CONVERTING A SMALL PANTRY INTO...

What to do?  What to do?

Here is a picture of the small pantry in the farmhouse kitchen.  On the left, before, when Ma lived there and it was full, and then on the right, after we emptied it out.

Click on the photos to enlarge.  

Ma used this as her kitchen pantry, as it's right at the end of the wall where the stove is.  Since we'll be using the mudroom as the main pantry, we've kind of got this as a "freebie" storage space.

There are several thoughts.  Or course, the obvious, a second pantry, again.  But then we're thinking of what other uses for that space.

DRY BAR

Place for storing all the cocktail drinking necessities such as glasses, hard liquor, blender, tools, etc.

CLEANING CLOSET

We could take out some of the lower shelves and store brooms, mops, the vacuum, and cleaning liquids, etc in there.  Of course, we could also put that stuff in the mudroom.

BAKING CENTER

I've seen this idea online, a designated place for all your baking supplies, the bowls, mixers, pans, even the flours and cooking ingredients.  As much baking as 2nd Man likes to do, this is a possibility.

CHINA / GLASSWARE STORAGE

We have extra sets of dishes that we use for different occasions.  This might be a good place to store some of that overflow, as well as extra linens and such, but then I worry it runs the risk of just being another "junk closet" to store random stuff in.

APPLIANCE GARAGE

Of all the ideas we've tossed around, this one intrigues me most.  Using the space to store all manner of appliances that you need, but don't use on a daily basis.  Things like the blender, the slow cooker, toaster, food processor, etc.  It frees up valuable cabinet space elsewhere and keeps them all in one spot.

So, we'll have to decide what we want to do.  As it happens, you'll be the first to know, so keep checking in from time to time.

UPDATE:  2nd Man is leaning toward a bar, leaving the door off and making it like an open cabinet and putting all the glassware and stuff in there (in addition to the standard bar stuff).  I'm of the mindset to leave the door on and that way we can close it, so we'll have to see how that all comes out.

And thanks for a new suggestion, Dawn K, another option would be a laptop station/computer center.