# Looking for suggestions to redo a kitchen pantry



## laurac260 (Apr 1, 2011)

Here's the scenario:  We have a reach-in type pantry, regular door (not bi-fold).  The shelves currently are the typical builders grade white slotted shelves.  Hate them.  We gave up using the pantry for food, as I get tired of things getting stuck in the slots and tipping over.  The problem is that I have too much stuff in my cupboards.  I want to use my pantry for it's intended purpose, food, not as a catch-all.  

We used California Closets years ago in a previous house.  Liked the closet organization for clothes, but the option we chose for the pantry, notsomuch.  The shelves were spaced too far apart was my thought, so there was much wasted space.  Also, there is no light in the closet.  We used brown shelves in the previous house, making a dark pantry even darker.  I'm thinking I should get glass shelves and install a light at the top?  I'm not sure this is practical though.

Anyone have any suggestions?  Either a company used, or a product you installed yourself?  If you have pics to share, please do.  I want a pantry that looks organized so I can put one of those frosted glass doors on the front.  Also, some pull out drawers to hold plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or to act as catch-all drawers (for batteries, stuff like that), might be useful too.  

Thanks in advance!

Thanks!


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## Passepartout (Apr 1, 2011)

Our pantry started life as a hallway with a slanted cul-de-sac over the staircase. After moving a couple of walls to create a master closet and bath, poof- instant pantry. We went to Home Depot- the closet organization department- and got heavy duty slotted rails to lag-bolt into the studs with shelf supports and white, vinyl coated shelves we could put where we wanted them. No wasted space at all. Consider a switch on the door casing that turns the pantry light on when the door is open- like a refrigerator. It helps when you have your hands full.

One thing I have noticed that builders omit from pantries hereabouts is electrical outlets. We have a couple, near the door, strategically placed so that seldom used, but handy appliances can be in the pantry instead of on the counter. Like a knife sharpener, can opener, rechargeable flashlight, cell phone charger, blender. Your use would be different than mine, but you get the idea. 

We do have louvered bi-fold doors on our pantry, but primarily because they worked well with a narrow opening and are light weight. There are frosted glass inserts on the other upper cabinet doors and I felt that was enough glass. I also didn't want to have my clutter on display.

Jim Ricks


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

Adjustable shelves that can be moved up or down depending on the sizes of what you want to store can be convenient.  However, if you aleady know that this or that size can/box is going to go where, then you can go with fixed shelving.

My DH insists on installing the white wire type (is that what you meant by slotted?) shelving because it can be adjusted.  Works great for the clothes closet but not the pantry for the very reason you stated--things get caught.   I insisted on solid shelving which, at first, DH insisted on just laying over the support bars of the adjustable shelving he so loves.  That wasn't stable and the shelves would wobble from side to side.  So, he finally screwed them down into the support bars.  The bars have a wedge-shape and I don't like that because it dips down into the storage space.  I have to arrange things on either side of them.  

We have two pantries and I insisted on solid, fixed shelving for one of them.  I decided which items were going to be stored in that pantry and measured the cans for height, then placed moulding (such as a chair rail) just below where the shelves were to go and then placed the solid shelving on top of the moulding.  DH cut the shelves to fit the space from laminated boards available at home improvement stores.  The stores will even cut to fit if you bring the dimensions.  It is a simple system which is not difficult to install but is not adjustable unless you want to go to the trouble of prying the moulding off the wall and then nailing it in somewhere else.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

Passepartout said:


> Our pantry started life as a hallway with a slanted cul-de-sac over the staircase. After moving a couple of walls to create a master closet and bath, poof- instant pantry. We went to Home Depot- the closet organization department- and got heavy duty slotted rails to lag-bolt into the studs with shelf supports and white, vinyl coated shelves we could put where we wanted them. No wasted space at all.


That sounds like the stuff DH loves.  I don't like the shelf supports--those wedge-shaped things.  They get in the way.  The trade-off is that the shelves are adjustable.  It's what we have throughout most of the house.

One of my pantries also started life as a hallway.  When we remodeled, I cut the entry hall through a small bedroom.  Turned the space on either side of the new hallway into storage closets and a sewing closet.  The original hall that ran perpendicular to the new one, was no longer needed for accessing the living room so we closed off that doorway and turned the newly created dead end into another pantry.  I have so much more storage space now.


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## Texasbelle (Apr 1, 2011)

I suffer from envy of anyone who has a pantry.  How about clear solid plastic over the current shelves?  I would want doors that open to reveal everything.  Our closets have sliding doors; I would like bifolds, so I think that would be better in a pantry too.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

I do not like bifolds because I had them in a previous home and pinched my fingers a few times.  I had young children at the time and always worried about them getting their tiny fingers crushed.  If you aren't as accident prone as I am, you may not have any problems.


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## jlwquilter (Apr 1, 2011)

I have the white coated wire (slotted?) shelves in the pantry as well. Bi-fold doors.

I bought cheap plastic bins as Wal-Mart and placed those on the shelves. I stack my cans, boxes, small baking ingredients, etc. in the bins. Most bins have a theme so I know where to look for X items. This keeps the stuff mroe organized. The bins function as individual pull-out 'drawers' as well. It's not the most elegant of solutions but at Year 5 it's still working for me just fine.

IMO adjustible shelves are great for the first time or maybe two. But really, how often are you (me!) going to empty everything out to adjust the shelves?? I can't even get to that with the refidgerator or moving ONE shelf in a cabinet!


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## laurac260 (Apr 1, 2011)

I should mention, the original reason for the re-do is I want to get one of those glass panel pantry doors.  Something to jazz the kitchen up a little bit.  AND I want to make my pantry more usable.  So, since I want a door that will make the items in the pantry visible, I need something IN the pantry that will be something I would want to SEE.  So it needs to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

laurac260 said:


> ...it needs to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.


Well, that's a matter of taste.  Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that.  You can buy pretty baskets or brightly colored bins or even stainless steel or aluminum bins if you want to be decorative and not have to look at a lot of little odds and ends.  I use plastic bins and plastic drawers on my shelving as well.  The ones I have aren't what i would call pretty but they function.  

What will you see through your glass door?  A line-up of cereal boxes?  Some pretty dishes and crockery?  In my pantries I store canned goods and boxes of this and that.  Unless all the labels were lined up in the same direction, it would not be something I'd think of as aesthetic.


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## laurac260 (Apr 1, 2011)

Rose Pink said:


> Well, that's a matter of taste.  Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that.  You can buy pretty baskets or brightly colored bins or even stainless steel or aluminum bins if you want to be decorative and not have to look at a lot of little odds and ends.  I use plastic bins and plastic drawers on my shelving as well.  The ones I have aren't what i would call pretty but they function.
> 
> What will you see through your glass door?  A line-up of cereal boxes?  Some pretty dishes and crockery?  In my pantries I store canned goods and boxes of this and that.  Unless all the labels were lined up in the same direction, it would not be something I'd think of as aesthetic.



Rose, I suffer from watching too much HGTV, forgive me! 

Bins attract clutter, at least in my house.  Bins get filled with things that DON'T belong...again, in my house.  The closet is dark, I am thinking of perhaps glass shelves?   The food will be food, nothing gorgeous or sexy, but if I'm going to do a glass door, albeit a frosted or lead glass one, the stuff on the other side can't be displayed as messily as it is now, that's for sure.  I'd probably get some nice glass jars/decanters for flour and pastas, rather than store them in their original bags/containers (which would be a good thing, because those original containers spill and leave messes anyway).   So, I'm looking for any suggestions from anyone who has used organizational systems, or the like, either purchased from a company, or installed themselves.


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## RDB (Apr 1, 2011)

laurac260 said:


> ...  So, I'm looking for any suggestions from anyone who has used organizational systems, or the like, either purchased from a company, or installed themselves.



I like your idea. I hope it works for you.
Check this site for some help: 
http://www.dream-kitchen-pantry.com/ebook/complete-pantry-guide.html

One small suggestion that works for us... See through containers that allow the bags and boxes to show through, but are seal-able against mealy bugs.

We don't care for dumping contents into containers, cause when the supply runs low, we want the old on top of the new. Can't do with if not still in the original box.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/refrigeratorFreezer?productId=10027634&green=22450864998 
HAS ALL SORTS OF CLEAR CONTAINERS ... sort of like used in the refrigerator.


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## DebBrown (Apr 1, 2011)

In our house, the pantry would never stay pristine so I would skip the glass doors and shelves.  Adding a light sounds like a great idea.  White shelving will help too.

Good luck and show us pictures!

Deb


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

RDB said:


> I like your idea. I hope it works for you.
> Check this site for some help:
> http://www.dream-kitchen-pantry.com/ebook/complete-pantry-guide.html


Wow!  That picture with the stainless fridge in the middle flanked by the two cupboards with rollout drawers/shelves looks remarkably like my kitchen.  To the left is a window looking out the yard and to the right is an arched entry to the dining/living area.  If  you look at the lower right corner you see the edge of a countertop and part of the dishwasher.  That is my layout exactly.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 1, 2011)

laurac260 said:


> Rose, I suffer from watching too much HGTV, forgive me!


I gave up on most of HGTV--it seems they show the real estate shows constantly with very little in the way of remodeling and design. Even Sarah Richardson isn't doing much for me these days. I think I'm just too tired to care. 

Since you are storing _real_ food, how about getting bins/baskets with sloped sides where the front is more open than the back. Then you can display your fresh produce and other foodstuffs in them. It would look similar to the produce department in a nice grocery store. The fruits and vegies would provide a peek of color through the glass door.  (or you can just get shallow baskets and place them at a tilt so the produce is displayed)

The idea of storing your pasta, etc in glass containers is a good idea. You can get different sizes, colors and patterns in the glass for variation if you prefer.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 1, 2011)

I have a room which is my pantry. It has 18 running feet of floor to ceiling shelving. It has a solid, regular door. It has a window. Yes, it has 2 60 watt light blubs. It is solid wood shelving - no wire racks. The room is right past the double ovens and the refrigerator. It also holds my second microwave.
My other microwave/convection oven is across the kitchen from my double oven.

This room came with the house. All the shelving was in prior rooms of my former house. 

My sisters and girlfriends just love to stand in my pantry. I guess woman value a pantry like a man loves a rolling tool box or two in the garage or basement. It is so hard to convince men that pantry stuff is NOT things you want to place in kitchen cabinets. 

Enjoy your pantry project. Don't go cheap.


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## RDB (Apr 1, 2011)

laurac260 said:


> ...   I'd probably get some nice glass jars/decanters for flour and pastas, rather than store them in their original bags/containers ...So, I'm looking for any suggestions from anyone who has used organizational systems, or the like, either purchased from a company, or installed themselves.



HERE IS AN OPEN PANTRY. Just trying to see if you want it more "beautiful" than this?


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 1, 2011)

Nice .... but not enough wine.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 2, 2011)

RDB said:


> HERE IS AN OPEN PANTRY. Just trying to see if you want it more "beautiful" than this?


I like the shiny wire baskets that are on the bottom shelf. I think they would be more sanitary than woven baskets and allow air flow around the produce whereas plastic bins would not.

I have never wanted open shelving in or near my kitchen. Even though it looks nice when all the dishes are displayed, etc, all I can think of is the dust settling on everything.


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## laurac260 (Apr 2, 2011)

RDB said:


> HERE IS AN OPEN PANTRY. Just trying to see if you want it more "beautiful" than this?



Love this!  Unfortunately the space I have to work with is more like coat closet, only slightly deeper.


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## laurac260 (Apr 2, 2011)

RDB said:


> I like your idea. I hope it works for you.
> Check this site for some help:
> http://www.dream-kitchen-pantry.com/ebook/complete-pantry-guide.html
> 
> ...



Thank you!  I will check out this book.  There is no electrical source IN the pantry, but there is an outlet on the other side of the wall that never gets used.  I asked my husband, couldn't we utilize the power from that outlet and run a light into the pantry?  He suggested getting one of those battery powered lights, but I don't see that working.  The ceiling is very high in the pantry.  I think we need a mounted light, that runs off electricity.


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## MuranoJo (Apr 2, 2011)

RDB said:


>



This is beautiful, but where are the canned foods or items you'd typically see in a pantry?

Our pantry is walk-in with deep, permanent wood shelves.  There's an overhead light that is automatically triggered when you open the door, plus we have an electrical outlet in there.

However, I'm still looking for a better system.  It's hard to rotate canned goods to use the oldest first, the shelves are so deep it's hard to see what's in there without digging around, etc.  I have purchased a few of those rotating Lazy Susan-type of units which help in the corners.


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## Rose Pink (Apr 3, 2011)

muranojo said:


> However, I'm still looking for a better system. It's hard to rotate canned goods to use the oldest first, the shelves are so deep it's hard to see what's in there without digging around, etc. I have purchased a few of those rotating Lazy Susan-type of units which help in the corners.


I've seen several types of can rotator systems from companies such as Shelf Reliance and Cansolidator and Harvest Food.  Some of the units are large enough to take up an entire closet and some are small enough to put on a shelf.  The internet and YouTube also have directions and ideas for building your own.


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## Gramma5 (Apr 3, 2011)

I have a medium size pantry that is probably 7'x4'  Inside it has 3 floor to ceiling sliding shelves on one side and 5 wire shelves on the other. It is the wonder of the neighborhood! It was custom built by the original owner of the house. It really utilizes the space and gives me lots of storage and keeps things very organized.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 3, 2011)

Wow ... what a great idea on how to maximize the floor space and visual slight lines for stuff stored in the shelves. How wide is each pull-out shelving unit? Are there fixed wheels on the bottom with guiding tracks on the top? 

Can you get to the floor underneath by pulling all 3 shelves out and accessing the space where the wire bins are (as the hatch)?


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## Ridewithme38 (Apr 3, 2011)

I thought Pantry's were gotten rid of after the great depression?  With Fast Food places on every corner...Why would anyone need to stock up on food beyond just a couple days?


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## DeniseM (Apr 3, 2011)

When you have storage space, you can stock up on dry goods and canned goods when they are on sale.  I don't go crazy, but I usually have 4-6 cans of each type of canned good that I use on a regular basis.  I also stock up on nonperishables and paper products when they are on sale.

And brace yourself - I canned over 80 jars of spaghetti sauce (2 kinds), salsa (4 kinds), tomato sauce, apple sauce, pickles, and peppers last year.


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## Passepartout (Apr 3, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> And brace yourself - I canned over 80 jars of spaghetti sauce (2 kinds), salsa (4 kinds), tomato sauce, apple sauce, pickles, and peppers last year.



When do you have time to do that along with tending to your family and ridin' herd on us? Jim


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## MuranoJo (Apr 4, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> When you have storage space, you can stock up on dry goods and canned goods when they are on sale.  I don't go crazy, but I usually have 4-6 cans of each type of canned good that I use on a regular basis.  I also stock up on nonperishables and paper products when they are on sale.
> 
> And brace yourself - I canned over 80 jars of spaghetti sauce (2 kinds), salsa (4 kinds), tomato sauce, apple sauce, pickles, and peppers last year.



Good for you!  And I agree with Jim, not sure how you have time for that!

That's also why a pantry is so important to us--gotta have room for all those home-grown canned goodies.  

Rose Pink, I like what you've described--the pull-out shelves would be a blessing.


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## Ridewithme38 (Apr 4, 2011)

muranojo said:


> That's also why a pantry is so important to us--gotta have room for all those home-grown canned goodies.
> .



Ahh...maybe thats why i don't get it....i live sorta suburban...it doesn't immediately click with me that some people still live on farms


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## Gramma5 (Apr 4, 2011)

*Pantry sliding shelve measurements*

Sorry it took so long to reply. I've got guests intown.  The sliding units are attached to a bracket rolling system at the top and have just rollers on the bottom with no brackets. That's not a very technical explanation but the best I can explain it. There are 3 rolling units....2 are 6"+ and one is 10". Each unit has 8 shelves on it. Several are taller ones so I can put cereal boxes and taller bottles in them. Hope that gives you a clearer picture. maybe I can get my husband to download apicture of it if you want more details!


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## Rose Pink (Apr 4, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Ahh...maybe thats why i don't get it....i live sorta suburban...it doesn't immediately click with me that some people still live on farms


I don't  live on a farm, just a house in the suburbs.  I have a concord grape vine--just one.  That one vine produced enough grapes last season to make more quarts of grape juice than I could ever consume in a year.  My brother, sister-in-law and I (along with some of their grown children) worked hours and hours to process and bottle the juice.  It was messy but smelled so good.  It's probably less expensive just to buy juice but  knowing it came from our own produce and our own work is somehow very satisfying.

You don't have to live on a farm to have a vegetable garden or some fruit trees in the landscape.  Gardening is a satisfying hobby for many people.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 4, 2011)

Gramma5 said:


> Sorry it took so long to reply. I've got guests intown.  The sliding units are attached to a bracket rolling system at the top and have just rollers on the bottom with no brackets. That's not a very technical explanation but the best I can explain it. There are 3 rolling units....2 are 6"+ and one is 10". Each unit has 8 shelves on it. Several are taller ones so I can put cereal boxes and taller bottles in them. Hope that gives you a clearer picture. maybe I can get my husband to download apicture of it if you want more details!



I was just interested as a closet arrangement - your display/viewing of the shelf's contents are when you pull the trolley out. That is a wonderful and efficient layout with everything behind doors.


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## laurac260 (Apr 4, 2011)

Ridewithme38 said:


> Ahh...maybe thats why i don't get it....i live sorta suburban...it doesn't immediately click with me that some people still live on farms



I know, it's hard to believe.  Why, just last week, I was telling the Mr. that we should get us some of that indoor plummin'.  I shore is tired of having to go down to the creek, hitch up my skirt and tend to my business there.  Sometimes at night I forget to look for a downstream spot, you know, and my knickers get plumb wet, that's for shore.  Then I gotta strip down and warsh them right then and thare in that thar stream.   It's a durn good thing I keep my warsh board right there hangin' from that nary tree over thar though.  Its also good for wackin' the snakes and wild boar when they comes a callin' too close.  

The Mr. said that when the tobacco field finally gives us a good enuf crop we can finally get us a real sink too, and maybe we can  get us one of those telephone thingies.  I'm gettin' too old to be climbin' that thar pole to make my phone calls, thats for shor.


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## MuranoJo (Apr 5, 2011)

Laura, you shor are too dang funny!

Ridewithme,  we don't live on a farm, but we put in a small garden and plant onions, corn, green peppers, lettuce, radish, grean beans, hot peppers, cukes, eggplant, cabbage, and the list goes on--but we absolutely have to have tomatoes!

And I have to give credit to my hubby does most of the work and canning (he took early retirement and it's one of his many hobbies).  So we have a pantry full of lots of goodies from a lot of hard work, and about a 40' x 30' garden space.


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## vacationhopeful (Apr 5, 2011)

Ride,
I too have a large garden. I have my seeds started and about 2 inches tall in my sunroom. Next week is till the garden with my roto-tiller (the horse ate too much), add some compost from the outhouse, and mark the rows. 

And I got some dead wood to chop for next winter's heat in the old wood stove after the garden is planted. The heavy snow this past winter has drop more branches around the old homestead.

PM me for directions -


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## DeniseM (Apr 5, 2011)

I don't live on a farm either, but we live in an agricultural area where produce is plentiful.  I get my canning produce from DH's buddy at work who owns 20 acres and puts in a large garden every year.


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