Skip Traditional Pantry Doors: There's A Cuter Way To Add A Rustic Touch To A Kitchen

If you're brainstorming rustic kitchen ideas, you may be looking for new, creative ways to incorporate vintage charm into your space. While the pantry door may not seem like an obvious spot for an upgrade, designer Amy Howard has a suggestion. In an Instagram post, she shows how she used a set of vintage shutters in place of a traditional pantry door, adding texture and warmth in an entirely original way. You can mount the antique shutters on hinges, like a regular door, for easy swing-out access to the contents of the pantry.

The effect is reminiscent of traditional plantation shutters (today's term for them is interior shutters), whose origins date back to French, Spanish, and British colonists in the American South. The shutter design worked well in the humid, storm-prone climates where cotton and sugar plantations were located. The popularity of these shutters spread more broadly across America in the 19^th century, and today they are still a favored choice for window coverings and French doors.

Upcycling old shutters into a pantry door can bring a unique, vintage feel to your kitchen, and there are plenty of ways to customize the look to suit your personal style. Start by assessing the aesthetics of your kitchen and deciding if you want your shutters to blend in with your space or pop as a focal point. If you're looking for a more farmhouse or French country look, a weathered-looking shutter in a warm earth tone like the one Amy used is your best bet. You can even sand it down to create that aged effect. However, for something a bit more colorful, you can try painting the shutter a vibrant hue to create a fun visual statement. If you're feeling particularly whimsical, you could even use two different shutters for a quirky, mismatched look.

Once you've selected your shutters, installing them is an easy, inexpensive DIY project you can complete in an afternoon. You don't need your shutters to be an exact fit, as demonstrated by the photo Amy posted. Hers don't quite meet in the middle. Or, if your shutters are slightly too short, you can create a saloon-door-style look, which is equally rustic. However, you'll still want to start by measuring your space to get a sense of how the shutters will fit. Next, you can install them within the pantry doorframe by hanging the panels with a simple hinge, just as you would if you were fitting them in an interior window .