Pantry Shelves: Features and Step-by-Step Guide to Making One

Features of planning storage systems

The most important thing when arranging a storage room in an apartment or a private house is to decide what kind of things it will be intended for and to correlate the load with the dimensions of the room.

• For a small storage room, several rows of shelves located one above the other will do. It is better to leave space at the bottom for boxes and drawers: this way the area will be used optimally.
• The sizes of the compartments must be made in accordance with the dimensions of the items that will be stored in the storage room.
• If the room has a high ceiling, it is worth providing space for a stool or stepladder: it will be more convenient to get things from the upper shelves.
• Some storage rooms have enough free space to make deep shelves. This is not always convenient, and you should also leave space for passage and bringing in items.

Preparation

Before installing storage systems, the pantry must be repaired: clean the space, dry and wet clean, remove old wallpaper and flooring. If necessary, the walls of the pantry or attic are leveled and also tidied up: painted or papered.

It is recommended to use a primer that contains antifungal impregnations.

Laminate, parquet or linoleum is laid on the floor. It is also worth equipping the pantry with ventilation and lighting, which will greatly facilitate the use of the room.

What material can be used?

One of the most affordable and durable materials for creating shelves in the pantry is wood. Boards made of natural wood (pine, larch), as well as laminated chipboard, are fixed with metal fasteners. The heavier the items that will be stored in the pantry, the thicker the boards should be. For canned goods, large equipment, construction tools and other heavy things, it is worth providing an additional stiffener.

If you make shelves for the pantry with your own hands, you can use what is at hand – wooden pallets, old unnecessary furniture, plastic fruit boxes. Plywood is considered a budget option, but thin sheets are not suitable for heavy items. Lightweight but durable plastic is suitable for storing books, clothes and bulk products. It is easy to care for, and the material is not afraid of moisture.

Metal racks are considered the most durable and do not require additional reinforcement. Modern products have a collapsible design, they are easy to rearrange and transport, and the material easily withstands temperature changes. When buying, you should pay attention to the coating – it should be protected from corrosion by a special compound.

The photo shows shelves, drawers and wall shelves for a spacious pantry.

What is the best way to arrange shelves in a pantry?

The placement of shelves is primarily influenced by the size of the utility room.

• A small pantry (about 2 meters) allows you to install shelves only in one row – linearly, along one wall. Sometimes the structures are made rounded – this shape allows you to gain a few centimeters and use three walls.
• A corner arrangement in the shape of the letter “G” is considered much more practical, but the area of the pantry should exceed 2 meters. You need to leave a small passage for maneuvering, especially if the room is elongated and narrow.
• In a large utility room, it is optimal to place shelves in the shape of the letter “U”. In this case, it is necessary to calculate the depth of the structures so that there is room for movement in the middle.

In the photo a storage room in which the shelves are functionally arranged in the shape of the letter “U”.

Determining the dimensions

The most popular and practical form of shelves is straight. The length of the shelf is usually equal to the length of the wall. If the distance between opposite walls is 2 meters or less, the shelf does not need additional support. Otherwise, the structure should be reinforced, especially if you plan to store canned goods and tools.

The thicker the wooden shelf, the more fasteners it requires. Its strength is also determined by the distance between the support posts: the more massive the structure, the smaller the gaps.

To make it convenient and safe to use the shelves, the heaviest items must be removed at the bottom. The width of the ledges should decrease from bottom to top. The standard width of a shelf for canned goods is considered to be 30 cm. The height depends on the dimensions of the items.

The photo shows a pantry with a wide passage between wooden shelves.

DIY shelf options: step-by-step instructions

You can save your family budget with the help of homemade shelves in the pantry and detailed master classes, which are given below.

How to make a wooden shelf for the pantry?

Before starting work, you need to measure the walls of the pantry and create a drawing of the desired design. Next, prepare the consumables needed to make functional shelves in advance.

The photo shows a homemade linear shelving unit made of wood that takes up the entire wall of the pantry.

Tools and materials

You will need the following for the job:

• Planed timber for the vertical stand (8 pcs, about 2 m).
• Timber for horizontal supports (12 pcs, about 50 cm, depends on the depth of the shelving).
• Boards or lining for the shelves (the quantity depends on the depth of the shelves, the length depends on the length of the wall).
• 16 metal corner fasteners (corners).
• 45 screws (3.5×25).
• About 70 thin nails.
• Wood impregnation and a brush.
• Building level.
• Tape measure.
• Hammer.
• Jigsaw.
• Screwdriver.

Step-by-step instructions

1. First, you need to prepare the material. Using a hacksaw or jigsaw, we cut the bars and lining according to the dimensions of the future shelving unit for the storage room.
2. We apply the impregnation, carefully processing each detail. Dry for as long as indicated in the instructions on the can.
3. Fix the corners with screws at the level where the shelves will be located:
4. Fix the horizontal bars as follows (you should get 4 of these structures):
5. Install the lining horizontally, nail it with thin nails:
6. Make the second shelf in the same way: screw the corners, fix the horizontal bars, attach the lining.
7. Place the upper horizontal bars, screw them in.

8. The shelves in the pantry are ready. In this way, you can make a rack of any height, depth and shape.

Apply the impregnation, carefully processing each detail. Dry for as long as indicated in the instructions on the can.

Fix the corners with screws at the level where the shelves will be located:

Fix the horizontal bars as follows (there should be 4 such structures):

We install the lining horizontally, nail it with thin nails:

We make the second shelf in the same way: screw the corners, fix the horizontal bars, attach the lining.

We lay the upper horizontal bars, screw them.

The shelves in the pantry are ready. In this way, you can make a rack of any height, depth and shape.

The shelves in the pantry are ready. In this way, you can make a rack of any height, depth and shape.

You can learn more about how to make shelves in a pantry from this video:

DIY wall shelves

The following describes the simplest and most economical way to make hanging shelves in a small pantry. The amount of material for the shelves depends on the size of the room and the number of floors.

The photo shows storage rooms in small apartments such as Khrushchev or Leningrad buildings, equipped with simple-to-make shelves.

Tools and materials

To make shelves in the storage room with your own hands, you will need:

• Planed bars.
• Plywood, laminated chipboard, boards or scraps of old furniture.
• Self-tapping screws for fastening.
• Screwdriver.
• Thin nails.
• Hammer.
• Level.
• Jigsaw or hacksaw.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Saw the bars and plywood according to the area of the pantry. If desired, they can be painted or varnished. For the frame of one shelf, you will need 1 long and 2 short bars, for the base – a plywood sheet or boards of the required size and thickness. Make markings on the walls and securely screw the bars.
2. We make markings for the next shelf.
3. We mount the shelf in the pantry.
4. We secure it with nails.

We make markings for the next shelf.

We install a shelf in the pantry.

We secure it with nails.

And in This video tells about installing a wall shelf in a storage room in two ways: on brackets for laminated chipboard and on standard brackets.

Shelves in a storage room made of a profile

A solid U-shaped rack for a spacious storage room is made of metal profiles. Once you understand the principle of operation, you can make shelves of any configuration, replace plywood with wood, cover the metal profile with paint and create a loft-style rack.

The photo shows two types of pantry shelves, made with your own hands from metal profile and wood.

Tools and materials

• Guide profiles 50×40.
• Guide profiles 50×50.
• Plywood or wooden boards.
• Tape measure.
• Building level.
• Metal scissors.
• Jigsaw.
• Screwdriver.
• Dowel-nails.
• Self-tapping screws.
• Step ladder.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Make a drawing and calculate the amount of materials. Cut the profile into components according to the dimensions.
2. Mark the horizontal lines. We attach 50×40 guide profiles to the walls using dowel nails.
3. We make the frame of the first shelf and place it on temporary supports made of the profile.
4. We cut the plywood sheet with a jigsaw:
5. We fasten the finished parts with self-tapping screws.
6. We replace the temporary posts with guides. The shelves on the walls in the pantry are ready.

We mark the horizontal lines. We attach 50×40 guide profiles to the walls using dowel nails.

We make the frame of the first shelf, put it on temporary supports from the profile.

We cut the plywood sheet with a jigsaw:

Fixing the finished parts with screws.

Replacing the temporary racks with guides. The shelves on the walls in the pantry are ready.

This video clearly shows shows how to make shelves in the pantry from a profile yourself: