Revamp An Old Hoosier Cabinet Into The Perfect Farmhouse Pantry

Don't have enough space to store your food? Roll up your sleeves, gather your DIY tools, and let's dive into how to repurpose once-trendy furniture into an affordable pantry solution. Today's secret weapon is the Hoosier cabinet, aka the all-in-one baking center. You might remember seeing this antiquated cupboard in your grandparents' house or peeped one at the thrift store. Or, maybe you have no idea what a Hoosier cabinet is. To cut a long story short, these types of cabinets hail from Indiana, were mainstream in the 1920s, and soon disappeared when built-in cabinetry became the norm. However, this makes them prime pieces to be converted into useful storage — like a freestanding pantry.

Maybe having a flour sifter, spice rack, bread drawer, cookbook holder, and pull-out workspace all together in one unit isn't cool in this modern age. So, you might as well upcycle the Hoosier cabinet and use these compartments for all your ingredients and snacks, right? Before we get into the nitty-gritty, note that antique Hoosier cabinets can cost $1000-plus if in good condition. Our advice is to check Facebook Marketplace, Buy Nothing Groups, Craigslist, and your local antique store for more affordable (and free) options. Sure, the piece might be beat-up, but that's nothing a bit of cleaning, sanding, and decorating can't fix.

The first part is to prep the furniture before refurbishing it. If you can, take the whole thing apart — e.g. the shelves, drawers, doors, hardware, and worktop. Not only will removing everything make the sanding process easier, but it also allows you to take note of anything that's damaged. Best case scenario: you just need to clean up rusty mechanisms, fill holes, and install new hardware. Worst case scenario: bulky parts, like the cabinet doors or backboard, need rebuilding.

Second up is removing the decades-old layers of stain and paint. It certainly helps to have a sanding machine on hand. But if that's not an option, consider using a paint-removing product, such as Smart Strip's $27 Advanced Paint Remover Set on Amazon, as a DIY-friendly alternative. The premise is you apply the stripper onto the cabinet, let it sit for up to 24 hours to work its magic, then scrape off the goo.

Once the prep work is out of the way, bring the furniture back to life with paint (or a fresh coat of stain if you prefer a wooden look). Hoosier cabinets naturally exude a country cottage appeal; hence soft hues like off-white, gray-blue, and taupe are lovely choices if you want to give it an extra charming character. Beyond paint, you could add wallpaper (or modge podge fabric) on the back panel and inside the drawers, use contact paper on the countertop, and even deck the doors with a stencil design for a dramatic facelift.