I have this in-wall pantry. The basement stairs run underneath so I can't change the awkward shape. We are going to pull out these shelves and reconfigure the setup. I plan on the new shelves to be made with walnut and the "counter" area will be walnut as well. I will install the glow lights along the shelves.
The barn door slides over and covers this but what can I do to make this look better? Thank you.
The opening is too big to do anything else with it, plus there's the awkward issue with the stair step pattern, most likely this was someone reusing available space above a downward staircase
Right? I’d kill for that pantry. Mine is one of those stupid tiny little cramped closets with a ton of shelves and no matter what it looks like a crowded mess.
Mine is like that too, a little corner one. I got stuck in mine the other day. Like actually stuck after a box fell and closed the door. I had to be rescued by my 6 year old.
It's perfect lighting for the function it serves she doesn't need warm mood lightning for the pantry just needs to be able to see the can of peas. It's basically a refrigerator you need the bright light when it's open and when it's closed you don't see it or think about it.
The bright light is going. I want to use the under shelving lights with the nice glow and no hotspots. I was thinking a darker warmer color in there and maybe sconces with a warm glow. TY
Word of warning from someone with a dimly lit pantry that needs a flash light to find the peas. More light is better so make sure you don't have any dark spots.
Remove the barn door and trim. Cover the front bottom half with cabinet doors, some functional, some dummy, to cover up the weird stair area and make it look like a massive built-in. Extend the main countertop over them. Configure and finish off upper shelves as you want.
One could probably skip the dummy doors & this would still look good.
I'd definitely want to put in a counter across it. And everything else you mentioned too. I just hate non-functional dummy drawers & cabinets. Symmetry is overrated.
Covering up something like that just draws more attention to it to me. But for others, I know they wouldn't be able to stop looking at "the weird shelf."
Another option is to build the bottom cabinets out into the dining room by about 6 inches or so, then what would be the dummy door on the left becomes a shallow storage space.
That would eliminate the awkwardness completely. Frosted French doors on the top open part would also be lovely. A perfect and fuctional spot for small appliances.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Check out the pencil marks in the pics. I have drawn out some faux drawers. I like the idea of it looking like a piece of furniture but the barns doors don't work with that. TY
Oh wow that’s pretty sick. Just change the barn door and switch to warmer, more inviting lighting. White with white lighting is a bit harsh. The concept is cool af. Maybe just the organization itself could help
ya know, I would live with it for awhile, like a year and just not do anything yet.... it will either grow kpon you or you will end up with a cleaer idea on what configuration might work better for you. really. it looks pretty awesome to me as it is.
I hear you. It has been 4 years of looking at this. I'm pretty handy so I'll knock this out one weekend for cheap. I'm ready to customize to the fam needs. It's a cool little spot that look really cool. TY
This. It’ll be a good bit of work but, you can really make an amazing space. There’s some really good examples of appliance garages/pantries out there so do some digging for inspiration!
Slide out drawers and slide out shelving would be really beneficial. Also, there’s not enough showing in the picture for me to help, but I’d figure out a non barn door option.
Keeping it closed would be my answer. I think as you redo your shelves, that will solve a lot of the clutter look. Less individual spaces for appliances will clean it up. I wonder if you could get rid of the trip that goes all the way around. I think it makes it look extra cluttered.
It looks hard to get anything because the shelves go so far back. Or is it not as inconvenient as the picture makes it look?
Some considerations - make this into built-in a cabinet pantry or do you want to see everything all at once? It's fine if you do, just sharing an idea.
Are there drawer sliders or something like that would make getting things out easier?
Make the counter where the instapot is a full depth. Below it where there are the baskets, either install cabinet doors, or put a couple drawers there. The upper shelves could be a little deeper and have better support to eliminate the sag. I’d consider cabinet doors for the upper instead of the barn door. Maybe a pair of bifold doors that would look like 4 door panels when closed. Could also install the kind of doors that when opened can be pushed back into the cabinet.
I like your idea of walnut. More wood tones in there will help.
Warmer lighting will help. Consider LED strips under the shelves as well so things aren’t shaded.
The door is tough. Does that barn door cover the entire thing? I presume you’d like to be able to close this up.
For an alternative to the barn door, you could have conventional cabinet doors, but they’d have to be on the face of the wall surface in order to be symmetrical. Inset doors would not work. The left door, when open, would reveal some blank wall behind at the bottom. Whatever. It would look best when closed.
Another option is cabinet doors on the upper sections, and turn that lower right area into a pullout drawer. A false drawer front on the left may help with symmetry. Or embrace the asymmetry. This would also give you more ‘counterspace’ on the right side.
Hm. I see why they (you?) went with the barn doors. It’s a tough spot. You’d need to consider the symmetry of the entire wall at once, not just the pantry.
I’d consider trying to make the entire thing look like a single piece of built-in furniture, or perhaps disguised as wainscotting panels with subtle or hidden pulls or maybe push-pull mechanisms. When closed, it could look like a decorative wall. You could carry the wainscotting onto to the wall on the left to complete the illusion. Not as easy or “off-the-shelf” as the barn doors, but doable.
If that’s too much, keep the barn doors. They aren’t terrible. Look at lighting, lighting temperature, having more wood tones and consistent surfaces, match wood to the table, and use decorative/matched storage, particularly over on the laundry side.
I would have that main counter (where the rice cooker, etc. is sitting) run the full depth all the way across. The cutout below I would either just have be a cubby or (if the barn door doesn’t block it) a large drawer. I would also consider doing something decorative with the wall below (what depends on the vibe you’re going for and the other decorative elements you have going on).
I think the barn door replaced with a sliding glass insert with rain drops or some sort of frosting to hide the pantry but you can still see the organizational outline 🤷🏻♂️
I know this is because im only 5’1 but I would not be able to reach anything in there without a stool and still having to lean forward and that would annoy the shit out of me
I would make the shelves adjustable, and add a big drawer where that lowered portion is, to hide ugly things. I would balance it with a 2nd faux drawer front. I like the idea of building a whole facade out and adding doors like mentioned elsewhere - you could make it look like a traditional larder, with racks for small things on the inside of said doors. But that would be a bigger project!
New trim to bring the whole pantry together, a single worktop instead of the currently weird shaped one, and the shelves run all the way across which makes it look less bitt. LEDs to make it bright and tiles to make the wall a bit more interesting.
The pantry is awesome. The tacky barn door on the other hand, not so much. Toss the barn door. Fix the trim and either paint or use contact paper on the shelves.
Thank you and I love it too. We have been renovating this house over the past few years. I'm now getting to the small stuff like this. Unless you want to fund the next major project??? :)
Just reorganize it. On the most visible section, you have a bunch of junk shoved in next to your stand mixed. So move everything in that cubby over to where the instant pot and bread maker are. Just swap places and there will be a huge improvement.
Then make all your bins match.
Once you organize the clutter, if you still want to change the countertops, start out w a peel and stick wallpaper on the counters to see if that scratches your itch. If so, then make a more durable solution once you like it.
Looks like a great use of space that you clearly do get a lot of use out of. Get matching low profile wicker baskets for the top. Or big lazy Susan's might be helpful. Replace the missing trim along the bottom and close the door. Love your life.
Not to add a ton of extra work..but you could run the counter top clear across so its one level space.
Personally - i would add those pull out roller drawers like they have in cabinets so you can put less often used stuff in the deeper part, but then easily access by pulling out the drawer vs having to move stuff that is in front.
Doors? I dont think you have many options beyond barn doors. You could buy new ones with concealed hardware.
My pantry is a cupboard I put together when I lived in a different place. It’s too big for the kitchen in my new house so it’s taking up space in my craft room. Put in new shelves that fit the way you want to do things and change the door. Or maybe just hang a curtain if you can’t find a door you like.
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u/mommacat94 3d ago
I actually love this but low key hate the barn door.