A Cinderella Story
Every kitchen is full of stories, but you don’t always get to hear the stories that come before the kitchen is lived in.
I am really excited to share a little bit about our favorite piece that went into this BEAUTIFUL space… the pantry door!
The Vaughn’s knew right from the start they wanted a custom pantry door. But not a newly built fresh-from-the-crafters waiting-to-have-it’s story-told pantry door, they wanted a piece of history for their home.
We searched for weeks!
I never expected it to be so tough to find a piece that would work with their style, was still in good enough shape to use in the home, and still had a story someone could share with us.
Then we got a call from one of our friends (who had been roped into our searching) and said they found the perfect piece ON A TRASH TRAILER in Kentucky.
Yes, we actually pulled it from the trash… here’s the picture she texted me when she found it.
So it didn’t start off super glamourous for sure. But we went to pick it up and actually got to talk to the homeowner that was getting rid if it, and from him we got the history of this piece.
This door came from the mudroom on their home, it was the original 1940's piece. Built by his great-grandfather the door was used by 3 generations before the family decided it was time to update and they replaced it. For nearly 7 decades this door greeted every giggling child, weary farmer, delighted dinner guest, and beloved family member that spent time in that home. It welcomed home new babies, and saw friends or parents out one last time. In 2021, the farmer decided it was time to refresh the home for his children to grow up in, so the door was replaced and readied to be taken to the landfill.
It was a little battered by the elements and was beginning to sag a little on the hinges, but there was still a second chance for this beautiful piece.
Once we had the piece safely stored in the workshop we began a gentle rehabilitation.
The whole door was taken apart and each piece was thoroughly cleaned and sanded. Removing years of dust, old glue that once held the seams tightly, and giving the piece a smooth comfortable finish. Before we pieced it back together we took a spin on the traditional Yakisugi treatment to give it a beautiful finish.
Yakisugi
Originating in 18th century Japan, this practice is used with Japanese cedar in order to weatherproof it. The wood is burned until the surface is charred, and then coated with natural oil
The finishing touch was the custom frosted glass panes for the pantry.
Finally this door is set in it’s second home, ready to share years of memories and stories in its second home.
See what the family had to say about their kitchen below.
