Before & After Pantry-What Is Your Opinion Of Wire Shelving?
Moving Past The Standard Pantry
“No More Wire Hangers!” Remember the Joan Crawford movie when she screamed this to her daughter who used a wire hanger in error? We confess, as designers we kinda feel the same way about the standard white wire shelving commonly used in a pantry.
A Pantry Alternative
Architects love to place a pantry in the corner of a kitchen design and call it a walk in pantry. Trouble is, because of the way the space has to be designed to add a door, the interior space is tiny. The open door can be in the way of traffic flow in the kitchen. In addition, the house plans call for the perimeter to be wrapped with wire shelving that is anything but organizer friendly.
Wednesday “Wow”!
The After Pantry!
Yes, the photo above is the same corner space as our before photo with the wire shelving. Want to see it again? The pantry remake was part of a mini kitchen renovation. With some reorganizing of how all storage is used in the kitchen, we were able to create both food storage to the right and additional dish ware storage to the left. All without a single wire shelf!
The Plan For A Small Pantry With No Wire Shelving
Now let’s look at how much space we had to work with. Just a smidge over 4′ on each wall. Small corner spaces, without doors, can make the most charming alcoves of usable storage! Add a power receptacle and the counter space is immediately usable for a coffee bar.
Here’s a close up of each wall before and our elevations to show how we worked in five cabinets in this space. Except for changing the three small drawers to one larger for balance, the plan worked beautifully.
Not All Kitchens Need A Total Gut Job
Our contractor did a fabulous job removing the door and header of the existing pantry closet, to create an entry into the space that flows seamlessly with the rest of the updated kitchen.
A Past Corner Pantry
Remember this past pantry post? The measurements are nearly the same as today’s pantry. The difference, besides the decor, is we left the door and header in this remake. Click on the link below and see more!
Do You Dread Opening Your Pantry Door?
Hate wire shelving! Everything falls through if not placed absolutely perfectly or if items are too small. My son rented a place with wire shelves even in the bathroom; we placed cardboard box bottoms on the shelves so small items would stand up. I’m sure there are other nicer solutions to the box bottoms; but, when renting and attempting to set up quickly, they worked. I’m sure they will be there for months, knowing my son. Give me wooden shelves with smaller shelves set back so I can stack & stack both on top and under them.
Yep…everything goes to the great beyond with wire! The Container Store makes a precut plastic overlay that works well and we have also been successful cutting Home Depot 11″ deep white laminate shelf board to overlay.
I love that you got rid of the door this way, Laurel. It really opens up the kitchen.
The one reason I’ve never loved the wire shelves are things fall through them. I did love having a large pantry in our old house…luckily it had solid shelves.
Now, we have a much smaller space, but we’ve learned we just go to the grocery store more. And since Rob loves doing that, it’s all good.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Agree our pantries can become time capsules when too large for food storage! Personally, I like to have some cooking food items in the kitchen proper. And creating stations of how we use our food products really frees up pantry space to be used more efficiently.
What a transformation, Laurel! I’m not a fan of wire shelves but look at the alternative possibilities – wonderful! Lxx
Poor wire shelf makers!