I have an almost 200-year-old house with the original wide pine boards in most areas. Sag? They roll like the mighty Atlantic. And make almost as much noise as a flock of seagulls (the birds, not the band). But they are structurally sound. So I don't give it a second thought. That word "unfitted" from igloochic is key, and the advice from Jane to look at British magazines and Web sites, where the look and furniture are more common, are very good advice. Fired Earth, Plain English Design, the Kitchen Dresser Company, Thomas & Thomas are among the companies that make free-standing kitchen furniture you can view online. It's not necessarily Victorian in style, but it is definitely meant to be used by people who, like you, move into an essentially empty room labeled "kitchen", so it's worth looking at. I'm not an island person, so I may be biased, but I think a nice oak table would be the thing for your kitchen. Some have a shelf underneath and can store pots. You can pick them up for not too much money, particularly if the dealer wants a huge table out of the store fast! A big armoire can be a pantry or pot storage. Things don't have to be on wheels, but if the floor is soft pine, it's good to distribute the weight of table legs or armoire feet on padded blocks so they don't dent the floor. Looking at a lot of magazines/Web site photos actually helps. And taking a stack of favorites and looking for a single thing like "how do they do X?" helps. Something as odd as "How did they get that stove to vent without going back through the wall? Could I live with that?" Sometimes seeing that someone else has accepted an odd solution gives you the courage to stick with one yourself. Good luck. And do take your time. Your house has waited this long for you!

Jakuvall-Your experience is interesting to me. WHy not just have a closet at the end of the cabinet run? I guess there would have to be a way to incorporate it so it doesn't look like just a drywall box? I think that having shallow shelves is key, so that the stored items are visible and accessible. Herbflavor-Like you said, extra storage space is usually a bonus. Makes it hard to complain, even if it isn't quite perfect. tmy-here my original pantry ispiration: [Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Boston Closets And Organization Marie Newton, Closets Redefined I would love storage like that! a2gemini-I would love a pocket door. But I guess you have to have at least a 60" space, right? Room for the door + the pocket?

This is hard one. New home build has.. (small farmhouse) We have a pantry and a tall pantry cabinet too.. pantry has vaccum & brushes. We have a small hallway between rooms that has space for officey stuff, charging, counter for snacks for party.. but mostly printer and laptop support stuff.. upper cabinets. We have a dresser in the small main floor bath instead of closet. We have a shoe closet because we like Japan style. We have a large nice coat closet plus a simple mud room with hooks at another entrance and farm boots. we have a homeschool supply cabinet/a matching one for coat closet we have a linen closet/built in in the hallway upstairs that is actually a basecabinet with wood counter and a upper wall cabinet built in (like office hallway) we have a full linen closet outside of bathroom door on this level too sharing the upstairs vac/broom and cleaning supplies we have a shallow shelf with sliding doors in upstairs bath for small items but not a fan of cloth hanging out in the bathroom.. in hallway. interestingly we don't have closets for the kids yet. We want an easy layout with what we have with windows and doors.. vents.. going modern and growing with them style.. we have are farmers but we have a 4' wide door in BR with another 4' wide open curtain place for me.. I like tall dressers and need more places for folding, jeweler and underwear.. have nice pieces that do best folded.. hate closet systems, want light and pretty space instead. Velvet curtains ;) basment is full! We have a plan for dedicated and double checked (insects and others) but want true dressers indtead of tubs and wall stuff. Want to sew and love basement.. don't want walls covered.. want art and more fancy room stuff in basement. Going for dressers for Christmas, sweaters.. and sometimes buffet peices.. do not want a Rubbermaid look! I want to do something amazing with my basement too.. not sure exactly but more living room, play room, art studio with storage much lower than normal storage rooms. Also having a vac & broom in the have closet.

I like a mix I saw a walk-in closet first time in my life when I first came to the States. I thought it's kinda neat)) When my late Grandma did her first and last remodel, in the eighties, she "borrowed" space between two rooms (we had three altogether, and it didn't go by bedrooms like here)-and that's how we had two big, not walk in but still quite big closets. That was neat too. It was a nicely sized apartment but we were six people there. Everything was very organized..had to be. But we had lots of free standing pieces..say my and my brother's clothes all except for coats went in a small wardrobe, and the wardrobe wasn't in our room, but in a different, bigger room, where Grandma and Grandpa slept. Books, we had in every room. We have a lots of books now too-but to be honest, it's but a small percentage of what we used to have when I was a little girl. One can't compare. In short, I still find the concept of built in closet pretty neat)) But I love free standing pieces too, a lot. I think the right mix gives one function, form, flexibility and beauty. So I go by that. Except for the garage..that's my DH's kingdom..and he abhores the thought of ruling there too..:) but doesn't want anybody's help as much as I beg. He thinks closets help, shelves help, this or that surface will help..no, nothing will help..I will help if you let me:) The concept is important, but it can't be fully functionable and enjoyable without people handling it, you know.