelves. Hope this might help some organizers.

  34. 34

    JoAnn says

    March 29, 2020 at 3:48 pm

    Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your pantry! As most of us are not as lucky, I would like to share how I made the most functional use of my kitchen cabinets. I have adjustable “holes” on their inner sides so I can readjust shelf height as needed….and, most important, I added 1-2 shelves to each cabinet also as needed. Narrowest items fit on the lowest shelf so I can still reach the higher shelves. Hope this might help some organizers.

  35. 35

    TCS says

    March 29, 2020 at 4:09 pm

    Harboring some serious “pantry envy” here in NJ 🙂
    Your home becomes more and more charming with each post shared. Would be a dream to live in such a home!

    Happy weekend everyone!

  36. 36

    Norma J HAMILTON says

    March 29, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    LOVE LOVE LOVE your beautiful pantry!! I would love to have a pantry like that! I’m so jealous!!

  37. 37

    Robin Shelly says

    March 29, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    That was BEAUTIFUL!

  38. 38

    Jean says

    March 29, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    My daughter had a similar pantry in her 19th century house. There were 15 drawers under countertops with overhead cabinets. Also, like yours we discovered faux oak grain under layers of paint. Unfortunately, we could not save the faux grain.
    It was a pantry to long for….as is yours!

  39. 39

    Lee Hernandez says

    March 29, 2020 at 5:31 pm

    Please clarify; what is that interesting looking drawer pull? I can’t make sense of the photio. TIA

  40. 40

    Marilyn says

    March 30, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    Incredibly neat and organized! What’s not to like? I’d kill for that pantry….or at least seriously maim someone. What a great thing it is. Thanks for the tour!

  41. 41

    dawn says

    March 30, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    now that’s a ******* pantry!

  42. 42

    Pat says

    March 30, 2020 at 5:25 pm

    Love your pantry and so tidy!! Made me realize I need to clean and tidy my somewhat smaller pantry which is always a disaster!!

  43. 43

    Janet G. Metzger says

    March 31, 2020 at 12:20 am

    Fun!

    and have fun organizing!

    Pax ,

  44. 44

    Janet Makris says

    March 31, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    Be still my heart….what a gorgeous run of cabinets. Beautiful!

  45. 45

    Cari C Donaldson says

    April 2, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    I also have a sizable Goya section in what is not a lovely pantry area, but rather a 1930s, hand dug root cellar area. Maybe I’ll faux paint the wood to make it look posh and oaken. Seems I have a lot of unexpected time on my hands suddenly

  46. 46

    Elsie Zanni says

    April 4, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Hate you! Now that that is said, let me say that ‘that is not true at all’. What I wouldn’t give for 1/4 of that space..How wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

  47. 47

    Judy Hines says

    April 19, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    So good to be connected again, Kevin. The growing potatoes video was interesting as we used to grow potatoes when the kids were little, that was over 35 years ago. Love reading the recipes along with those beautiful photos. As always, many thx for sharing your expertise.

  48. 48

    Robert Packer says

    May 20, 2021 at 10:56 pm

    That looks a little bit like the entertainment center I designed for our home theater. We’ve had it for over 26 years now. Back when I drew up plans for it, there were no wide screen TVs. So, this year when I got a new OLED TV, I had to take the doors off of it, to fit the TV in. It kinda looks like an old ice box. It’s very heavy and made of oak. We don’t have many antiques, so some of our things aren’t old, they just look that way. Our home is from 1908. I grew up in this house. Moved in when I was 9 years old. Moved back in almost 21 years ago. I’m 58 now. My wife and I enjoy your videos on YouTube. Especially the home tours. We would love to see more home tours. Thanks Kevin.

  49. 49

    kath moriarty says

    February 21, 2022 at 7:37 am

    Reminiscent of the woodwork at the Hancock Shaker Village, don’t you think?

  50. 50

    Mina says

    February 21, 2022 at 7:58 am

    So beautiful and functional. I am very envious!

  51. 51

    Brenda says

    February 21, 2022 at 9:34 am

    Amazing! In the process of reorganizing my kitchen which has only a small pantry. Adding to it a small closet with a lot of shelves-not sure what it was meant for, but it will hold wine racks and “other stuff.”(obviously,I need help!) in my nearby laundry room,I have floor to ceiling shelving for my “Goya collection!” Thanks for sharing and encouraging!

  52. 52

    maralee thompson says

    February 21, 2022 at 10:22 am

    Love love that pantry. I have never seen one like that and I live in a city with many Victorian homes….Kansas City area. Thank you for sharing

  53. 53

    Chris says

    February 21, 2022 at 12:39 pm

    That is a glorious pantry – you’re a lucky man!

  54. 54

    Janet Carter says

    February 21, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Wow! Just Wow! I have a kitchen that was built for someone who never cooks, with minimal storage space. I like to cook and bake, so the lack of storage has always been challenge. Thanks for sharing your beautiful space. I can always drool!!!

  55. 55

    Sharon Anne Shade says

    February 21, 2022 at 1:50 pm

    I’m more than a little jealous of that pantry!

  56. 56

    Bette says

    February 21, 2022 at 2:28 pm

    I have pantry envy!

  57. 57

    Anne in VT says

    February 21, 2022 at 5:16 pm

    Now I know how you can have so much kitchen equipment and lovely dishes. What wonderful storage.

  58. 58

    Jean says

    February 21, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    My daughter had a similar faux oak pantry in her previous Victorian house. It had 15 drawers, 9 cupboards and a counter. Her newly adopted cat hid in one of the drawers for 9 days! She survived by chewing on woolen scarves and mittens and never made a sound.
    Needless to say, we were out with flashlights checking every nook and cranny for those 9 days.

  59. 59

    Sandy says

    February 22, 2022 at 11:45 am

    Kevin,I love your pantry!Thank you for giving me a sense of direction.Great day for a deep clean.

  60. 60

    PattyM says

    February 25, 2022 at 1:12 pm

    Absolutely drooling over your pantry. Thanks for sharing ❤️

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