Ever thought of having the Perfect Pantry?

I have 3 growing boys in my house so when I say I need a pantry, I mean I NEED a pantry in my kitchen. We joke that it should have a revolving door-someone always seems to be “hungry”. In the 11 years we’ve been in our home, the pantry has undergone 2 makeovers. The latest, during our big kitchen renovation.

Have you ever thought of ditching those wire shelves and having the perfect pantry? If so, read on for some DIY friendly information and photos- I couldn’t be happier with how ours turned out, it is quite possibly my most favorite thing we did during our kitchen renovation.

After removing the previous shelving and brackets, we had A LOT of holes to patch! It looked like a woodpecker had gotten trapped inside there were so many holes- yikes! I don’t have a picture of that hot mess.

Now that we had a blank slate, the hubs had to read my mind- he literally did! I must have looked at a million pictures on Pinterest and still I was having a hard time articulating the look I was going for. I knew I didn’t want anything touching the floor, I wanted it to be built in (ie: super custom) and I wanted it to have a “counter space” for the microwave. Oh, and I didn’t want to paint. Easy, right?

To my delight, we found melamine shelving that did not need to be painted- Yay! To me, that meant no sanding, painting, poly top coats or later repainting because of the inevitable scuffing. To the hubs, that meant trying to figure out what to use and how to cut it so it would not split or chip. Painter’s tape to the rescue! He’s a genius!

We (by “we” I mean my husband) created the “counter space” to accommodate the microwave by making the shelf wider- 16 inches from the wall. All the other shelves were 12 inches in width.

Isn’t it dreamy? I’m thinking he read my mind quite well, what do you think? Let’s see if he can do that again come Christmas time 😉

Oxo containers https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/s/oxo-storage-containers?ta=typeahead

Baskets https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/s/white-storage-baskets?ta=typeahead

Cereal holder https://www.target.com/p/honey-can-do-the-original-indispensable-174-dry-dispenser-17-5oz/-/A-52509140?preselect=50247410#lnk=sametab

Turntable https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/s/oxo-lazy-susan?ta=typeahead

ALL DONE- hahaha, I make myself laugh…done? Nope, not quite!

When we moved into our house, we had so many white doors. Guests in our home would walk into the pantry thinking they were headed out to the garage! We started looking for and found an old door on craigslist (why yes, we were ahead of our time with the old door turned pantry door). We painted that puppy blue and distressed it. It worked really well, that is, until the kitchen renovation. Now our super cool door stuck out like a sore thumb. The blue had to go. But what color? White? Ash like the cabinets? Finally, we decided to strip it down. Our thinking, it would incorporate another natural element to tie in with the shelves and kitchen table.

Voila! Almost!

Oh, and I didn’t want to be able to see into the pantry through the glass (I know, I know after all that hard work… Did I mention my husband is a very patient man?) I found looking glass spray and by using vinegar and a paper towel, I managed to achieve the distressed look that I was going for- Woohoo!

I love how our project within a project within a project turned out! And, we’ll see if we end up with a revolving door or maybe we will just get a lock!

Supply list

Joint compound

Paint

Roller

Brush

Painter’s tape

Level

Saw

Screws

Stud finder

MDF trim (1/2in x 3 ¼ inch) https://www.homedepot.com/p/FINISHED-ELEGANCE-FE254-1-2-in-x-3-4-in-FEMDF-S4S-Board-Moulding-FEBDS25416/300697095

Melamine shelves https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-Melamine-White-Panel-Common-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-750-in-x-49-in-x-97-in-461877/100070209

Self-Centering Doweling Jig Step drill   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KGP9K7Q/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_oLZKFb99PMKV4 

Sander and paper

Vinegar

Hemp oil– LOVE! https://fusionmineralpaint.com/products/finish/hemp-oil-wood-finish/

Looking glass spray– https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Stencils-Craft-Paints/Spray-Paint/Silver-Krylon-Looking-Glass-Spray-Paint/p/1349 Spray bottle with

**UPDATE 2/25/2024**

A few folks asked about how the shelves attach to the wall. The shelves do not directly attach to the wall. Instead, they sit on a ledge that wraps all the way around. A few pictures for those visual people like me 🙂