Renovate a Kitchen Pantry

Your kitchen pantry is a vital storage space for food, dishes, and other kitchen supplies. But if your pantry is old and outdated, it can be a major headache. Shelves that are falling apart, drawers that don't open smoothly, and a lack of electrical outlets can all make it difficult to use your pantry efficiently.

If your pantry is in need of a renovation, you're in luck! With a little planning and effort, you can transform your pantry into a functional and stylish space that you'll love using.

In this blog post, I'll walk you through the steps of renovating a kitchen pantry. I'll share my tips for choosing the right materials and tools, and I'll provide step-by-step instructions for each stage of the project.

By the end of this post, you'll have everything you need to renovate your kitchen pantry and create a space that you'll be proud of.

Why Renovate Your Kitchen Pantry?

There are many reasons to renovate your kitchen pantry. Here are a few of the most common:

• To improve the functionality of your pantry. A well-organized pantry is a joy to use. It's easy to find what you're looking for, and it can help you save time.

• To add storage space. If your pantry is small, you may be able to add storage space by installing new cabinets or shelves.

• To improve the appearance of your kitchen. A new pantry can give your kitchen a fresh look. It can also add value to your home.

• To fix problems with your old pantry. If your old pantry has problems such as faulty shelves or drawers, a renovation can fix these problems and make your pantry safe and functional.

Choosing the Right Materials and Tools

The materials and tools you'll need for this project will vary depending on the size and layout of your pantry. However, here is a list of some of the basic items you'll need:

Affiliate links are used on this page. See my disclosure page for info on affiliate programs.

• MDF: MDF is a versatile material that is often used for cabinetry. It is strong, durable, and easy to work with. Although all these facts are true about MDF, I only used it for my backsplash in this project. You are better off using a high quality hardwood plywood for any other construction needs.

• Plywood: Plywood is another good option for cabinetry. It is stronger than MDF, but it is also more expensive. But the cost benefit to the plywood blows everything else out of the water. The box stores are convenient but if you can go to a hardwood supplier and pick their brains, you can always get quality plywood for much less than a box store.

• Cabinet Building: This is a great time to break out all the Kreg jigs, the pocket hole jigs are one of the most handy tools that you can use for cabinet and box building. I will list a few here that are the most helpful.

• Drawer slides: Drawer slides are used to support the drawers. They come in a variety of styles and finishes. Drawer slides are also another one of those things where you get what you pay for so again, if you want more features or smoother action or a more high end finish, there are other options. I used the linked slides below and do recommend them for all sorts of applications.

• Quartzite countertop: Quartzite is a durable and beautiful countertop material. It is also easy to clean and maintain. The options are endless and depending on the size of the area you need, remnants abound! I spent a couple hours hunting and texting pictures to my Chief Design Officer to find the right pieces. Another thing to note here, there are many patterns and stone types, this deserves its own post, but you can usually find something less expensive that looks and feels like a more expensive option.

• Electrical outlets: If your pantry doesn't have any electrical outlets, you'll need to add some. This will allow you to plug in appliances such as a toaster or coffee maker. And always add more, if you can. We also added a couple of the new plugs that have a USB charging option, very clutch!

• Under cabinet lighting: Under cabinet lighting is a great way to brighten up your pantry and make it easier to see what you're looking for. Pro Tip This is by far the easiest way to give any small space a glow up! There are a ton of options here, I will leave a link for the Amazon brand lights that I used. But you should definitely add this.

• Level: A level is essential for making sure that the cabinets are installed correctly and overall one of the most useful tools in your bag of tricks. You should have a few, in different lengths. A laser level is another great option if you can afford it.

• Saw: There are so many ways to get this done. I have a SawStop table saw but you can use a track saw or even a circular saw with a straight edge. All are good options.

• Drill: A drill is used to drill holes for the cabinet hinges, drawer slides, and electrical outlets.

• Trim Puller: This is a very useful tool. But ensure you cut the caulk on installed trim or else you will make more work for yourself.

• Screwdriver: A screwdriver is used to secure the cabinets to the wall and the countertop to the cabinets.

• Tape measure: A tape measure is used to mark the location of the holes for the cabinet hinges, drawer slides, and electrical outlets. The listed tape measure is very handy, so much so I have about 6 of them. Fastcap has some different options so check them out.

• Safety glasses: Safety glasses are essential for protecting your eyes from sawdust and other debris.

• Gloves: Gloves are essential for protecting your hands from splinters and other sharp objects.

---

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Remove the old pantry.

The first step is to remove the old pantry. This may involve removing the doors, shelves, and drawers. If the pantry is attached to the wall, you may also need to remove the screws or nails that are holding it in place. Again before removing any trim or molding you should cut the caulk with a box knife to break the seal or you will damage the drywall, which you can see where the top shelf was attached to the wall, OUCH. The trim puller and a mallet or hammer comes in handy here.

2. Build and install the new cabinets.

Once the old pantry is removed, you can start building the new cabinets. The size and layout of the cabinets will depend on the space you have available. This is a very specific step and there are a ton of tutorials on YouTube on how to get this done. We chose to go with a simple face frame design with 0.5 inch overlay cabinet doors. The long wall to the right of the pantry utilized this Grid-shaped cabinet box where we use all the same size openings to make the cabinet the most uniform as possible. The middle row of drawers we chose a metal Drawer From Rev A Shelf, this gives us space for produce and matched the inspiration pictures we found. These metal shelves actually set the width for all the drawers in this portion of the cabinet carcass. I found the dimensions on the product listing and made the cabinet carcass work for these dimensions. The top and bottom rows where just regular drawer construction to fit all of our snacks and boxed items.

The upper cabinets are just as simple cabinet carcass design that fit the space that we had. We broke up the sections that looked best to us. This is where we use the cabinet hinges listed above and door and drawer hardware from Amazon. I also added an open shelf and a library rail that my wife found and fell in love with. For both the lower and upper cabinets use your level and laser to set everything square and plumb and straight and then use shims and some 4 inch screws to attach to the wall. Pro Tip I have also found the following product from Fast Cap to be invaluable during cabinet installation.

3. Install the countertop.

The next step is to install the countertop. The countertop should be cut to size and then attached to the cabinets using silicone caulk. If you go with a stone top you should leave the installation to the professionals. For this space we were able to get the material with install for under $900. You may also want to install a back splash behind the countertop for added protection. I used some pre-routed boards from the home center and just painted them.

4. Add electrical outlets.

If your pantry doesn't have any electrical outlets, you'll need to add some. This will allow you to plug in appliances such as a toaster or coffee maker. To add electrical outlets, you'll need to hire an electrician.

5. Install under cabinet lighting.

Under cabinet lighting is a great way to brighten up your pantry and make it easier to see what you're looking for. To install under cabinet lighting, you'll need to drill holes in the cabinets and then install the lights.

6. Paint or stain the cabinets.

Once the cabinets are built and the countertop is installed, you can paint or stain them to match the rest of your kitchen. This is a great way to add a personal touch to your pantry. Pro Tip You should paint or stain as much as you can ahead of time especially for small projects like a pantry.

7. Organize your pantry.

Once the cabinets are painted or stained, you can start organizing your pantry. This is a great opportunity to get rid of anything you don't use and to create a system for storing your food and supplies.

Here are some additional tips for organizing your pantry:

• Use clear containers to store your food and supplies. This will make it easy to see what you have and to find what you're looking for.

• Label your containers clearly. This will help you find what you're looking for even faster.

• Use bins and baskets to group similar items together. This will help you keep your pantry organized and tidy.

• Use the space in your pantry efficiently. If you have a small pantry, you may want to install vertical storage solutions such as lazy Susans or pull-out shelves.

• Make sure your pantry is well-lit. This will help you see what you're doing and to avoid accidents.

Conclusion

Renovating a kitchen pantry can be a big project, but it's definitely worth it in the end. A well-organized pantry is a joy to use, and it can help you save time and money. By following the steps in this blog post, you can transform your pantry into a functional and stylish space that you'll love using for years to come.

I hope this blog post has been helpful! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

KREG ITEMS THAT I USED FOR THIS PROJECT: