Old House Storage Solutions for the Kitchen

Old houses were not made with storage in mind. Built-in cabinetry did not exist until after the second world war so things were often kept on show, creating the kind of functional decorating I love. But sometimes stacking things on a counter can look cluttered and take up space we need to prep meals. We need more space to put things. Especially in the kitchen. I’ve been thinking a lot about storage in our butler’s pantry and how I can utilise this space more efficiently while making the space aesthetically pleasing. In doing so I found ideas that would be easy to implement and cost little to no money. Storing utensils and equipment doesn’t have to mean hiding it away in cupboards. Make it into a decor piece you use every day with these old house storage solutions.

1. Hang It On the Wall

I guess it goes without saying a lovely set of pots like this would make a stunning, functional old house storage solution. But if you have stainless steel utensils like we do, they could still make a very effective display. In fact, it would encourage you to keep them clean and shiny!

This type of pegboard is easily installed, can be painted, and make the most of what might be a dead space. To find out how to install a pegboard head to the Bunnings website.

2. Old House Storage Solutions that are Recessed

I LOVE this idea. When we moved to the farm, we had SEVEN doors in our living area. We covered most of them in but it would have been easy to line the cavity with plaster board and rustic timber to create some recessed storage. It’s the perfect place to store and display items you might not use all the time that are pretty. Painting the back dark like this makes the timber and white pieces really pop and adds a modern touch. This type of storage could be installed in almost any room in the house but those with limited space such as bathrooms or hallways are perfect places.

3. Open Shelving

Open shelving has to be my favourite type of old house storage solution ever! Especially in the kitchen. We installed it in the tiny kitchen of our cottage and it stored all our day-to-day china. Open shelving is wonderful for people like me who like to change things around a lot. You can create seasonal displays of china or simply collections of things you love. Best of all, you can install open shelves yourself or even buy an old shelving unit and install it on a wall.

4. Movable Storage

I love trays and caddies! This caddy is the perfect example of old house storage solutions that use vintage pieces. It’s simple. Grab a tray or caddy you don’t use. Fill it with glass jars you’ve saved from all that jam you eat or pretty quilted mason jars. Then stack your cutlery or cooking utensils in it and put it on the kitchen bench. When eating outside you don’t need to get out the cutlery. Just carry the caddy out and pop it on the table for a country-style table.

5. Kitchen Islands with Storage

Many kitchen islands are built-in but I love a ‘trolley style’ that can be moved around like the one we built for our kitchen. The beauty of this kind of island is in the fact that it’s more of a seating area than a built-in island but also provides extra storage for large items. Our island has a bench at the bottom which we built. It holds a collection of baskets that have things in them I don’t want on show. The baskets, however, are totally worth showing off.

6. Put it on the Counter

Nothing says country kitchen like a bunch of stuff stacked on a counter. (As long as you have space to do this) Most counter spaces have a dead corner somewhere where you could stack plates or create a place to store tea-towels using a peg rail. (I’ve actually just bought timber to make a peg rail for the pantry!) But if you have pretty bowls and jars why not store them where they can be seen?