Every pantry has a door, right? Well, some don’t but most do. Some have a solid door, some a hollow door and some a slatted door. My pantry is special. It has a screen door. Yes, a screen door!

I’ve wanted a wonderful pantry for many years. Finally, I had the inside just right and it was time for a unique door. What is more unique than a screen door?

I looked long and hard for an old screen door, but because the pantry entrance is narrow (28”) I never could find one. I then looked for a new door I could make old looking.

I found the most beautiful little Victorian screen door that fits the opening perfectly. Then I roughed it up a bit with a hammer to make it look used.

I painted the door crudely with three different colors of paint to simulate years of repainting. Between each layer, I sanded different areas where normal wear would occur, such as around the knob. The last color of paint was blue, which is the color of the kitchen.

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After painting, I covered the entire door with an antiquing glaze to basically make it look old and a bit dirty. I applied the glaze and rubbed it off with a dry rag. The technique worked very well.

Then the screening had to be applied. Who knew there were different colors of screening? I chose a dark bronze, which looks old (not shiny) and somewhat opaque. I wanted to be able to see through the screen but not have it look shiny and new. One really dark screen color I thought I might like, ended making the door look like it belonged in the Addams family home – it really looked a bit creepy. The one I finally chose, the dark bronze, ended up looking the best.

The cherry on the cake is the handle. I found an old silver serving spoon and bent it to use as a handle. I attached it with screws and it looks very charming.

Now my pantry is so cute inside and out. I love it! Lights on or lights off it looks adorable. Every time I walk in the room it makes me happy. No more can be asked of any pantry.