Wood shelves instead of painted:

I like the natural wood for the shelves. It gives a warmth and keeps the shelves from disappearing against the wall.

It’s going to be wonderful!

Love it-- but I prefer the painted shelves.

Like like like! Looks and function. :)

Where will sweet little current sink go?

Love it! With both types of shelves, although I'd lean toward the wood. The sink is perfect, too.

The painted shelves look like they've been there forever; the wood shelves look like a modern day add-on. Both look nice, though.

I vote wood shelves but can we also talk about your medicine cabinet? Annnd I love that lamp!

Boy, that is an adorable room! Waaaahh…i want a pantry annex now! 😂

If the wood shelves will match the countertop wood then it's a yes, otherwise I would paint.

Love what you're doing. I like the mock up of the wood shelves, but think painted shelves look more "Maine Cottagey". Wood seems more farmhouse to me, but still looks good.

Love the shiplap walls. Growing up I spent my summers on the coast of Maine and babysit in just about every beach house/cottage in our little town. So those walls and ceiling brings back fond memories, as almost every home had them. What are your plans for the original sink? Love that too.

Teeda, Good point. This is not a farm. I think you convinced me. I wish more rooms still had the shiplap - this, the PR and the screened porch are the only ones! As for the sink, I think we were posting at the same time (see my answer to Jinx above)

OMG my dream! I hope you will also find a home for that adorable "maid's sink!!"

This would make the beginnings (for me) of a canning kitchen, or at least a place where I can process stuff from the garden (or farm market) without making a huge mess in the kitchen. I dream of someday creating something like this on my back porch, a little sink area with some shelving for storing some of the dishes and implements we use out there.

I was going to write that "with my TINY kitchen I could really use something like this." But in reality, my kitchen is not tiny, it is just very, very short on useable storage space. Particularly if you are trying to figure out what provisions you have and keep them well rotated. We are always losing stuff in our pantry or fridge, only to have it re-appear when we are looking for something else. With all the canning I do, I expanded my food storage into the mudroom, but hubs for some reason thinks the mudroom is where he needs to store a LARGE amount of shoes, coats, clothes and tools. I cleared out two whole shelves for him, one for shoes and one for clothes, and also a coat rack, but it's not enough. Now it is also home to various dog toys, etc. I really dream of just a cook's pantry where I can keep all my ingredients and machines together. As it is, I have a shelving unit in the dining room with the bread maker, instapot, dutch oven and food dehydrator. Other than the dehydrator, I use the other three every week, but there is no place to store them all in the kitchen. What little counter space we have it taken up by the toaster and coffee maker, and even that leaves us about 15 inches plus the flat top stove for food prep. Ugh!

Please keep us posted on the progress. I will love to see the final results!

FWIW, I love the light brown wood shelves with the light blue distressed wood finish and black. It's one of my favorite color schemes, very north country beachy. That's kind of the color scheme of my guest bath. I'm sure you can tell how jealous I am! I'll survive this first-world malaise though . . . just let me live vicariously through you, lol!

Mtn, glad I helped with your decision. I must say though, that as charming as they were, I never baby sat at any "cottage" as large and gorgeous as yours! Unfortunately, many of the historic old cottages of my youth have been either torn down or modernized beyond recognition. I really love that you have so sensitively updated/preserved your beautiful beach house.