You Have Room for a Pantry – What’s Next?

Emulate a designer pantry but give it your own unique touch.

Pantries….They are a huge asset to have in a home, a pain to design, and a challenging room to keep organized at all times. We’ve all had pantry envy each time we’ve seen Khloe Kardashian or Emily Henderson’s gorgeous looking pantries. But what if I told you, such a well-designed pantry isn’t out of reach, especially if you have the space, are willing to think outside the box, and be creative? Don’t believe me? Keep reading.

My pantry is a decent size, but the room in its original state, left nothing to be desired. It really wasn’t a space I felt eager to rush into for a quick snack. It had builder-grade wired shelves (not very practical), very ugly looking floor tiles (I’m not a fan of brown tiles), and interesting ceiling angles. So, what’s a girl to do when she’s striving for a star struck pantry with a limited budget? Well…

• Measure, measure, and measure again

• Draw out the space (You can do this by hand. In my case I used tinkercad)

• Take a trip to the closest Ikea for some Billy bookcases and doors – these are great because they are affordable, and you can get extensions to increase the height if you have high ceilings

• Get some paint, sealant, and some stencils (necessary for the floors and walls)

• Have fun sourcing cute and versatile storage containers and/or baskets

Setting up the room was easy from this point on. We took off the builder-grade shelves, painted the walls, stenciled the floors, installed the bookcases, swapped out the old light fixture for a simple, yet stylish black lantern, added some art, and organized all the items. What I love about pantries is the fact that the items in it, if organized just right, become the actual art and/or décor.

You might roll your eyes and say, “This isn’t relevant to me, I don’t have a pantry.” And to that I will say, checkout the kitchen cabinet organization pictures and ODD tips below. It's worth noting that most rules for ODDing a pantry apply to a kitchen cabinet that's used for the same purpose.

Did this inspire you to tackle your own pantry? I hope it did. Let me know in the comments below.

Cheers

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ODD Tips for Pantries

Organize

• Get inspired – Research pantries that have a similar layout to yours. Pinterest is a great resource

• Think outside the box for flooring and cabinetry solutions. Pantry cabinets are expensive, so I used the next best thing, Ikea bookcases. Re-tiling my floors was cost prohibitive, so I stenciled instead

• Stick to your budget – it’s easy overspend in the design world

• Get food safe storage containers and get rid of the food packaging whenever you can. OXO pop containers (or other vacuum seal containers on Amazon) are a valuable investment

• Group like items together keeping in mind how often they are used. Items used often should always be easy to reach

• Each item should have its place (that’s how you’ll keep your pantry always organized and clean)

Design

• Have a clear vision for what will be stored in the space (but be nimble). Life changes, and your pantry should adapt too

• Choose colors that are inviting, yet muted. I chose a Sherwin Williams Olympus White paint and to date, I think it’s the best choice I made for the room

• Be creative with your floors. If you can’t afford to rip out your tile, paint, and stencil them. It’s a decision I'm yet to regret

• Lighting is important

• Always have a landing zone. Meaning, a place to down your items before you place them on shelves. I chose the Ikea Forhoja cart for this purpose

Decorate

• Your food items and dishes should be the stars of the room

• Bring in elegance with glass doors while still displaying your valuable possessions

• Create visual height with art. I hung a few wall paintings close to the ceiling to bring the eyes up

• Use ingenious tricks to hang wall art – pictures don't always have to be framed

Breakdown of Essential Pieces

• 6 Ikea Billy bookcases (I used the two width sizes Ikea has available)

• 2 sets of Ikea Oxberg glass doors (I used the two sizes Ikea has available)

• 1 gallon of Degreaser (only used about a cup for this room)

• 2 Santa Ana Tile Cutting Edge Stencils

• 1 gallon of Zinsser 123 bullseye primer (You can use the Kilz primer as well)

• 3 cans of Rustoleum aged gray chalk paint

• 2 cans of Rustoleum linen white chalk paint

• 1 can of minwax polyacrylic sealant in satin finish (we applied 4 coats)

• Paint rollers (use the foam paint rollers for stenciling)