As I promised last week, today I’m going to show you the walk-in pantry that we created in our garage entryway. There’s a video at the end so you can see the flow of the entire area, and I will also list some of the sources at the bottom of each photo, too.
The space we started with was an empty closet; it’s about the size of a half bath and originally was going to be a second downstairs powder room. When we moved in, it was completely empty.
Despite the fact that our kitchen is very roomy, there isn’t a pantry in there, and I knew that would be a great addition (and future selling point). While I was planning out exactly what I wanted to do, I used storage pieces that I already had, but the disorganization and clutter made me crazy–my own fault, I know!. This is a blurry shot but it’s the only one I could find.
We’ve used IKEA’s Billy bookshelves successfully in several projects so I knew that I wanted to use them again–they’re inexpensive but sturdy. (Check out Amy’s kitchen built ins here, my living room built ins here, and Amy’s library built ins here to see what we’ve done with these shelves previously).
Our closest IKEA is two hours away, in Charlotte, but we’ve been through there several times this summer to take my daughter to and from her ballet intensive. We bought two of the 31-1/2″ wide units, one of the 15-3/4″ wide units, and one Gnedby unit (7-7/8″), all in white.
I painted the backs BM’s Revere Pewter to match the walls and my husband and son assembled them and set them up in the pantry. I reciprocated by feeding them dinner. It’s a team effort, y’all!
These are permanent and will stay with the house, so we used fasteners and glue to make sure nothing moves.
Since our baseboards are 6″ tall, we had to remove them in several areas to get the shelves to sit flush against the wall; when we were finished installing the shelves we replaced the trim where it’s visible.
We opted not to add lots of trim around the shelves this time; this is a pantry, after all, and while we want it to be pretty, it doesn’t need to be super-fancy.
I did build this DIY plate rack to fit the shallow wall just inside the door (see the tutorial here), which I think adds a nice custom look to the space.
White Platters (HomeGoods) | Silver Platters (vintage)
The shelves are all adjustable, which is great since we all have items of varying heights that we want to store in our pantries. I have always loved having a pretty and organized pantry, and we entertain often (as most of you know, my husband is in the military), so I didn’t buy anything to “style” this space–this is how it really looks. Although I will admit that I did pick up a bunch of dog kibble off the floor before I took the pictures!
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Jessie Steele Lemon Apron | Plastic Bag Holder (I made it) | Cast Iron Wall Hooks
Enamelware Bread Box | Saltine Tin (vintage)
Tiered Chicken Wire Stand (HobbyLobby) | Chip Rack (DIY–tutorial to follow soon)
Baskets (HomeGoods) | Milk bottles | Kitchen scale (vintage)
Glass Cracker Jars | Chalkboard labels | Enamelware (vintage)
Drink dispensers | Chip rack | Wire basket (vintage freezer basket) | Galvanized Utensil Caddy (HomeGoods)
White Cake Stands | Glass Pitchers | Glass Milk Bottles | Pyrex Mixing Bowls (vintage)
The wall right outside is where I have my chalkboard wall calendar that keeps our family organized.
Chalkboard Panels | Days of the Week Letters | Sconce
And just outside the pantry door is the niche that I filled with shelves for my cookbooks (tutorial here):
Basket (HomeGoods) | Spotted Rug (Hobby Lobby) | Wreath (handmade)
And then around the corner is the renter-friendly closet-turned-mudroom that I made (tutorial here):
Baskets (HomeGoods) | Hooks | Bench
This is the video I promised that will show you the pantry in more detail and orient you to how the space flows:
How to Paint Horizontal Stripes
Thanks for stopping by!
You have done a wonderful job! I love all your vintage pieces, too.
Wow, Christy, you did an amazing job on the pantry! The one piece in the corner is perfect for the flow of the cabinets. The plate rack is genius! Not only will this be something you enjoy but future residents will be thrilled.
xo
Pat
Hi! This looks fantastic! I want to put together an Ikea Billy (31.5″ X11″) and the Genby, but the GNBY is not as deep as the Billy (it’s only 6-3/4″) deep. How did you handle that?
Thanks!!
Hey, Kate–
They still work well together since they’re the exact same height and color; the corner hardware is compatible with both of them, too. The only thing you have to take into account is that if you intend to put items on top of your shelves, you’ll need to either be careful that nothing falls into the gap between the Gnedby and the wall, or put a piece of board on top to cover the gap.
Hope that helps!
This looks so great, Christy! I have a decent pantry but one day hope to have a big walk in pantry to hold all my entertaining pieces like you’ve done here. My Nora Fleming platters are stored in the box stacked on the floor of the pantry right now. I’d love to have everything out where I can see it!
Thank you, Christy! It’s so much easier to use the things you love when you don’t have to pull them out of boxes…hope you get the pantry of your dreams one of these days!