No more wire shelves!! (A pantry redo)
February 08, 2012
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So here we go – my little pantry redo! It’s nothing super fantastic, but I just love how it turned out, for more reasons than one!
Let’s start with the before, and then I’ll go through my thought process and the actual process. Umkay?
It started when I went to get a can of soup over the holidays and pulled one out, checked the date…expired. Pulled out another, checked…expired. Another. Expired.
It was RIDICULOUS.
And then, a couple weeks later I read Courtney's post (A Thoughtful Place) about her pantry:
And I was struck by something – I couldn’t believe how small it was and how little food was in it. I actually said out loud to myself -- “There is NO way that holds all of the food!”
I was even a little…annoyed? Goofy, I know…but I was all, how the heck is that enough?
And then I read on about how she plans her meals and only buys what they need when they need it.
And then it clicked.
I realized something about myself –- I’m a food hoarder. I don’t say that lightly – I really think I am. I’ve always had this weird thing about having tons of food in our pantry.
I really think it stems from stuff I went through growing up. It’s a long story, but there’s something about having the ability to buy enough food for my family – and yet I never felt like it was enough. I always had to have extra…just in case. Even though just in case never came.
Sorry to get all philosophical on you about a stinkin’ pantry, but there. you. go. :) It really struck me and made me realize something BIG about myself.
Not only that, but I was just disgusted that we were wasting so much food. I knew I wanted to make a change. I’ve been wanting to redo the pantry for awhile now, so this project came at the perfect time!
I started by cleaning it out again…
Ahhh…so much better already!
And then my very, very favorite part – the removal of the wire shelves!!:
I showed you a while back how I laid plywood on top of the wire shelves, and that’s served me well. But I wanted to take better advantage of the space in here, so they had to go.
So sad. ;)
I filled all the honkin’ holes using this method:
And then got to painting. I used a sample quart of a blue/grey color I’ve had forever and only painted the back and sides of the pantry. I had just enough paint!
And then, becauseI have no life I wanted to jump on the stencil-the-pantry bandwagon, I used another color sample (this time in a greenish blue color) to add a pretty stencil to the back wall.
I took no pictures of this process. Probably cause I was too busy cursing. ;)
No really, it wasn’t that bad. At times I had trouble lining up the stencil, but overall it really didn’t take that long. (It helps I only did the back wall!) Total time actually stenciling was about an hour, but with drying time it was a few.
That was OK though because it was a nice, mindless project to do while I caught up on episodes of The Lying Game. (Yes, I am 15 years old.)
Then it was onto the shelves! I picked up a large sheet of melamine from Lowe’s in white:
I was going to use wood, but then I thought about all the priming…and painting. And painting. And drying time. And then a light shined down on this stuff, so this stuff it was.
So I paid a little more and got the sheet of melamine (in bright shiny white!) for $32 and had them cut it down into five pieces. I LOVE it!
Next, I installed supports by drilling wood into the studs in the closet:
The container of goldfish crackers was sustenance.
Nah…it was just to see how tall I wanted that first shelf to be. ;)
Then for added support, I used Liquid Nails along the top, then nailed the shelves down into the supports as well:
The side of the melamine were rough along the front, so I covered them with strips of lattice wood and then painted them white:
I used this same stuff as the “board and batten” in the Bub’s room!
I had most of the organizational stuff already – the baskets are from Meijer and I bought them months ago for another spot. I like them better here. :)
That one holds dinner and lunch-type stuff – mac and cheese, etc. Another holds snacky stuff. They’re easy to just pull it in and out to get to the food, and I can still see what’s inside.
Most of the containers are from WalMart – I had most, but I got the tall ones for cereal today:
I love having dry food in containers – if I can see through them! I used to use a bunch of tall containers for snacks, but they weren’t clear, so I never remembered what the heck was in them.
Out of sight of of mind!
These though, are awesome because I can tell exactly what we need when we need it. (I use my label maker to add the expiration date to the bottom of each container.)
I had so much extra space, I had room to add a few of of the serving dishes/mixing bowls I use most often:
I LOVE having them so easily accessible! I especially love the mixing bowls in there – I can grab them while I’m pulling ingredients to make something.
The flour, powdered sugar and brown sugar are now in these $3 containers from WalMart:
I used to have them all in glass containers, but dang, they were SO heavy. And bulky – I was always afraid I was going to drop one when I got it out. It’s one of those things I learned as I used them…and I like these plastic jobbies MUCH better.
I reused the tiered shelves from Target for canned goods on the sides:
And these little shelves from the Container Store work great to go vertical with items:
I also have a few IKEA containers in there as well, and I love those as well! They have a tab at the top so you can pour out of them if needed.
You’ll notice the pantry glows – last year my Dad and I hooked up the rope lighting to a switch:
And it’s the perfect light in here – it illuminates the whole pantry instead of just at the top. :)
I could not be more thrilled with how it all came together!!:
I keep the door open all the time. I’m not kidding! I just love looking at it.
You observant folks will notice I didn’t paint all of the supports on the lower shelves – I thought no one would ever see them. Other than a few thousand of you. Oops!
Sure, the paint and stencil took some extra time, but goodness, if there’s a space we look at numerous times a day…this is IT. Pantries deserve to be pretty too. ;)
I ended up staggering the shelves a bit – a couple are about 13 inches tall, the rest are 14 inches tall. Not sure why…it just sounded like a good idea. :)
You can see in the after that the shelves go up higher in the pantry, using up more of the vertical space inside – here’s the before:
Have you ever looked up inside your closets? SO much wasted space!
Getting rid of those wire shelves made all the difference in the world – the white melamine is so much simpler. And prettier!:
It even looks better with the door shut! I couldn’t believe the difference:
Now you notice the white shelves through the glass, not the food crammed inside. :)
Overall the whole project was less than $100 – for the shelves, supports, trim and a few more containers.
This wasn’t a quick project – it took over a week total. Partly because I came down with a nasty cold half way through, partly because it just involved quite a few steps. The food was piled all over the kitchen that whole time and we ate at the family room coffee table for our meals. When we ate at home that is…we may have used it as an excuse to go out a few times. ;)
I hope I covered everything! Let me know if I didn’t in the comments! Here’s a few more details:
Blue/grey color: True Value paint, Overcast Sky
Green/blue stencil color: True Value paint, Ticker Tape
Containers: WalMart and IKEA
Stencil: Hobby Lobby (couple years ago)
Big honkin’ silverware above door
Black pantry door: Go here for the installation and here for more on the privacy film.
I plan to do another post soon about the meal planning and how it’s working for us. Maybe in a couple weeks?
I hope you are inspired by this little redo! You too can say see ya, wouldn't want to be ya to the wire shelves in your pantry! Do you hate them as much as I do? I’m down to two more closets…
Let’s start with the before, and then I’ll go through my thought process and the actual process. Umkay?
Here’s the pit of despair:
I’ve blogged about cleaning out the pantry quite a few times and it ALWAYS ends up back like this.
It was time for a change. It was getting on my nerves that I could not keep this spot organized. And over Christmas break and the weeks after I had a bit of an epiphany.
(Excuse the awful cell phone pics!)
It was time for a change. It was getting on my nerves that I could not keep this spot organized. And over Christmas break and the weeks after I had a bit of an epiphany.
It started when I went to get a can of soup over the holidays and pulled one out, checked the date…expired. Pulled out another, checked…expired. Another. Expired.
It was RIDICULOUS.
And then, a couple weeks later I read Courtney's post (A Thoughtful Place) about her pantry:
And I was struck by something – I couldn’t believe how small it was and how little food was in it. I actually said out loud to myself -- “There is NO way that holds all of the food!”
I was even a little…annoyed? Goofy, I know…but I was all, how the heck is that enough?
And then I read on about how she plans her meals and only buys what they need when they need it.
And then it clicked.
I realized something about myself –- I’m a food hoarder. I don’t say that lightly – I really think I am. I’ve always had this weird thing about having tons of food in our pantry.
I really think it stems from stuff I went through growing up. It’s a long story, but there’s something about having the ability to buy enough food for my family – and yet I never felt like it was enough. I always had to have extra…just in case. Even though just in case never came.
Sorry to get all philosophical on you about a stinkin’ pantry, but there. you. go. :) It really struck me and made me realize something BIG about myself.
Not only that, but I was just disgusted that we were wasting so much food. I knew I wanted to make a change. I’ve been wanting to redo the pantry for awhile now, so this project came at the perfect time!
I started by cleaning it out again…
Ahhh…so much better already!
And then my very, very favorite part – the removal of the wire shelves!!:
I showed you a while back how I laid plywood on top of the wire shelves, and that’s served me well. But I wanted to take better advantage of the space in here, so they had to go.
So sad. ;)
I filled all the honkin’ holes using this method:
And then got to painting. I used a sample quart of a blue/grey color I’ve had forever and only painted the back and sides of the pantry. I had just enough paint!
And then, because
I took no pictures of this process. Probably cause I was too busy cursing. ;)
No really, it wasn’t that bad. At times I had trouble lining up the stencil, but overall it really didn’t take that long. (It helps I only did the back wall!) Total time actually stenciling was about an hour, but with drying time it was a few.
That was OK though because it was a nice, mindless project to do while I caught up on episodes of The Lying Game. (Yes, I am 15 years old.)
Then it was onto the shelves! I picked up a large sheet of melamine from Lowe’s in white:
I was going to use wood, but then I thought about all the priming…and painting. And painting. And drying time. And then a light shined down on this stuff, so this stuff it was.
So I paid a little more and got the sheet of melamine (in bright shiny white!) for $32 and had them cut it down into five pieces. I LOVE it!
Next, I installed supports by drilling wood into the studs in the closet:
The container of goldfish crackers was sustenance.
Nah…it was just to see how tall I wanted that first shelf to be. ;)
Then for added support, I used Liquid Nails along the top, then nailed the shelves down into the supports as well:
I used this same stuff as the “board and batten” in the Bub’s room!
Our old wire shelves were about 16 inches deep, but I had these cut at 19 inches, so that adds up to a LOT more space overall.
So much space, that with my newfound plan to schedule out our meals and shop accordingly, I have a TON more room in here now!:
I had most of the organizational stuff already – the baskets are from Meijer and I bought them months ago for another spot. I like them better here. :)
That one holds dinner and lunch-type stuff – mac and cheese, etc. Another holds snacky stuff. They’re easy to just pull it in and out to get to the food, and I can still see what’s inside.
Most of the containers are from WalMart – I had most, but I got the tall ones for cereal today:
I love having dry food in containers – if I can see through them! I used to use a bunch of tall containers for snacks, but they weren’t clear, so I never remembered what the heck was in them.
Out of sight of of mind!
These though, are awesome because I can tell exactly what we need when we need it. (I use my label maker to add the expiration date to the bottom of each container.)
I had so much extra space, I had room to add a few of of the serving dishes/mixing bowls I use most often:
I LOVE having them so easily accessible! I especially love the mixing bowls in there – I can grab them while I’m pulling ingredients to make something.
The flour, powdered sugar and brown sugar are now in these $3 containers from WalMart:
I used to have them all in glass containers, but dang, they were SO heavy. And bulky – I was always afraid I was going to drop one when I got it out. It’s one of those things I learned as I used them…and I like these plastic jobbies MUCH better.
I reused the tiered shelves from Target for canned goods on the sides:
And these little shelves from the Container Store work great to go vertical with items:
I also have a few IKEA containers in there as well, and I love those as well! They have a tab at the top so you can pour out of them if needed.
You’ll notice the pantry glows – last year my Dad and I hooked up the rope lighting to a switch:
And it’s the perfect light in here – it illuminates the whole pantry instead of just at the top. :)
I could not be more thrilled with how it all came together!!:
I keep the door open all the time. I’m not kidding! I just love looking at it.
You observant folks will notice I didn’t paint all of the supports on the lower shelves – I thought no one would ever see them. Other than a few thousand of you. Oops!
Sure, the paint and stencil took some extra time, but goodness, if there’s a space we look at numerous times a day…this is IT. Pantries deserve to be pretty too. ;)
I ended up staggering the shelves a bit – a couple are about 13 inches tall, the rest are 14 inches tall. Not sure why…it just sounded like a good idea. :)
You can see in the after that the shelves go up higher in the pantry, using up more of the vertical space inside – here’s the before:
And now:
Getting rid of those wire shelves made all the difference in the world – the white melamine is so much simpler. And prettier!:
It even looks better with the door shut! I couldn’t believe the difference:
Now you notice the white shelves through the glass, not the food crammed inside. :)
Overall the whole project was less than $100 – for the shelves, supports, trim and a few more containers.
This wasn’t a quick project – it took over a week total. Partly because I came down with a nasty cold half way through, partly because it just involved quite a few steps. The food was piled all over the kitchen that whole time and we ate at the family room coffee table for our meals. When we ate at home that is…we may have used it as an excuse to go out a few times. ;)
I hope I covered everything! Let me know if I didn’t in the comments! Here’s a few more details:
Blue/grey color: True Value paint, Overcast Sky
Green/blue stencil color: True Value paint, Ticker Tape
Containers: WalMart and IKEA
Stencil: Hobby Lobby (couple years ago)
Big honkin’ silverware above door
Black pantry door: Go here for the installation and here for more on the privacy film.
I plan to do another post soon about the meal planning and how it’s working for us. Maybe in a couple weeks?
I hope you are inspired by this little redo! You too can say see ya, wouldn't want to be ya to the wire shelves in your pantry! Do you hate them as much as I do? I’m down to two more closets…
This is an incredible transformation! You did a fantastic job. I love that your new containers are from Wal Mart; I might have to head over there soon. Thanks for the inspiration. Hope the meal planning goes well!
ReplyDeleteYour pantry turned out great!!
ReplyDeleteAnd did you get a new light fixture above your kitchen table?! Did you post about it?! How did I miss this?!
Anyway....I LUUUURVE it!! Like a whole, whole bunch! GORGEOUS!!
Oh wow, it is totally fabulous. I love everything. YOur new shelves and your containers are unreal. So nice. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteIt looks fantastic! I have wire shelves throughout my walk-in pantry/laundry room and would LOVE to replace them.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great! Want to come to my house next?!?
ReplyDeleteI re-did my pantry a few weeks ago. Makes me happy and that is all that matters.
ReplyDeleteDang it, you've inspired me! I guess I'll put it on the list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas! I have cabinet space, but it isn't always as organized as it should be.
ReplyDeleteAs for food hoarding, my food issue is food panic...I eat too fast (if I am not paying attention) and have to remind myself it is okay to NOT clean my plate. I blame my parents:)
It looks awesome, Sarah! This is definitely on my list to-do sometime this year and all your organization has inspired me to get my booty in gear!
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a food hoarder. It also stems from being young and sometimes we didn't have enough money to buy food... a stint using the food bank regularly... etc. I always have too much food in the pantry. Thankfully, I'm on top of it and donate anything that is getting close to expiration and we also have a few days of "eat whatever is in the house." Love your pantry though! I may be incredibly lucky because in our new house, I can stand in the pantry and shut the door. Awww yeah... :D
ReplyDeleteSo where did you get the "big honkin' silverware" above the door? Love that! This is my first time commenting, but I have been reading your blog for a while. SO SOOO many great ideas. Your house is gorgeous AND functional! :)
ReplyDeleteI love seeing cute, organized cupboards. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTurned out great! I miss my pantry in my old house. We bought a house 3 years ago and unfortunately no pantry :( Not even a close close by to convert!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the transformation! I can't stand those wire shelves either and so wish I could remove them in every closet in my house. Perhaps someday when we are more settled. I did do the closet in my laundry room and in that high up space above the doors I put in two half shelves that house out boots. It's the perfect spot for seasonal items.
ReplyDeletehttp://littleredhen4.blogspot.com/2010/09/laundry-room-shelves.html
It looks like you must have thrown out a lot of food, or put it someplace else. Surely all the food that was in the first picture of the pantry isn't back inside the redone pantry????
ReplyDeleteAnd you thought we wouldn't be amazed... silly you. It looks great. So now I get to play the part of you when you saw someone else's pantry; where did all that food go?? I just cleaned mine a few weeks ago, I better take another look at it.
ReplyDelete~Bliss~
I am so impressed! Your pantry looks amazing! Redoing my pantry has been on my "To Do" List for quite some time but something always pops up! Also, LOVE your round table with a bench - would have never thought to add a bench to my round table! Thanks for all the awesome ideas!
ReplyDeleteDavis, as I mentioned, a lot of it was expired, or half eaten and expired. A lot of the boxes are gone too, and dry foods are put in the containers. But most of it is still there! I don't keep food anywhere else in our house but here. :)
ReplyDeletefirst - AWESOME job! love it!
ReplyDeletesecond - i love how the chex is jumping out of the pantry! ha! that is every door i open at this house..ok except my master closet which is enjoying sitting in now LOL
again, you did fabulous!! :)
What a GREAT transformation - both the pantry and your outlook. It's funny you said you got annoyed at the "lightweight" pantries. I've felt the exact same way before. Our new home's pantry is about the size of yours, just configured different. Way smaller than the last one, which was something like 4x10 feet. I tossed out so much food when we moved it was an eye opener. But that said, I do keep my pantry well-stocked (probably deep-seated issues, too), and I ruthlessly go through it every few months and bag up anything getting close to expiring and take to our church's food pantry. But most everything gets rotated regularly - I love to cook and bake, so I just go thru a lot of ingredients. And I recognized a lot of your storage containers - same ones here! Beautiful job!
ReplyDeleteTerry
you had me at lable maker, but this is not just organized. it is gorgeous. i was about to start pulling food out of my pantry, till i remembered, it is a rental. the rope light is genius. this post will need it's own pin board.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I have a small closet pantry in my kitchen that I HATE. Thanks for this great idea.
ReplyDeleteLittle bit of pantry envy here. Great, terrific redo of the space. Looks wonderful. You can SEE everything on the shelves.
ReplyDeleteThe Pit of Despair, I love Princess Bride references!
ReplyDeleteReally, you're pantry is amazing! I already have the wood shelves but I definitely need to organize them better. I love how you turned the can organizers sideways! I'm definitely will be taking some of your ideas and incorporating them in mine. Thank you for sharing, and I really enjoy your blog!!
Oh Sarah, I'm in love. I think you have inspired me to re-do my pantry, I just did it a few months ago and it is a MESS! Thanks for sharing as always:)
ReplyDeleteBut where is the food? LOL..just kidding. It looks great! My pantry is almost the same and this is great inspiration! I am going to do this. I esp. like the idea of deeper shelves!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS!
Omg, love love love it!!! And you are a girl right after my style heart - my pantry project this month is similar in a few ways. That rope light is genius!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy sister is a food hoarder, too, in almost exactly the same way that you described. When I helped her move a few years ago, I tried to nip in the bud, but we both soon realized that it was deeper than just an organization problem.
ReplyDeleteIt's so refreshing to see that you recognized it, and dealt with it. The project turned out beautifully.
Hey I just wanted to say I love your pantry... Anything pretty and organized makes me swoon. (Yep, just a bit weird like that.) Anyway I just wanted to share my pantry light bulb moment was to use lazy susans for my canned goods. They make all sorts of sizes and now it's super easy to see what's at the back of my pantry. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the stenciling!
ReplyDeleteOh holy smokes! That is ahh-mazing! My pantry might be my single biggest complaint in my house. It's horrible. Small and sad. This is so inspiring!
ReplyDeleteAnd did I somehow miss that new lampshade? Oh my stars. I may have fainted for a minute when I saw it. Love at first sight.
Seriously, you are my hero!
It looks awesome, Sarah!!! I re-did my pantry earlier this year but it's nothing like yours, I am totally wanting to re-do it, again :D
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome change! It looks so great, and I love the organization! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteLooks great!! Such a great improvement! Now if only my imagination could translate that project to my closet...
ReplyDeleteI really did enjoy reading this! You did fantastic and I am tickled for you! :D
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me "It's no big deal"... This past year I ripped out all the wire shelves from my pantry and it was enough to put a huge smile on my face.. I hate those wire shelves!!
ReplyDeleteGreat Job
Now to do the same to my bedroom closet... that will be a job!!!
haha
Good post
Sandy
wow, great transformation! You know your pantry is probably all over Pinterest by now :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great, detailled guide on how to build these shelves at home, so thanks for posting! They look so much nicer than the wire ones too.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved looking in your pantry! It looks great! But wait, what kind of switch did you and your dad put the rope lights on? I've been wanting to do this but I don't want the rope lights to be on 24/7. Do you have an outlet inside your pantry? Please advise.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to have 'just enough' in the pantry, but Hubby always says, "we need to stock up", Stock up for what? The end of the world? He's so funny.
ReplyDeleteLove the look of your pantry and think perhaps I need to invest in a few containers for mine,
That looks great! I want to do something similar in my master bathroom by using floating shelving and getting rid of the door altogether....which means I will have to buy all new towels and cute containers (ha ha I am not mentioning that part to my Hubby-yet).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you are an inspiration!
Great job - looks great!
ReplyDeleteLove the new pantry. I would love to do this to mine but we do not have a light in ours. I hate it...the rope lights look great and like you said adds just enough light. I'm wondering if I can rig something up???
ReplyDeletelooks great! I love the idea of adding the mixing bowls in there
ReplyDeleteHelen
Looks beautiful! I really like the door too!
ReplyDeleteAmazing job! If you meant to inspire, you did. We have an older home (=no pantry), but we have a large, unfinished basement. We bought some chrome rolley shelves from Costco and one of those is our "pantry". Your post, though, inspires me to tackle the (gulp)basement....Thanks alot (no, really):)
ReplyDeleteLooks great!! I am finishing up my kitchen update... We took our whole pantry out and placed a base cabinet and open shelves. I'm so in love with it all!
ReplyDeleteWOW! I'm in love. There's nothing else to say but LOVE!
ReplyDeleteSarah, I love what you've done with your pantry. Thanks to you, I've been walking around muttering, "No more wire shelves ... ever!" I'm now planning to change out the wire shelves in my bathroom and pantry closets. By the way, your blog was the reason I started blogging. I love your style and sense of humor and I hope to someday meet you in person (Blissdom or Haven perhaps?). Of course, I'm sure a meellion people are dying to meet you in person too. I'll wait patiently;) Keep doin' what you do. - susanpenning@valleyrec.com
ReplyDeleteYou have got to be stinking kidding me. That is the best pantry re-do I have EVER SEEN! Heck yeah you gotta keep the door open! Love the stenciling, love the shelves, love the containers. JEALOUS (you know, in a good way)! Snaps to you, friend!
ReplyDeletePantry-tastic! But really, must you torture me with 2 days of Extreme Pantryness Envy Edition? After I read part 1, I spent yesterday trying to figure out where I could put food. We will continue that drama today, between schooling 4 kids and a mammogram. Some girls have all the fun, huh?!
ReplyDeleteThat looks awesome...melamine was a great call - I detest painting also, and it seems the melamine will last longer anyway...
ReplyDeleteI did the same treatment on my husband's office doors that you did on your pantry...haha...they're black and I used the film stuff on the inside - what a pain, but wow, it looks so much better. I like the way you added the rope light on the inside...really neat effect.
My pantry is a lot like yours but I have two of them and they aren't being used very well...I'm sort of a food hoarder also (I blame my hubby), so we've been trying to use up what we have and try to only buy what we need.
Nice job!
This is a gorgeous transformation! You've made it not only even more functional, but gorgeous too! A+++
ReplyDeleteInspirational! I have like double the pantry space and mine is not nearly as useful!!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, "You Rock"! Your pantry looks fantastic and you did a great job! I especially love the stenciled wall! The stenciled wall will make you happy each and every time you go to the pantry!
ReplyDeleteI adore this! What a beautiful transformation!
ReplyDeleteWow! By far this is my favorite pantry renovation! This looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWhere is the light above the round table from?
ReplyDeleteWow! What a difference! Your pantry looks great! I miss having a pantry. When we do our kitchen renovation I will be sure to work one in. They're amazing and eliminate the need for so much cabinetry! I will be sure to do a pretty stencil in it when the time comes because yours is fabulous!
ReplyDelete-Diana
Wow! That looks amazing. So organized and pretty:)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm new here and I don't think I've commented yet. Your pantry looks great! I would be leaving the door open, too. I have wire shelves in mine, which I mostly hate, but I've realized that I kind of like that I can see through the top one, and I can slide things to the front from underneath. No need for a step stool. I wonder if it would be weird to replace the rest and leave that one wire.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing transformation. I have wired shelves in my pantry and I HATE THEM!! Literally. Things are always falling in the cracks, they aren't very sturdy, and honestly I am afraid that one day I will come home and it will all be on the floor! I'm thinking I need some new shelves ASAP!
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration. This is a great project. Congratulations on a job well done.
ReplyDelete'Swonderful. 'Smarvelous. Really! It looks great!
ReplyDeleteI share your loathing of wire shelves. Who ever thought these were a good idea?? Kudos to you for installing your own. I think the melamine was a great idea--I'll bet they wipe clean really easily. And I love your supports--simple and unobtrusive. I'm making a note of that!
Congratulations on getting this done, Sarah!
L.O.V.E IT!!
ReplyDeleteI understand why people use wire shelves (they are just so much cheaper!) but I've never found a place where I actually liked them better than wood!
Once we're done completely gutting and redoing our main bath (hooray! Construction starts Monday!), I'm doing something similar with my hall closet!
Love your idea for the melamine. I hate the wire shelves and I'm definitely going to use this instead of painting and priming wood. It looks great. Love you pantry door too.
ReplyDeleteMy pantry looks just like your before. This was so inspiring. Love love love your results!
ReplyDeleteJenny
www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com
That is PERFECT for me!! My pantry is very much like yours. So I'm off this afternoon to Goodwill & perhaps Target to pick up what I need and get to work. I don't need new shelves, just a better way of organizing it all and this is it! Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome transformation. My looks so shameful. Yours looks great, I would leave it open all the time too.
ReplyDeleteSonya {So Simple}
Sarah, it's beautiful. Hmmmm. I must be the only one who likes the wire shelving. Only in the pantry, though. I can see through it, and it doesn't sag like my wood shelves do. I DETEST how dirty the wood shelves get. I do, however, agree that they are not nearly as pretty. I am having a new pantry built and plan to use wire. I'd welcome any efforts to help me see the error of my ways and change my mind.....BEFORE I do my new pantry!
ReplyDeleteOoops. Now having follow up comments sent to my email!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Love your use of rope lighting and the shelving choice. We are in a rental with a similar setup so I'm off to figure out if we can power the rope lighting somehow :)
ReplyDeletemimi2madylan, I'm with you on the wire shelving. That's what I chose for my pantry four years ago, and for the same reasons as you. I think they're the best!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't understand everybody's obsession with the "Best if Used by" dates on food. Those dates are merely suggestions, and I think the manufacturers are more than happy to have you believe that you should throw away perfectly good food and buy more from them. That's my opinion, for what it's worth!
This is absolutely fabulous! I don't blame you one bit for leaving the door open all the time. I would want to look at all that beautiful organization 24/7!
ReplyDeleteAlso, good for you for realizing what drives your need to have a full pantry. I love those little moments when you realize something truly significant about yourself and why you do what you do.
Finally, I'd never seen your kitchen/table area before. I'm in love with the pictures of your table in front of the open pantry! Do you mind me asking if those fetching pink/purple flowers are fresh?
Could you talk about how you installed the rope lighting and switch? Assume you are talking to a 2-yr-old...not that I'm 2, but my skills with lighting, installation, etc are. :)
ReplyDeleteFellow food hoarder here! I too am disgusted by the amount of food we waste. My depression era grandmother would be appalled. Growing up, my mom often uttered the words, "I don't know where the next meal is coming from." Apparently that has stuck with me.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your pantry looks fantastic! I'm actually hoping to turn ours into a drop zone sort of space.
Thankyou for sharing your food hoarding issue. I have the same problem. I remember having no food in the house as a teen with two teen brothers, one time we only had spagetti noodles and a jar of catalina salad dressing, oddly enough I still crave that combination somtimes now. The owner of where I work shared a similar story, same reason no food growing up, now she craves a peanut butter sandwich with pickles on it. She made them for us, surpisingly good!
ReplyDeleteSo anyway my point is I love your blog and I think you are great. Its good to see other people from similar situations make it to a good place in life.
Thanks so much for you awsome ideas and keeping them doable, fun and affordable!
Wonderful job-- it looks great! I reorganized my pantry last year and it is SO nice to be able to find everything! One tip I wanted to pass along, since I (my husband) is somewhat of a food hoarder. he shops the sales and buys in bulk things we know we will use before they expire (like boxes of pasta / rice, canned foods, drinks). if they don't fit in your pantry it's helpful to have a "secondary" food storage location. We've used the laundry room or basement before. So in case you feel your food hoarding tendancies kicking back in, or if you find a great price on something and buy extra... something to keep in mind!
ReplyDeleteI love it and I feel like this pantry I can relate too, I don't have a big walk in pantry it's almost the same as yours and this makes me feel that I can have a pretty pantry too. Thanks Sarah
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I can totally relate to the food hoarding - although mine can only be attributed to laziness. I just cleaned mine out, and found items that expired in 2008! I wish I had an actual closet for a pantry. MIne is just a tall cabinet separated into 2 doors of a few shelves. And they are very deep and inaccessible. UGH!
ReplyDeleteGood Job! I too cram my pantry with food. (if I want to cook something I don't want to make a trip to the store so I keep every possible 'staple' on hand) My pantry is one of these tiny closet pantries that just doesn't work very well and I've also decided the solution is less stuff in there - I just haven't done anything about it yet :( www.lifebeginsatfortysomething.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYour pantry was good to begin with, and it's even better now. You are blessed in many ways.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out great! I don't have wire shelves but the hubs did in his house before we got married & I wasn't a fan.
ReplyDeleteOhmygosh! That looks so good, and you're right. The pantry is a place you look into multiple times a day. It deserves to be pretty! And yours sure is! BTW, that initial picture of your pantry cracked. me. up. I love how the Chex box is peeking out like, "Oh, hi there." Ha! And one more thing, isn't it amazing that taking a look around our physical spaces can give us insights into our internal thoughts and feelings? A crowded pantry or clothes closet can clue us in to our insecurities and obsessions. I really loved this post! Great job!
ReplyDeleteLooks Fantastic! And so inspiring. My pantry frustrates me to no end. I have been eyeing the melamine shelves and its nice to see someone who has actually used them.
ReplyDeleteI really like the rope light idea too! Been trying to get my hubby to install a cheapo porch light in there but like you said it would only illuminate the top. I think I may have to do this. THanks!
Very nice!! I also have a lot of food in my pantry. Instead of meal planning though, I just bought a unit with doors to use as another pantry! :) I like to cook, so I try to have a lot of staples on hand, so I can try a new dish when I see it!
ReplyDeleteAwesome -- well done! And this post comes at such a good time for me. I've had all the gear for adding pullout drawers in my pantry cabinets for weeks, and this is just the inspiration I needed to actually get them installed (thereby revolutionizing my life I assume). Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteFab job on the pantry. I wish I had a pantry! But I do have cold storage under the porch. It's got about 8 inches of cement around it and it has those gorilla racks. Some day I hope to get it all pretty and organized. It's where I keep all the stuff I bottle from my garden. Quarts and Quarts of tomato juice and tomato sauce, peaches, etc. I also buy enough to have taco soup once a month for a year - everything except the hamburger is good for long term storage. I write down the 40 meals or so we regularly use and then buy enough for a year (now I try to add to it monthly). Food storage isn't silly or a quirk. It's important. When I went through cancer treatment and had $18,000 to pay after insurance you can bet only doing the minimum in grocery shopping because we had food stored really helped us make a dent in that huge bill. I wouldn't store more than a year or two worth and it's important to rotate it by making it a part of your regular meals.
ReplyDeleteYou've inspired me! While I had wood shelves already you have made me realize I am a food hoarder! I think the containers and organizing it will help me out a lot!... not to mention how much more storage I will have!?
ReplyDeleteWow! This looks fantastic! What a difference! I just love the look of an organized pantry! Currently working on my own transition. Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWay to utilize a small space! My mother lives in a farmhouse, and has something like a pantry instead its called a larder. Love the lighting idea too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pantry!!! I have a walk-in pantry in my kitchen AND also a stockpile in my storage room in the basement. I am an avid couponer and have access to 20 free Sunday papers each week. I match coupons to sales and purchase items at rock-bottom prices. I have cut our grocery bill from about 120.00/weekly to 50.00/weekly-and I have a hubby, 2 daughters, and operate a licensed daycare in my home and feed 5 other children. I donate many food items to local charities...the only problem is my hubby expects me to always cook meals at home because of my large food storage. Darn...maybe I didn't think that one through! ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Dont feel so bad-I'm 30 and I watch Pretty Little Liars!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous job you did with your pantry! I have those horrid wire shelves myself. Thanks for the inspiration! :-) http://www.craftrunwag.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteGreat update to the pantry, so pretty. In case you hadn't made a final decision on the formal dinning room, if you didn't even eat there when your entire kitchen table was covered I would say, there is your sign. Send that other table a packin'
ReplyDeleteLove it! I definitely plan on redoing my pantry in the new house to maximize space and the ability to find things!
ReplyDeleteI love the stencil, your right even though it doesn't seem like a place for decorating you look in there all the time. You definetly are inspiring me to do something awesome to my pantry!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and ideas. I have a pantry and a closet in my back hall that are both in need of a redo - and this is inspiration to me :) I found a blog about a month ago emeals.com which plans weekly menus and exactly what to buy at the store. The meals are awesome and it has greatly reduced the amount of extras that I was used to buying to fill the pantry. Now I just buy exactly what I need and my pantry space is freed up and now with your help it will be organized and pretty too!
ReplyDeleteYour pantry looks great! I have to re-think mine. It is in a really dark corner of the kitchen and therefore, the inside of the pantry is very dark too. I make a weekly menu and it HAS saved on my grocery bill. I can also make the menu around mostly what I have and then if I really have to, just buy one or two things. I saw a great idea to use chalk board paint on the inside of the door, so I thought that is where I'd write my weekly menu and list. I may even make a shelf to put all the things needed for the menu on.
ReplyDeleteWow- that looks incredible! I don't blame you for keeping the door open, I would too!
ReplyDeleteWow, I absolutely LOVE it!! You did great! We don't have a pantry BUT I do have a linen closet that needs to be painted inside. I love your paint choices, you have inspired me! heeheeee! I can't wait! :) Anyways, you did a great job, girl... love the end result. It was worth the torturous wait you put us through... LOL...!!
ReplyDeleteSarah, love how your pantry turned out. I've never been a fan of the wire shelves either...don't know why builders insist on using those things. You really have so much more room, now. Great job! Isn't it funny how the little things like an organized pantry can make life so much better. :)
ReplyDeleteSo nice, I love it...so much more functional right!?!?
ReplyDeleteA great inspiration..it looks fabulous with door open or shut.
ReplyDeleteI love this..I am about to redo my linen closet..I like the idea of doing the stenciling!
ReplyDeleteAnd again I am inspired by YOU! And I guess I am a food hoarder too! My pantry is the same size and I thought I needed a bigger one. Guess what - you made me realize I don't need that much food. The pantry I have SHOULD be fine!! And now I am determined to make it work and make it look like yours!! NICE JOB! AGAIN!! Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I really need to re-organize my pantry too, replace the wire shelves and use the space better. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHoly Hannah! I guess we are all liking it :) Maybe it is because we all struggle with the same issue? I know I do! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Job! I can't wait to hear about your menu planning also. I am trying it but would love to hear your ideas on it! Congrats and enjoy looking at your great job!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell if my comment posted or not - I just typed out a huge one and i think it disappeared!
ReplyDeleteBut the gist of it was that I love your pantry and if you end up hating meal planning like I did then you should look into e-mealz.com . It is a meal planning service that is really cool and helps me out a lot. So hopefully this comment isn't a repeat!
I just started on my pantry and have been stuck. Afraid to do it. I too am a food hoarder. Until I gave food away to someone that had none I maenads none this past week--did I realize my gluttony. Then I read your re do. Actually I post a link to ur site on mine. It is listed as my favorite blogs most recent post. I saw tonight it was the pantry redo solo excited. Thanks so much. U r an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAh! Thanks for the shout out . . .even if you were a doubter ;) I LOVE what you did. I love opening my door as well! You rock. Great post on all of it!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your pantry now looks like a magazine photo, this is a job WELL done! It looks stunning, I love it. This is the prettiest pantry I have seen. I like that it's not huge, and everything is easy to find and most importantly, SEE!
ReplyDeleteSo gorgeous! What a transformation! My pantry looks EXACTLY like the before pic! I'm totally serious! I bought an organizer to hang on the door to put MORE food in...I think I too am a food hoarder! When I install that door organizer and tackle the food I may need to change my way of thinking too! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLooks great ~ you motivated me to re-do mine :)
ReplyDeletegreat great great results....so classic & clean now. well done girlie. It think we were both working on our pantries AT THE SAME TIME!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.northerncottage.net/2012/01/lovely-little-closet.html
The fork and the spoon above the pantry - brilliant and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteRebekah
Your pantry looks great! I love all of the individual containers. You did such a nice job. Now if only I could get just as inspired as you did.
ReplyDeletewww.ashleysnest.blogspot.com
It looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWe actually have a lot of food storage for preparedness purposes. But we keep what we are going to use regularly in the pantry, and the rest in our food storage room in the basement.
Then try to rotate it, and buy stuff and stock up when it's on sale.
My pantry needs a major makeover!!
You did a great job with your pantry redo. Thanks for sharing where you got the containers. I was wondering where you bought the door for your pantry. I have a boring hollow core door now that I'd love to upgrade.
ReplyDeleteLove it.....I mean really love it! I suffer from the same hoarding problem. My mother recently went grocery shopping with me and was helping me put things away when she looked at me very strangly and asked "honey, were you hungry growing up?" I realized then I had to stop...I'm doing better and your post inspired me to do more. Gonna use risers and try to never let anything expire. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDang, I totally needed this inspiration. I've been putting off updating my pantry for too long. While I ripped out the wire shelving years ago, I replaced it with one of those chrome freestanding units. It was a better use of space, but not enough. I can't wait to follow your lead and put in some new shelving.
ReplyDeleteSo, haven't commented before, but have been following you for quite a while! Love your tips and great ideas!! The pantry is fabulous, super jealous!! Also wanted to say, am sooo glad I'm not the only one with two kinds of peanut butter in the house!! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! Totally inspiring me to do the same! It is a project that has been weighing on me! LOVE the lighting idea! I gotta call my dad! He help with this for sure! Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration!
ReplyDeletewww.sister-dipity.blogspot.com
This is a wonderful transformation! I've been trying to figure out what to do with my pantry and this helps.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have just started using for planning meals is emealz.com....I have found it to be super helpful and I'm not wasting nearly as much food as I used to.
With the door open, the design on the inside of the pantry meshes well with the background of your blog! I love it. What a nice idea. It's so simple and clean. I want to get all my closets cleaned up like this too. The to do list keeps growing!
ReplyDeleteWow and wow! You did such a great job! I'm a new follower and excited to read more!!! :)
ReplyDeletewww.jenandjercook.blogspot.com
xoxo,
~Jeni
It looks amazing! Thanks for getting me out of my rut and inspiring me to start a little blog. I hope to share some of my mom's traditional mexican recipes.
ReplyDeleteTe deseo lo mejor.
Your pantry redo is awesome! I love it! We are getting ready to redo our pantry and I was stumped. It looks like our pantry sizes are very similar,would you be willing to specify which shelves are spaced 13" apart and which shelves are 14" apart? Also, how far from the ceiling is your top shelf and how far from the floor is your bottom shelf? I appreciate any help you are willing to give.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I love your pantry re-do, it really is great! And I'm with you on the wire shelves, I recently took ours out of our laundry room because I was so done with them. :)
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the "keep extra food around because you can finally afford to" mind set. I often look into my pantry and nearly cry over the bounty that is there now. You did a lovely job!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the extra food. I also have those wire shelves in my pantry and in ever closet (what can I say builder's specials).
ReplyDeleteI've designated 2012 as my year of decluttering / organization / reorginization. I doubt that the wire shelves will get removed this year but you have definitely provided other good tips for getting this space organized and keeping it organized.
I just took a tour of your lovely home & I can't tell you how tickled I got reading your posts about your makeovers. I could soooo see & hear myself standing in each of your rooms questioning & doing the same things & getting so excited at the finished product. It's so much fun! We share the same taste & style. I absolutely luuuurve Autumn too! ;)The air outside, the colors, Halloween! Everything about it just seems to summon every "nesting" instinct I have in my soul!! I've had my eye on that same duvet set foreverrrr! I've now had to purchase it on ebay, but I hope it compliments my room as much as it has yours. Any ol' ways, you did an amazing job on your home! It's simply beautiful.
ReplyDeletewoo hoo, love it! i'm constantly reorganizing my pantry. i'll have to try again and see if I can get it to stick this time:).
ReplyDeleteand I know what you mean about leaving the door open just to look at it. I just made homemade laundry detergent and I put it in this cute container on my washer and I keep peeking in my laundry room to look at its cuteness. i know i'm kinda crazy. oh well, it's the little things in life, right? I'll be posting its cute little pic on Wed.
can't wait to see what's next in your world!
Kim www.plumberrypie.blogspot.come
Wow wow wow. I have been wanting to do that with my shelves for SO so long. I would totally leave the door open also. It's so stinkin fabulous! Something about an organized pantry just makes my heart smile, and it's smiling big for yours!
ReplyDeletexoxo!
Jen
Thank you so much for admitting to the world you watch the Lying Game!!! I thought I was the only one over 20-25 that watched that show! I am also addicted to Jane By Design! Shhh...! I love the pantry transformation! You always seem to inspire me!
ReplyDeleteL-O-V-E your adorable new pantry! Also kinda loving the round rug under your round table :) Where did you get it and was it costly? Thanks so much, Michelle from CA
ReplyDeleteOur panty has the pull out drawers, behind two doors..never enough space.
ReplyDeleteI've thought of buying one of those stacking shelves for the can goods but the depth of the pull out drawers wouldn't allow it I don't think. What are the ideal categories one uses? Here's my stash: baking goods,canned goods, pasta and boxed potatoes, cereals,crackers, cookies, candy, Boxes of Jello that never gets used unless a special dessert is prepared,potatoes and trash bags are in bottom drawer. Oh, there's paper products(foil,wax paper,ziploc bags, Press&Seal)
The cupcake liners should go with the baked goods but they are in another cabinet on a turntable. Spices in a corner cabinet that takes up a lot of space in one of those spice racks that I rec'd as a gift from son. Another cabinet has a large turntable effect and houses extra storage containers, portable mixer,Little Oskar food processor, beverage pitchers, gadgets not used often, electric carving knife.tea bags, coffee filters. Gosh, I think I need to pull all that stuff out and start all over. It's mind boggling..if I pull all that stuff out, it'll never get put back again..It's overwhelming!
gorgeous! I hate my wire shelving tooooo!
ReplyDeleteWow, I wish I had a pantry, and that it looked like that!! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a beautiful house! I'm so jealous! I think I might try out the wainscoting/beadboard backsplash. I really want tile, but we just cant afford it right now. The beadboard might be just what I'm looking for, plus it's cheap enough that if I change my mind it's ok.
Just a tip for the future though, don't glue down the shelves. Repainting around those shelves will be SO HARD!! I work as a professional painter, and I've done a few repaints with wood shelves in closets. One job in particular had wood shelves which had enough coats of paint to glue the shelves down in some of the closets. Those closets took SO LONG to paint.
@MIMI2MADYLAN - I don't mind the wire shelves in some places either. We just put some up in our basement Laundry/Mechanical room. I don't care how they look since furnace and stuff make it pretty ugly by default. BUT if you wanna go with a solid shelf, I strongly recommend the melamine. It wipes down a lot better than wood. You can also get vinyl sheets that stick to your shelves. I think it's called Mac Tac? When the shelves get really icky, just take off the plastic and put down new stuff. It should be pretty cheap, I've seen the stuff at walmart and superstore, usually in the kitchenware section.
Awesome work! I recently replaced the wire shelves in my pantry. I absolutley hated them, cans always fell over, boxes never sat right. So, I googled "wire panty shelving" and I came across your blog. Great work!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! The OCD in me would have placed the shelves at the same height as the door grids LOL. Wish my pantry looked as organized as yours! Just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe there are so many of us who hate the wire shelving. The stuff falls into the cracks and the supports underneath get in the way. We decided to redo ours with wood shelves a while back but have to finish other bigger projects first. Using the melamine is genius. No painting and easy to clean. I love this.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad we haven't bought the wood yet.
Carol
Love it! ! Great job. Love your personality too! Fun to read. You got a new follower!
ReplyDeleteFAbulous!! I am procrastinating while thinking about upgrading my walk in wardrobe. Glad I did. Lots of inspiration and now I know how to do it! Stencil or wallpaper?? Hmm. Maybe Stencil will be quicker :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful job!
ReplyDeleteI must be 15 too bc I LOVE pretty little liars :-) I couldn't seem to get into the lying game. This is a great idea I cant wait to try in my panty.
ReplyDeleteLooks so beautiful!!! I recently gave my pantry a makeover and feel the same way as you about how I love to just open the door to look inside. It's so pretty in there... le sigh. If you get some time, come on over to my blog to take a look. ~M
ReplyDeleteWhere's the canned soup? I don't think this is very practical at all and defeats the purpose of a pantry - to provide meals without having to run to the grocery store fifteen times a week. Unless you count cereal as a meal, if so, then I guess it is OK on that one. So disappointing.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the photos you can see the many cans of soup in the pantry.
DeleteI love the glass door, first of all. After that, I adore that you removed the wire shelving. I am about to do that in our "vanilla" townhome. While we are intending to move, in the meantime, I want it function and look good at the same time ;). The stenciling looks awesome as does the lighting. I am not sure I can get the hubs to put anything back where he got it so for me this may be difficult to maintain but hey, I am willing to try it! And if I toss HIS snacks in a basket, then all he has to do is put the basket back; may work!
ReplyDeleteThe pantry looks great! I love the lighting and the shelves, I am thinking about doing the same. I do have a question. Is the melamine holding up well. My shelves are approximately 36 inches. I wanted to replace but was concerned about sagging in the middle after a little time. Thoughts? Is yours holding up well? Again, awesome work and thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGary