Update:

Not a ton of progress, as we always have several projects in the works at once (patio project took precedence over the weekend).

I did get the room painted. I also pulled that nasty carpet and replaced it with laminate that's as close as I could get to the existing adjoining laminate. After work today I will put in the newly painted baseboard and start putting up shelf supports :)

It will make such a difference when you have paint and flooring that you like. And when the shelves go, in you will love it! (Remember to make extra shelves.) In the first picture I posted, you can see on the lower right two (currently not yet painted or secured in place) shelves I added right above the bins. These store some large platters stacked two or three high that I use fairly often and are too large to be stored vertically.

You wil LOVE being able to adjust the shelves to minimalize vertical waste space! And you will be astonished at how much you can store.

Thank you, Bellsmom. I decided not to go with adjustable, because I know that once it's full, I will never move a shelf. I have plenty of adjustable shelves in bookcases and whatnot that I have never once moved, so I talked myself out of them again.

Oh, I forgot to add that I did change the light. Nothing fancy, it is just a pantry. It's a basic flush mount round LED closet light. 7", I believe, and very bright. I'll post a picture of it tonight.

BTW, did I say how envious I am of your toolbox????

Errant
Glad you replaced the light. It will make a difference.

The toolbox was a 50% off closeout at Sears a year ago this fall. I absolutely love it. And I absolutely could NOT resist it. It is pretty, isn't it? I had to trim some shelves to make it fit.

If I had built my pantry from scratch every shelf would have been adjustable. The deep U of shelves are as they were when we moved in--except for sanding, paint, shelf liner, and trimming of some shelves that stuck out 6" further into the aisle on the right. I put in many $$$ worth of helper shelves and turntables to make up for the unadaptable fixed shelves' wasteful spacing. It would probably have been cheaper and certainly more efficient and attractive if I had just torn them out and replaced them all! (Look closely at the pics and you will see the metal "helper shelves" on the back and right. There are more on the left you cannot see.)

Hindsight is wonderfully efficient.

The narrow shelves on the left ARE adjustable. I put them in on the bare wall. They get rearranged rarely, but it is possible and it happens. Look closely on the left in the next to the last photo, which was taken facing the door. You can see how little wasted vertical space there is!

But, whatever you decide, you will love your new pantry.

Do please post pictures when you finish so we can enjoy with you.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Tue, Jul 22, 14 at 18:59

I didn't get a lot done after work, but here is a progress pic :)

It's looking great. I have a similar light in my pantry (which measures about 4-1/2 x 7 and its great. I added a motion sensor so the light goes on when you open the door - love it.

A motion sensor sounds like a nifty idea. How did you do that? Does the switch need to be in the on position all the time for it to work like with a porch light?

I would add a switch that goes in the door frame. When the door is open, the light is on. It goes off when you close the door. I had that at my last house and loved it.

I think adellabedella's idea is good, unless you're like me and tend to leave the pantry door open. Mine is in a part of the kitchen that you can't see unless you're in the right spot (it's under the stairs, behind the refrigerator), so I tend to leave the door open unless we have visitors or I have something that would be particularly interesting to the dogs in there.

I have another progress pic! I know this probably seems like a small thing to most, but I am very excited :)

Looking good!

not a small thing at all! that looks sooo good!

It's coming along nicely, Errant! You will have so much fun filling it up!

Have you taken anything in for a test-fit yet?

Wonderful. Aren't new empty shelves lovely? And they will look even better when you have them filled with organized "stuff." Building shelves, finishing them, and filling them are among my favorite activities.
I know you are having fun.

Jealous, jealous, jealous.

I've been test fitting as I go with everything I moved from this pantry to the bulk items one that we just built off the laundry. That one is not entirely complete (I still need a small chest freezer and some sort of landing zone next to it).

Here is a photo of that one. And yes, the majority of that stuff was packed into the little kitchen pantry that I'm re-doing now :o

"Jealous, jealous, jealous."

x 2 :)

That is looking so good! Looking forward to more pix!

I had to laugh at your pile of nails! DH is an over-achiever. He built half the house 30 years ago and has done all the remodeling. I've always said I feel sorry for the person that tries to take something out/down that he's built. It's built to withstand a F4 tornado (g)
I don't have a pantry in the kitchen but really need one so DH agreed to turn the closet in an unused bedroom into a pantry. I don't know how I lived so long without it! Good luck with yours!

Errant
Looking great- I am late to the party.
We haven't updated our narrow pantry yet - but someday and yours will be on my inspiration list.

We did replace the light with a 2 bulb light fixture with an LED capable motion sensor light which is great. Like Anna, we tend to not close the door completely.

If you have room, time, and energy - consider replacing the door with a pocket door.

Our old kitchen had a door that swung out and covered the light switch. It works so much better with a picket door and the motion sensor light inside the pantry.

Someone on GW knocked out drywall between the studs and built small shelf storage which you could do on the left side if you have extra energy -LOL
Someday, I will fix our sagging shelves. To compensate, I am using some clear plastic bins to keep items together and decrease avalanche risk.

Thank you, Monica and Gem. I had some between the studs shelves in a bathroom at another house and it was quite handy. That probably would have been a good idea here. As for a pocket door, there is no place for it to slide into since my stairway is against the exterior wall.

Hopefully, today I'll be able to dowel and attach my shelves :D

More progress! Shelves are done, but I don't want to fill them until I have the shelf liner in (should be delivered Monday)!

I did 12" shelving in the back and 6" on each side. I stopped the left side short, so they don't crowd the door. Excuse the dangling light switch. I pulled it out so I can try to see which direction the power is coming from because I want to try to figure out how to install a door switch as Adella suggested :)

Excellent! It will all be accessible. You are gonna LUV it.

*grrrrr* I'm still waiting on my shelf liner to be delivered. It was supposed to be here yesterday, so I'm guessing it should show up today.

In the meantime, I've been itching to buy stuff for my redone pantry. It seems like everywhere I go, I see canisters, bins, organizers, dividers, etc. But I'm going to refrain until I refill it with items I already have so that I can see what I actually need.

So envious!!! TWO pantries -- awesome job -- and my DH laughed at the photo of the pile of nails! :)

Can't wait for more photos -- please consider posting all of the Before-and-Afters on the Home Decorating forum too! :)

Oh, and get this... just after I installed the flooring that is "close enough" to matching our existing laminate, I found the exact stuff. I keep telling myself, it's just a pantry. But I know it's going to bug me enough that I will have to change it eventually.

I pulled it out so I can try to see which direction the power is coming from because I want to try to figure out how to install a door switch as Adella suggested :)

How about a motion detector switch ... if the door is partly open, it will still turn off. But when you open the door or walk in, the light comes on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Switch

I thought about that, but I've never been happy with any motion-activated light. Plus, having a louvered door, I don't want the light turning on anytime someone passes the door or turns on the dining room light.

Well crap! I received a tracking notice saying my shelf liner and a few more jars had arrived today. I left work early because I managed to pinch a nerve while waxing the dining table (still trying to finish up my dining room makeover), so figured I might be able to fill up the pantry while home. Guess what was in the box that was delivered? Not MY stuff!! A very pretty green vase/bowl and a giant serving tray :o C&B were very apologetic and will put a rush on my actual order, and will have UPS pick up this other person's stuff.

Anyone out there waiting on a Shindig Tray and Gianna Bowl from Crate & Barrel? LOL

Oh, pfffffhhhhht! That's the sound of air leaving a punctured balloon.
Well, another day or so and then....Whoooosh!
That's the sound of things flying onto the shelves.

Door shelves done!

Yikes! I don't recall ever having such a difficult time ordering from a major retailer. I was told my replacement order would be delivered Saturday, but no such luck. Imagine my elation when I came home from work today to find a Crate & Barrel box on my doorstep! And then my deflation as I opened to box to find only three of the several jars I had ordered (one broken) and no shelf liner (nor any of my other items).

I'm starting to think my new pantry will remain empty forever :(

This post was edited by Errant on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 11:32

Pantry is looking wonderful! My eyes are so green of your pantry space. Believe it or not, I put a motion sensor in for my kitchen recessed ceiling lights - a great decision for us! Three entrances into the kitchen and I really wanted to keep switches to a minimum. My *diva* dog really now believes she commands the room at feeding time! Lol. The one we put in can be set to a specific light level, 180 degrees, LED, and set to go off without any activity. I can't remember the maker but found it at lowes during the early remodel stages. For such a small item, it really made a huge impact in the remodel.

Thank you, Mags. Can you snap of picture of your motion sensor so that I can try to find it online? I might end up going that way, because the idea of doing new wiring for the door switch is starting to seem a bit daunting.

My shelf liner finally arrived! I was able to get it all in place yesterday and started filling shelves :D I'm not going to give you any pictures, yet, because I need to put new labels on all of my jars now that I've washed them. I will try to get them done this weekend!

It's done and full!! :D

Left side

Door shelves

I made new labels for all of my jars :)

Sorry errant, I'm just seeing this. So sorry and you're done. I love the labels on ur jars. Computerized? I picked up some chalkboard type labels from target; prolly tied to my need to avoid commitment. :-(

I'll snap that lighting photo 2mrw and post in case u're still interested. I do think it's pretty slick!

Errant, it looks wonderful, straight out of a magazine!

Errant, you win a prize for transformation and efficient use of space! Hokey smokes! It looks wonderful, and you can see everything you have. Shallow shelves let nothing hide in the back.

For a motion-detector, you can get a screw-in one at the hardware store. I have a few of them and like that I can adjust how long they stay on.

One question: on the door rack, do the shelves have a little lip at the bottom to keep things like the packets from slipping through? I ask because that is a problem in my freezer, the Dove bars slip out the door shelves, so I have to eat them right away I mean keep them on the shelves where they hide behind the frozen peas.

I absolutely love the pleasure of labeling and organizing when I finish project like this. And isn't it great when you step back and it is FINISHED!
Nice to see another door rack hiding behind a pantry door!
You planned the height of the fixed shelves very well. Not much wasted vertical space at all.
Thank you so much for sharing your finished project.
You did a great job and you are gonna love it forever.

wow! that sure is a beautiful sight!

Oh, FABulous!!! I am both mad and delighted that i waited so long to crack open this thread! It was awesome to walk through your pantry reno with you, and doubly awesome that i didn't wait to wait for each new episode, lolol! I am not a patient person. ;o)

It looks amazing and I LOVE your jars!

Thank you for all the kind words. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to get so excited over something as mundane as a pantry!

I still haven't figured out what to do about my light switch. It would be nice to have it turn on as I enter, but really not a big deal. For now, I can manage to flick the switch, but I still might change it at some point. Or not, maybe that will be the one finishing touch that keeps my from being finished ;)

Mags, I printed my labels on the computer. They are just your basic Avery labels. Still fairly non-committal, as I could easily remove the label when washing to switch contents. Chalk-board labels are cute, but would drive me batty trying to make them neat. Plus, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my OCD issues using barcodes. Yes, each of my jars are barcoded... I'm nuts, I know.

Bpathome, no lip on the door shelves, just the lattice strips. Dove bars would need to go in a container to keep from sliding out. Or I just eat them rather than store them. Or stash them in my nightstand ;)

The majority of my jars are Bormioli Fido jars, Greenhaven. I love them because they all use the same size wires, gaskets, and lids. I also love that all but the largest jars are square, so they fit on shelves nicely. The 5L round ones hang over my shelf just a tad. I haven't decided if this is going to irritate me enough to make that bottom shelf deeper. We will see!

Bells and Anna, I want to thank you again for posting pictures of your lovely pantries. They were both a huge help, and I referred to them often while trying to get this all figured out, so thank you! Everyone on GWeb is so wonderfully helpful. I don't know what I would do without this site!

That looks fabulous, Errant! I am so jealous-two pantries! I have to make do with a teeny tiny pullout pantry. I am on the lookout for good stackable square jars-love your jars!-will see if I can get them in plastic. I am a klutz and all that glass around me is a disaster waiting to happen. Thank you for sharing your pictures and progress. I will use them when we add extra shelves to our basement pantry closet.

(one note about the sensor light switch--
We got one for our mudroom, and it has been fabulous! I can see it working really well in your pantry. I doubt it would have detected any movement through the louvered door, but now esp with the door shelves, I don't think that will be a problem. What might be a problem is getting a sensor switch that will work well with a single LED light (they don't draw much power, and the electronic switches on the market sometimes like more of a draw).)

Fantastic transformation though! I envy anyone with the time and talent to get such pretty jars of all their stuff (and labels too!)

Sorry for delay. I don't think I still have the packaging but I did get it at lowes and it's for LEDs (and maybe CFLs). It was specific on for the lighting. I love it for our ceiling recessed too.

Thanks for the picture, Mags! From it, I was able to see its a Lutron. I did a search and was able to find one that will work with my single LED fixture. I think I'll actually order two. The light switch in my windowless weight room is on the wall opposite the door. This motion-activated switch will be perfect down there :)

Now that is a pantry.....a beautiful pantry & fun labels! Thanks for sharing.