T he only feature that's original to our kitchen, besides the fir floors, is the pie safe California Cooler (including its Shaker style cabinet doors). When we gutted the kitchen that lazy summer day....it was all that remained.
We loved its antique charm. When we told our cabinet maker we wanted to keep the pie safe California Cooler intact, he abhorred the idea, truly amazed we'd want to keep such a thing. We asked him to build the new cabinets to match.
This is the top cabinet. It is located to the left of the sink counter....you can see a smidgen of one of my bread boards leaning against it.
This is the lower cabinet.
Other than a fresh coat of paint, I just scrubbed each rack (they're removable) with warm soapy water....
....and moved in.
This old pie safe California Cooler is our food pantry. So far, it's served us just fine. Our beans, grains and pastas, flour and baking groceries, and other dry goods, are housed in the lazy susan — which is to the right of the kitchen sink.
Thank you Tamara for sending me information on the California Cooler! The information I read was so fascinating and is absolutely what it is. There was a vent at the top, which led outside, as well as a vent in the bottom floor of the cabinet (which you can see the patch from). Go here for more information on California Coolers! And thanks again Tamara!