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1921 Craftsman-Style Bungalow: Butler's Pantry Restoration A built-in pantry cabinet gets a makeover with new doors and drawers. From "Restoration Realities" episode DRTR-202

A 1921 Craftsman style home in a historic section of Ft. Worth, Texas.

DIY's Restoration Realities visits Fort Worth, Texas and the home of J.D. Angle and Joel Burns. Joel works as a historic preservationist and J.D. is a political consultant. Both have a passion for beautiful old houses, and they love to entertain.

The problem: A built-in pantry cabinet that came with the house needs refinishing and is missing two drawers and six doors.

The solution: Sand and repaint the entire built-in cabinet unit and remaining wood doors. Make new doors and drawers to replace the missing one, making sure to match the existing pieces.

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	The butler's pantry cabinet, before the restoration.
	Homeowners Joel Burns and J.D. Angle
	Kitchen renovation.
	Living room restoration underway.
	Beautiful, historic homes are characteristic of the historic Fort Worth neighborhood where the project house is located.

Craftsman, Texas Style

When they found a large and unique 1921 craftsman style house in a great old neighborhood of Fort Worth, Joel and J.D. had already restored one house, so this kind of work was certainly nothing new to them. Their new home is a Texas ranch-style version of a craftsman bungalow. It's a house every bit worth preserving, with plenty of charm and a perfect home for entertaining.

As soon as they'd made their purchase, Joel and J.D. began addressing key structural problems--including sagging floors and ceilings. They then concentrated on interior spaces like the kitchen. One small but important project they identified right away was a cabinet in the dining room.

One look at this historic piece would tell you that it had seen better days. The old cabinet had evidently been modified at some point to accommodate the installation of air-conditioning ductwork. It was also missing six out of a total of nine cabinet doors, and two out of five of its drawers. Joel and J.D. wanted to save the cabinet--since it's such a distinctive feature and characteristic of this style of architecture--but were uncertain how to go about it.

For this project, restoration specialist Bill Click and carpenter Chris Babcock join Joel and J.D. to help them bring this very special old cabinet--technically termed a butler's pantry--back to life. Bill and Chris determine that the restoration challenge is two-fold: First, the cabinet itself and the existing doors and drawers have to be sanded down and smooth as possible so that a new enamel coat of paint can make it look good again. Second, new doors and drawers have to be made to replace the missing ones. Part of the challenge is that, to maintain consistency and authenticity, the new doors and drawers need to be exact copies of the originals. Joel throws in one more wrinkle: He wants the center level cabinet doors to be glass doors.

Tools used in this restoration:

10" table saw, contractor style or larger
ten 12" sliding compound miter-saw
1-3/4" hp router
router table
8" dado set for table saw
four18" bar clamps
1/2" shank rail and stile set for cabinet doors
1/2" shank beading bit
3/8" rabbeting bit
air compressor and hoses
extension cords
cordless crill and bits
brad nailer
micro-pin nailer
orbital sander
belt sander
mallet
finish hammer
wood chisels
template bushing and dovetail bit
dovetail jig
nail punch
saw horses
carbide scraper and blades
plywood for work surface
wire cutters wire strippers
electrical tape
screwdrivers

Materials:

3/4" poplar stock glass
cabinet hardware (hinges, knobs)
carpenter's wood-glue
18-gauge
finish nails
pins for micro-nailer
5" five-hole sanding disks for orbital sander
sandpaper, various grits
sheet of 1/4" poplar plywood
set of three low-voltage under cabinet lights including tap switch
15' piece 10/2 non-metallic building electrical wire
metal single-gang junction box
double-gang outlet
wood filler
paint
paintbrushes
rags

Estimated Costs

• $100 to sand and repaint the cabinet
  
• $350 to make the cabinet doors and drawers
  
• $100 for the glass panes

• 10 hours to sand the cabinet and apply a primer coat of paint
  
• 4 hours to apply enamel paint as a top coat
  
• 10 hours to make the 3 panel doors, 3 glass doors, & 2 drawers
  
• 1 hour to install the glass into the doors

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