I love the challenge of living in a small house. Rather than wishing we had more closets and storage we get creative and work at finding ways to utilize our space making life feel a little more efficient incorporating both the practical and beautiful.
Our most recent light bulb moment was the top of our basement steps.
My Pop and Chris had installed bead board in this area when we first moved in but it never got painted and quite honestly was left forgotten as the basement door hid this neglected space.
A few years ago (when our girls were safe from tumbling down the stairs) we removed the door to open things up which actually made the kitchen feel a bit bigger.
The door was left off but the space remained unpainted and under-utilized until recently when I became frustrated with my ever growing cast iron pan collection. We have accumulated an array of second hand pans in all shapes and sizes. They are the workhorses of our kitchen and are used daily. I love the versatility of cast iron, able to go from stove-top to oven. Our favorite pan is the extra large one used for big batches of granola and roasted vegetables. Chris found that pan for only 25 cents at a yard sale! Wishing that I had a space to hang my pans rather than stack them I realized that I did have a place!
Yes, the top of our basement steps would make the perfect pantry for pans but how about a place for hanging tools such as dust pans, brushes and a brooms. And while we are at it, let’s hang a few hooks for extra coats when we host company since our house came without a coat closet. Killing two or even three birds with one stone is how I like to roll in our home.
Once we envisioned our new space we got to work and started with painting the bead board and walls a crisp white. Chris hand forged hooks (made with recycled iron from an old hay rake) that would be sturdy enough to hold the heavy pans.
He also made a light fixture from Kentucky Coffee Tree wood and a ball jar.
I hung a wooden accordion hook on one side for dust pans, brushes and brooms and installed a few hooks on the other side for aprons, coats, spare cutting boards, etc.
A while back my mom had gifted me an antique drawing of a woman selling at market. I could never find quite the right place for her until now.
I love this new space displaying our tools that are both practical and beautiful.
I find that domestic work becomes a bit more enjoyable when your tools are pretty enough to display.
Rather than let them sit until the end of the day, I now eagerly wash up our pans after each use to hang them back on their hand forged hooks in their very own pantry.
Tracey says
What a wonderful use of space!! The cast irons are art in of themselves!!
Melissa says
This does indeed look lovely. We have a basement with a tiny landing just like yours. I love the bead board. I have just a few things hung on our wall/stairway, but with your purposeful pot display, it looks wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing.
emily says
i love cooking with cast iron but we don’t have a stove that we can use them on right now. someday, i hope! that’s such a nice storage area you created. do you worry about the pans scuffing up the white wall or is that not a problem? did you use an extra durable paint?
amy says
Emily, we used an oil based paint called Satin Impervo by Benjamin Moore on both the bead board and the walls. It will stand up longer to wear and tear and scuffs
julia says
brilliant! this is lovely and so functional. this would totally work in our house as well if we ever re-did our basement steps (and once we don’t have to worry about little ones falling down the stairs!). i probably never would have though of utilizing this space. genius!
Vivian says
love the black on white color scheme! ….love the bead board wall throughout your house and this certainly flows together….I think you have a charming home and I love seeing your little displays through out….very creative…..but not “staged”.
sarah says
fantastic idea! hope you don’t mind if i borrow your idea one day. we have a small home in maine and this could be just thing i need to do!
Lauren says
As usual, your blog is so lovely and inspiring. Some of your posts really helped me this week as I was reorganizing my kitchen and pantry to be more useful. Thank you so much for your beautiful inspiration. I love your posts and always eagerly await the next one! 🙂
Laurie says
What an absolutely fantastic and beautiful use of this space. Well done! Now, you’ve got me pondering my little home. Thanks for inspiring as always!
Erin says
My first thought was also about how much repainting the walls would need with the cast iron hanging on them! Regardless, it’s a brilliant, beautiful, and functional idea!
I’ve always wanted to ask where Chris and your Pop got the beadboard (is it different than wainscoting?) What I usually see isn’t made of wood anymore, but PVC or who-knows-what and I’d much rather have real wood in our home.
Beautiful new space!
Sarah says
“It’s about time!” – Pop I hope it gave you pleasure to finish something that he started. I know when Ryan finishes installing our kitchen door, I’ll have that same feeling of simultaneously missing him, but feeling that he’s there, being a part of it.
Janet says
Always enjoy reading your blog and your decorating/entertaining ideas.
I’m so curious about the antique drawing of the woman at market. I can’t tell from your photo if she is selling fish, but the image reminds me so much of art work I have seen of 19th century fishwives in Cornwall, England. My ancestors were Cornish fisher folk, and my great-great grandmother was believed to be the last of the fishwives in the Newlyn-Penzance area. The drawing looks great in your new space!
amy says
Janet, the woman is selling vegetables. I believe it is a Russian print actually. How neat that your ancestors were Cornish fisher folk! Do you live in Cornwall? We were actually just talking about planning a trip there! Norah my 9 year old is very intrigued with the town after watching Doc Martin:)
Sharon says
I love this and am going to try to find a way to creatively get our cast iron pans hung up in our kitchen – that would be so much easier than the pile they are in inside the cabinet. Beautiful!