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Space between pantry shelves


Read This Before You Put in a Pantry

85 percent of home buyers considered a kitchen pantry “essential” or “desirable,” the National Association of Home Builders reports. In existing homes, there’s a clear drive to add and improve pantries, ranging from walk-in pantries to improvised solutions like open pantry shelving along basement stairs.

Pantries typically hold groceries, but no one says you can’t squeeze in a few platters, small appliances, and baskets to hold linens, paper goods, and cleaning supplies. Go ahead: Add the dog bowl too.

Organize Your Space with Kitchen Pantry Shelving

Shown: This compact, well-lighted place has many of the features found in larger pantries, including sturdy shelves, the bottom ones topped by a useful work surface and finished with a face frame and baseboard-style trim. Paneled, windowed doors and stone-like flooring offer function while also giving the pantry an inviting look and integrating it with the surrounding space. Rob Karosis/Crisp Architects

What’s key is a pleasing sense of order—another way of saying that even the tallest pantries need a place for everything and everything in its place. Read on for the details, whether you are building from scratch or reworking what you have.

Take Stock of What You Store in Your Pantry

Groceries

To start, figure out what you want to stash—or plug in—right there, whether it’s a lifetime supply of vanilla, a blender, cookbooks, your grandmother’s soup tureen, a folding ladder, or fondue forks you unearth once a year. Don’t wait until the shelves and niches are in—plan for your inventory and any outlets first.

Extra Cookware

Turn the top shelf into a colorful display of occasional-use pots and pans.

Countertop Appliances

Pull forward the ones you forgot you had. (Like you, Mr. Pasta Machine.)

Big Items

Got a step stool, an ice-cream maker, enough kibble to feed a kennel?

Select the Ideal Placement for Your Pantry Shelving

Michelle Drewes

The ideal spot is cool, dry, and convenient. A gut reno offers the most options, but it’s not the only way to go.

Annex Space

Instead of taking down an interior wall to, say, open up the kitchen to the dining room, consider moving that wall to create space for a pantry on the kitchen side.

Tap a Recess

Pantry shelves can be added to a wall near prep space or can even fit between studs.

Repurpose

If you aren’t getting a lot of use out of a coat or broom closet, picture it as a pantry. There’s no law against setting aside a spot in it for the dustpan, too.

Bump Out

Colonial pantries were often unheated, shed-like lean-tos. Today’s equivalent is a one-story rear addition that could include a half bath or mudroom.

Look Down

If you have a cool, dry basement, pop in a freestanding unit; sturdy, open wire shelves hold everything and are easy to access. Or hang boxed open shelves along the stairs—the steps will be a built-in ladder.

Consider Your Shelving Options

Laura Moss

Size and Depth for a Walk-In Pantry and Adjustable Pantry Shelves

Typically about 5 by 5 feet, walk-ins can be lined with U-shaped open shelves or cabinets and finished with or without a countertop.

Adjustable shelves offer flexibility. Start with bottom shelves 16 to 18 inches deep and spaced about 18 to 24 inches apart, for bulky items; make shelves at eye level 12 to 14 inches deep and spaced 14 to 16 inches apart to fit cereal boxes and canisters. Shelves for spices and cans may need no more than 6 inches front to back. When planning for any item, add 2 inches of vertical space so you can tip or slide it in and out easily.

Tips for Selection or Building Your Pantry Shelves

TIP: Think about adding outlets behind shelved small appliances, including a microwave.

Make Sure There is Enough Space Between Shelves

Before choosing a material for the shelves (3⁄4-inch plywood, half-inch MDF…), search “Sagulator” online to figure out how far the shelf can span before bowing under the weight of books and canned goods.

Reach-In

Courtesy Starmark Cabinetry

Typically about 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep, reach-ins can also be as shallow as 16 inches, making them a natural fit along a wall with a recess or soffit. The reach-in at left was customized with paneled sliding doors and enough vertical space to stash a trash can during parties.

Decide How Big Your Pantry Should Be

TIP: Doors that slide or fold are prone to wobbling and sticking, so don’t skimp on the track hardware.

Wall-To-Wall Pantry with Sliding Barn Doors

Sliding barn doors with exposed hardware, as shown, double as a focal point.Brian Vanden Brink

If you have a windowless wall in the kitchen or a nearby hall or mudroom, consider building in shelves with or without doors. Open shelves offer the convenience of being able to quickly grab what you need, but they can also be a magnet for clutter and dust.

Wall-To-Wall Pantry with Open Shelves

Brianne Williams

Open shelves are typically a uniform depth. Pro organizers favor shelves no deeper than 14 inches to keep everything front and center.

Group like items so you don’t have to scan the entire wall or move doors looking for the pretzels.

Use baskets and ceramics (shown) to create a nice shelfscape.

Pantry Cabinet Options: “Batwing”

Courtesy Lewis Alderson & Co.

To answer the call for pantry-style storage, cabinetmakers now offer options that blend in with the rest of the kitchen storage, from simple upgrades like a tall pullout to full-blown built-ins with hutch-like appeal.

TIP: Before lining cabinet doors with extra shelves, make sure there’s room inside for the doors to close.

“Batwing” pantry cabinets mirror French-door refrigerators, with restricted door swings and bottom-mount drawers. Custom models, like the one shown above, allow quick access to essentials, while drawers hide other stuff.

Pantry Cabinet Options: Narrow Slide-Outs

Andrea Rugg

Narrow slide-outs, (pictured), are open on both sides and make use of awkward space; Rev-A-Shelf makes a retrofit just 3 inches wide. Try before buying: Heavy-duty hardware is a must.

Cabinet upgrades include wooden rollout trays that come in different widths and depths and can be installed at varying heights, depending on what you want to store. Again,it’s worth paying extra for heavy-duty glides. They should operate smoothly under a weighty load.

Found Spaces: Tucked Under Stairs

Gina Biancaniello

Older houses aren’t famous for their surplus closets and rooms, but they do have nooks and crannies that can be converted into pantries or colonized by freestanding furniture.

Tucked under the stairs, this hideaway makes creative use of former dead space, complete with push-latch doors that blend with the paneled wall, shallow built-in shelves, lighting, and a baking cart that rolls right into the kitchen.

Found Spaces: Freestanding Kitchen Pantry Cabinet

Gridley + Graves

Freestanding storage like this unpainted vintage hutch can add warmth as well as function. Look for strong shelves that keep everyday items easy to see and reach.

Safe Pantry Storage

Store your goods in containers suited to their contents. From left: Woven baskets with handles, like these Sedona totes, are ideal for linens and come lidded or not; from $25, Crate & Barrel.

BPA-free, dishwasher-safe Brilliance containers make rapid-turnover items like cereal and pasta easy to see; from $4.99, Rubbermaid.

Stoneware canisters with tight-fitting, gasket-equipped lids protect whole spices like cinnamon sticks and bay leaves from light and premature aging; from $25, Le Creuset.

Erasable food labels (not shown) can post purchase dates; $6.50, Jokari.

It’s Not a Morgue

Always a good idea to check an item’s shelf life, available online, or you may risk SES (sudden expiration syndrome).

  1. Olive oil is vulnerable to heat, light, oxygen—and time. Open it within six months, then store it in the fridge.
  2. Whole grains-—brown rice, popcorn-, oatmeal—and flours can get stale in months. Think about refrigerating or vacuum-packing them (Foodsaver) once open.
  3. Nuts can also turn rancid—pine nuts after only a month, pecans after four. Hoarders should stash them in the freezer.
  4. Ground spices fade fast. Freezing can cause condensation; keep them in the pantry, but replace them once or twice a year.

Make It Special: Throw a Curve

Ellen McDermott

Yes, it’s a hardworking space where function trumps frills. But that doesn’t mean your pantry shouldn’t strut some style. Here, three colorful upgrades to consider.

THROW A CURVE. Rounded shelves eliminate sharp corners; shallow ones for spices and condiments can be made with perforated aluminum (McNichols).

Make It Special: Hang a Decorative Door

Tria Giovan

Help define the space while offering glimpses inside with a salvaged screen door or a reproduction like this (Vintage Doors).

Make It Special: Trim It Out

Corey Gaffer

Evoke period lace shelf edging with easy-to-paint MDF Victorian Running Trim (Victorian Woodshop) and add wood brackets (Vintage Woodworks).

Design: Martha O’Hara Interiors

Thanks to: The Kennebec Company, Bath, ME; Catherine Seiberling Pond; Kathy Marshall; Scott Davis, Closet Maid; Tori Cohen.

Perfect Pantry Shelf Depth and Height

Good day, pantry enthusiasts! Are you evaluating your food storage space right now, trying to make space decisions? Let's see if we can help. Below are the shelving averages to keep in mind when working with pantry shelving spacing.

To lay out pantry shelves, plan on a mix of 12" and 16" deep shelves. Heavy and bulkier items gravitate to the lower shelves of the pantry. Place frequently used items at eye level and lighter objects like baskets on top shelves. Most food boxes are not more than 10" deep; standard cans are within 3"-4" wide and can be stacked 3-4 deep on a shelf.
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For comprehensive charts of pantry shelf depths and spacing, read on.

RELATED ARTICLES

Where to start your pantry shelving spacing adventure

If you need shelves, and have chosen a closet kit, you don't have too many decisions to make. When choosing a package, the measurements have been decided for you. The depth of the shelves will likely be the standard 12" depth with some 16" depths thrown in for bigger items.

If you are at the point of doing this all from scratch, there are a lot of decisions to make. If you want some easy information right now, head over to find out about my "Pantry Shelf Planning Bundle" that helps make shelf decision making easier. if you want Customization is a beautiful thing, but it can be a double-edged sword, bringing more choices than you ever imagined.

One of our Iowa pantry tours "A Visit to a Modern, Old-fashioned Pantry" demonstrates this. The pantry is a fine example of custom pantry shelving of different depths that transition beautifully. Great care and thought were taken and it shows.

This article focuses on ideal pantry shelving spacing from a practical viewpoint (I will leave the fancy carpentry work to the experts!) The reality is, the food in our pantry comes in all shapes and sizes. The best we can do is find the averages and keep making adjustments until we find what works for our own situation.

The reality of food item size management in pantries.

Exploring shallow wall pantry ideas

I love shallow shelves. They can be tucked in almost anywhere - behind a door, on a special wall, or a featured custom shelf. Finding anything back is an enjoyable experience - no hidden or forgotten items. Here is the low-down on narrow pantry shelving:

In one of my houses, leftover door trim was used for shallow shelves. The "one row shelf rule" is an admirable goal, but may not always be possible. The idea of one row shelving is to aim for shelf depths narrow enough for one row of cans for visibility and easy retrieval.

For maximum storage, most houses opt for at least 12" deep shelves - they are the standard. This won't stop you from adding over-the-door storage, installing narrow shelves on empty walls (especially where the door opens) or tucking spice shelf racks in where opportunity calls.

Single item storage on narrow pantry shelf/racks.

Standard pantry shelving lengths

Across closet shelf companies, wire shelf lengths are very standardized. Pantry wire shelving comes in standard widths of 18", 24", 36" 48", 60" and 72". 

The length of wood shelving boards can vary, especially the decorative offerings. If you favor a certain finish, it may only be available in minimum choices. You will not always be able to find 8' boards for a project, but more common would be 2', 3' and 4' board lengths. 

Both wire and wood can be cut to fit. Pantry shelving kits, especially for wire, provide a good base to start a pantry closet with.

Standard pantry shelving widths

If you're building a custom pantry, you have control over pantry shelf depth. I will still recommend staying to somewhat common shelf depths because they have been proven to fit most anything.

If you're buying stock pantry shelves from the store, you will get stock sizes and won't have much of a choice. As mentioned above, typical pantry wire shelf depths come in 12", 16" and 20" deep depths.  

How deep should pantry shelves be?

Twelve inches deep is the best pantry shelf depth for canned goods, boxed food, and pantry organizers and provides the easiest access. Sixteen inches can accommodate the occasional large bins and small appliances. Most pantry owners agree that 20" deep shelves are too deep and hard to access.

I will point out that some decorative wood for shelving at home improvement centers does come in the 7 3/4" depths. This isn't intended for pantries, but decorative interior use such as display shelves.

Shelves are shelves and anything is up for grabs when it comes to pantry shelving. If you find it works for your space, go for it. Of course, any carpenter can "rip" a wood board in half, making a more narrow pantry shelf. A 20" board  would produce nicely sized 10" depth pantry shelves.

Very few food items are more than ten inches across. Start by looking over your food items and take a quick "poll" - measure a few cans, jars, and boxes to quickly discover width and height averages. This provides the information you need to plan on best shelf dimensions.

Below are suggested shelf depths for certain food items. Shelves, spacing, and diagrams are all found in my "Pantry Shelf Planning Bundle" that helps make shelf decision making easier.

Some of these are not standard shelf depths to buy in a store, this is if you are customizing a pantry and cutting boards to fit. It is still helpful to everyone, nonetheless. If you are curious about space between shelves, jump to Golden rules of pantry shelf spacing.

SHELF DEPTHS

4 inches

Spices, gelatin boxes, small bottles, cans 1-deep
Location: empty wall behind door, storage on door, "rack"

Most single cans are about 3.5" wide. Achieves ONE ROW SHELF RULE. For best results, design shelves only wide enough to hold comfortably one row of supplies. 

6-8 inches

Canned goods, 2-deep
Large jars, bottles, or cake mix 1 deep with room to spare
Assorted mixed condiment bottles,  2 deep
Cracker boxes.
Location: eye level or higher

10 inches

Canned goods, 3-deep
Large peanut butter or mayonnaise jar, 2 deep
Assorted mixed condiment bottles,  3 deep
Medium-size cereal boxes
Location: eye level or higher

Very few food items are more that 10" deep, but 12" deep shelving is the standard.

12 inches

Canned goods, 4-deep
Jumbo-size cereal boxes, flour, bins
Large peanut butter or mayonnaise jar, 2 deep
Assorted mixed condiment bottles,  4 deep
Location: eye level or higher

MOST COMMON DEPTH. Accommodates a wide range of food items.

WARNING!
Shelves start entering the 
"DEEP ZONE"

14-16 inches

Plates, platters, pots and pans, pantry organizers such as can organizers, turntables and bins of produce, small appliances.
Location: eye level or lower

18-20 inches

Medium-size small appliances and bulky items like crock pot, roaster, etc.
Location: bottom shelf

20+ inches

Bulk food, jumbo bins or use "layering" techniques for mixed items.
Location: bottom shelf

Golden rules of pantry shelving spacing

  • The area of comfortable reach is between one and six feet from the floor.
  • Narrow shelves should be at eye-level.
  • Install medium width shelves above eye level and below waist level.
  • Deeper shelves should be at waist level (especially if the shelf doubles as counter space). 
  • Store heavier items lower and lighter items higher.
  • Graduate shelf depth from deepest on the bottom, to more narrow on top.
  • Consider 12" deep shelves placed above 16"-20" deep shelves for easier access of the 12" shelf.
  • If you find that stuff seems to get pushed to the back and forgotten about, you should consider more shallow shelves or buy organizers for deep pantry shelves.

PANTRY SHELF SPACING HEIGHT

FOOD ITEM EXAMPLES

6"

General height of cans and spice jars is about 4 inches; allow 2 inch space for comfortable access.

6. 5"-7"

Most canned foods.

7"-10"

A safe average distance for spacing.

9"-12 1/2"

Mason jars (6.6"). Most baskets are 8" tall. Marinade bottles are 8.5 and large ketchup bottles are 9”.

14"-16"

Cereal boxes average 12" in height (frequently accessed, so keep nearer to eye level). Ideal for flour and sugar storage. Wine bottles, oil jugs, bulk containers are 10"-12" tall. Bulky items.

18"

Height of shelves above countertops in pantry. Allows for space of KitchenAid mixer, coffee maker, or other appliances.

18"-24"

Large bins of food and big items that just don’t fit well elsewhere and bulky appliances (this corresponds with deeper shelf depth, such as 16"-18").

FLOOR TO BOTTOM SHELF (minimal)
16"-18" from floor

Plan on 16″-18″ from floor to bottom of first shelf for bulk storage, pet food, heavier food like potatoes, small appliances.

FLOOR TO BOTTOM SHELF (generous)
20"-24" from floor

Big objects such as paper towels, pet food, jumbo bins, crates, bottled water, trash cans.

Smart pantry owners do this

Use these smart pantry shelf strategies to reach food easier, organize shelves, and find things back.

  • The shelves between waist and eye level are easiest to access, so put your most frequently used items there.
  • Go with adjustable shelving for the most flexibility and spacing options. 
  • Use an interchangeable labeling system that can easily be changed as items are moved around.
  • Allow for a 2-inch clearance above the tallest object on the shelf for easy removal and handling.
  • Save even more space by decanting food into modular food storage containers.

Needs of family change over time

Just when you thought you had the perfect pantry shelf system, your life changes. Kids grow up, go off to college, and get married. A changing family follows a changing pantry.  Adjustable shelving can adapt with different food requirements over time.

Reasons why storage needs change over time:

  • growing family, more buying in bulk
  • larger cereal boxes for growing family
  • "hiding" food or goodies from young children, placing on higher shelves or behind
  • less family, cooking for 1-2 people, buying more pre-packaged convenience food
  • packaging changes (Ritz crackers changed their box design to be more "pantry friendly")

In conclusion

Speaking for myself, finding the ideal pantry shelf settings is is very satisfying. Adjustable shelving helps a great deal in making everything fit. If you are still struggling, give food storage containers a try. Never fear, you will triumph over your pantry shelving (and I will add, victory is sweet!).  

About the author 

Renee Matt

Renee is an Iowa farmwife with a background as a former kitchen designer. Supporting the family farm with hearty meals has been key to Renee's pantry readiness. She uses her professional IT background and expertise to bring the Everything Pantry website to life. Read more about this farmwife on her about page.

how to make shelving with your own hands

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01/23/2019

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Shelves and racks - that's what will help organize the storage of food stocks and things. We suggest what and how to make them in order to organize a comfortable space in the pantry.

Photo: Instagram @Pixabay

Making shelving in a closet is easy, and in some cases even faster than finding a store-bought one. After all, each house or apartment has its own layout, and some of them do not imply a place for storage in principle. Then the owners try to optimize for organizing things a small area on the balcony, under the stairs, in the corridor, in the built-in drywall niche.

It is clear that in such conditions store furniture may not be suitable and an individual sketch will be required. We will tell you in more detail how you can equip a utility room and what to prepare for work.

Preparatory stage: choosing the location of the shelves and materials

Usually the shelves are attached to the wall separately or made of them stationary and mobile shelving for the pantry. This is equipment with side racks or walls. By location in space, they can be:

  • Linear. Elements are located on one or two opposite walls. Suitable for small areas up to 2 m.
  • Corner. More capacious designs in the form of the letter G, but in a small space may not fit.
  • U-shaped. Ideal if you have a large or elongated and narrow closet at your disposal. But you need to consider whether there is free space in the middle so that you can easily enter and take something.
  • With rounded edges. It is convenient to make such surfaces in cramped pantries. They save a little space and are less traumatic.

Less common are storage systems with drawers and in the form of a constructor - when the compartments have different lengths, widths and are located not only horizontally. This is understandable: to make such furniture, you need more time and knowledge than for a simple design. There are also prefabricated or modular open cabinets. They include different elements: shelves and containers that can be easily swapped, assembled and disassembled.

Which material is suitable for the manufacture of shelves: photo of racks

If you plan to put away preservation in three-liter jars, large appliances or other heavy items into the pantry , choose wooden or metal parts . They are stable, they can even be loaded with building materials. True, in this case it is recommended to install a stiffener. The alternative is plastic: it is lightweight, also withstands a serious load, does not require additional processing and does not mold, it is easy to wash.

Wooden shelves can withstand a lot of weight. It is only necessary to choose the right thickness of the product and the number of fasteners.

For storage of bulk products in containers, vegetables, small items or collectibles, light dishes, clothes, books, reinforced glass, MDF, plywood can be used. If you will keep fragile items in the back room, attach bumpers to the compartments so as not to lose property due to awkward movement.

Wood (preferably pine or larch) is considered the best option for arranging a home closet. It looks aesthetically pleasing and is easier to use. Another plus is that most of the tools to work with it are usually at home or easier to find.

We have not listed all of the shelving materials. Often the choice of craftsmen falls on what is at hand. For example, wooden pallets, plastic boxes for vegetables and fruits, disassembled old furniture. From all this, convenient storage systems can also turn out. The main thing is to think over all the little things well: what you will clean in the closet, in what quantity and in what order.

If nothing comes to mind, check out the pictures we've put together. In the photo - do-it-yourself options for shelves in the pantry. Perhaps among them you will find an idea for your apartment.

For structures made of wood you may need: building level, tape measure or ruler, jigsaw or hacksaw, hammer, drill or perforator, screwdrivers, screws, self-tapping screws, sandpaper, protective impregnation (stain, paint), stands, brackets , scissors for metal (if a profile is used), a marking pencil.

What to Consider When Planning Your Backroom Storage System

As we said before, it's important to think about what you want to keep in your closet and relate it to the area. If it is small, then it is better to equip roomy mezzanines, and put drawers or baskets below for items that you use less often than others. This option is not suitable for building materials.

Don't get carried away when calculating the depth of your shelves. Remember that you need to leave free space between them so that it is convenient for you to enter, take something, turn around, take out bulky items. It is desirable that the passage occupies at least 70 cm. In a room with a high ceiling and an upper tier directly below it, provide a place for a ladder or ladder.

Measure the longest containers you plan to store and make a few compartments just for them.

A few more tips for arranging shelving for a pantry in an apartment

  • Straight shelves without intermediate supports are only suitable for small closets with a distance of no more than 2 m from wall to wall. Otherwise, the board will sag.
  • The width of the projections increases from top to bottom, the heaviest items should be stowed down. It has to do with safety and convenience.
  • Use the rule: the larger the load, the thicker the material (this applies to wood, plywood), more fasteners and less space between the support posts.
  • The optimal width of the mezzanine for jars with blanks is 30 cm or more.
  • Light equipment should preferably be fixed against the wall, massive buildings are stable due to their weight.
  • Take care of a separate lighting for the pantry, make it before starting other work.
  • Before installing storage systems, the utility room must be prepared: thoroughly cleaned, if possible, level the walls, re-paste them, paint or clad them.
  • If necessary, coat the walls with antiseptic impregnation to protect against mold.
  • If the room will be open, paint its walls in bright colors that match the surrounding interior.

Considering all the tips and features of your room, draw a sketch of the future closet with design parameters and start creating it.

How to make shelves in the pantry with your own hands: step by step instructions

Manufacturing technology depends on what type of equipment you have in mind and what materials you will use. Consider first the option of attaching a frame made of aluminum or steel corners to the wall. The first material is lighter, the second is stronger and is suitable for structures with heavy loads.

Shelving with fixing

  • Start by marking. Transfer the dimensions of the parts in accordance with the drawing to the corners using a marker and mark the places for the holes for attaching the elements to each other and to the wall.
  • Saw the blanks with a grinder or hacksaw, drill the marked holes. Next, bend the frames, fasten them together with bolts, screw them to the racks. Lean the resulting structure against the wall, mark the attachment points on it. Drill the wall at the marked points, insert dowels and attach the rack with self-tapping screws.
  • The penultimate stage is the manufacture of shelves. Cut them out with a jigsaw or hacksaw according to the dimensions from the sketch, attach them to the corners and correct the errors. In order not to be mistaken, you can first use a cardboard template, according to which the part is adjusted. After all the parameters are verified, you need to remove the roughness on the sections. Use a file and abrasive paper for this. Then impregnate the wood with a stain or other protective solution, dry it, varnish it and dry it again.
  • The final step is fixing the rack elements. According to this instruction, you can mount the corner, U-shaped and conventional linear storage system. Instead of metal parts, you can use a bar with a section of 50 * 50. The procedure will be the same.

Photo: Instagram @metallperm

Photo: Instagram @stavsvarman

DIY wall shelves

If your apartment has a very small closet and you plan to store not too heavy things in it, hang some ordinary shelves no more than 1. 5 m in length. For this you will need:

  • Rectangular, iron brackets
  • Wood, plywood, 2 cm boards, or other shelving material
  • Fasteners
  • Electric jigsaw
  • Screwdriver or perforator for fastening elements to each other
  • Building level
  • Pencil

First, mark the wall, make holes for the brackets and screw them to the surface with self-tapping screws. After that, cut out the details of a suitable size, sand them with sandpaper, paint with stain and varnish. Wait until they dry. If you use boards to make the structure, connect them together with bars located across. Attach the parts to each other with self-tapping screws. The distance between the tiers of the bookcase should be approximately 50 cm.

These shelves are suitable for storing seasonal products, bulk products, household appliances and any light items.

Storage shelving without fixing

Let's consider the process of producing a shelving unit that does not need to be fixed to the wall.

In addition to the set of tools from the previous instructions, you will need a hand router. Prepare the beam for the side racks, chipboard or other floor material.

  • On the support bars of the same height (approximately 2 m), make grooves on one side. The width of the recesses is 20 mm, the gap between them is 12-13 cm.
  • To secure the structure, pin the upper and lower subframes together and cover them with plywood sheets. These will be the bottom and top shelves.
  • Cut or join other elements and insert them into the grooves at a convenient level.

You end up with an almost modular system. At any time, you can change the height of the ledges and fill the room with more bulky things, or vice versa, add details and organize the storage of accumulated little things.

A back wall can be attached to increase the stability of the rack.

Photo: Instagram @woodmood_ukraine

You will get a similar design.

There are a lot of variations of racks - it will not be possible to describe all possible designs within the framework of the article, but the three listed are enough to equip almost any closet.

Do you have a small niche in your apartment? Watch this video. It tells in detail how to make shelves in a drywall pantry.

Prepared by

Nelli Kirgintseva

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How to make racks and shelves for the pantry with your own hands

Today's developers, unlike their colleagues of the past generation, do not seek to equip living space with storage rooms. This increases the living space, but does not allow you to optimize the space and have the storage area that is sometimes necessary.

The presence of a pantry in the apartment becomes a gift for the hostess and sometimes a luxury inaccessible to others.

Unfortunately, the pantry is not always equipped with shelves and racks for placing and storing things, so you have to install the shelves in the pantry yourself.

Do-it-yourself shelving in the pantry is a simple task.

Contents

  • 1 Design, construction and mounting methods
  • 2 Required materials
  • 3 Tools for work
  • 4 Choosing a place for a shelf
  • 5 DIY manufacturing and installation process
  • shelving VIDE
  • 7 Shelves in pantries - 50 photo ideas:

Design, construction and fastening methods

wall.

There are only two options for how to make a rack, namely to make a free-standing shelf, or simply fix the boards directly to the wall.

First, it's worth drawing the idea on paper. This will allow you to visualize the desired rack, take measurements and most successfully place it, taking into account the wishes and intended storage items.

In order for a closet to be equipped with shelving, there must be enough space in it.

Keep in mind that the shelves should be arranged in width from bottom to top, that is, the bottom shelf will be the widest, and the top one, respectively, the narrowest. This is due to the fact that the most dimensional items that are inconvenient and impractical to lift up will be stored on the lower shelves.

You need to think carefully about the distance between the shelves and correlate it with the items that you plan to store.

Depending on the desire of the owners, the racks can be of any shape that will make it possible to realize the place chosen for fastening the structure.

You need to take into account the amount of free space - if the racks take up too much space, then it will be inconvenient for you to walk in the pantry.

U-shaped and L-shaped are more often chosen, this type of shelves is the most practical. For installation, it is better to prefer metal brackets and fasteners, they are the most durable, they can withstand any weight on the shelves.

Choose whichever option suits you.

Materials needed

When deciding how to make shelves in the pantry, you need to decide on the material from which the structure will be made. There are several options.

  1. Budget option allows you to make shelves from the material that is part of the furniture. If there is an old wall-slide or an unnecessary chest of drawers available, then they can be disassembled and you can get a fairly durable and, at the same time, free canvas for making boards.

    This will be enough to have good and reliable shelves in the pantry, on which you can store anything.

  2. The second option involves the purchase of material for shelves in the pantry. The choice should correspond to the list of intended items for storage, their dimensions, weight.

    It is advisable to make the shelving directly in the pantry, because if it is large, then it will be difficult for you to bring it inside later.

    If the shelving is expected to be loaded with conservation, then a solid board with a width of about 30 mm is the best choice.

    Boards are suitable for any - the main thing is that they have sufficient length and withstand the expected load.

In addition to wooden materials, you can choose others, the main thing is strength and the possibility of self-assembly. In addition to the shelves, you should stock up on fasteners on which the shelves will be installed, consumables necessary for work.

In order to make wooden storage shelving, you will need few materials and serious tools.

Tools for the job

To understand what tool is needed for the job, you need to clarify what exactly needs to be done. If the material for the shelves is not prepared and needs to be cut and sharpened to the desired dimensions, then it is imperative to have a jigsaw or a hacksaw for wood and a planer. They will help to make the shelves the right size. And you will also need sandpaper to process the edges of the cuts and give the shelves a finished look.

Tools needed for the job.

Requires a puncher to create holes in the wall for dowel-nails to attach brackets, a screwdriver to connect parts to each other, if necessary.

This is enough to have good and reliable shelves in the pantry, on which you can store anything.

Without fail you will need:

Choosing a place for a shelf

When thinking about how to make shelves in a pantry, it is important to decide on a place. The place where the shelves will be attached should be chosen taking into account many factors.

The wall to be fastened to must be load-bearing.

This is a guarantee of strength and durability of the structure. A thin interior partition may not withstand the load and shelves filled with heavy objects will collapse.

In addition to boards, chipboard, plywood and other suitable materials can be used.

If the fixing is not carried out directly to the wall, then you can use your imagination according to the desired arrangement.

Consider the dimensions of the items to be stored.

It is important to prepare the storage room itself, align and tidy up the walls in advance so that the shelves stand up straight and there is no need to adjust them to the wall relief.

Lighting needs to be taken care of before shelving is installed.

Manufacturing and installation process

So, the place for the rack has been chosen, all the tools and materials have been prepared, the layout of the shelves on paper has been made, and all dimensions have been verified and calculated? You can proceed to the main process of manufacturing shelves and assembling the structure.

  1. The first thing to do is to use a tape measure and a building level to mark the wall, which will serve as the basis for fastening.

    Use a tape measure to mark the height of the shelves in the center of the room and draw horizontal lines using a laser level.

    Use a puncher to make holes in the wall where the brackets will be attached.

    Guide profiles are attached to the walls with dowel-nails.

    Fasten the bases for the brackets and install them.

    Their number depends on the desired number of shelves, and the distance between them determines the height of the shelves.

  2. The next stage is the manufacture of shelves. You need to use a jigsaw or a saw to cut shelves from wood to the required size.

    It is better to check the dimensions again and cut out the template from cardboard for greater accuracy.

    After checking them with the installed brackets, you can start trimming. After the shelves of the desired size are cut, it is worth processing the cuts with sandpaper to remove the roughness.

    This will give the shelves a decent look.

  3. After fixing the brackets and cutting out the required dimensions of the shelves, you need to install the latter in the place of the planned location and secure with fasteners and a screwdriver.

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