The Best Pantry Alternative: Creating a Pantry in a Small Kitchen

Last Updated on February 11, 2024

Discover the best pantry alternative for your kitchen.

I loved just about everything about the kitchen in our new home with the exception of one thing – we had no pantry! Yep, you heard that right. Our kitchen was recently renovated by the previous owner. He designed the home in an open concept for the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

We have an amazing kitchen island that spans over 10 ft. But he only put in lower cabinets in favor of open shelving, and he did not build a pantry. This was a major bummer when we did our walk-thru but not enough to deter us from purchasing this home. I knew we would need to explore pantry alternatives and would need to create the pantry in a relatively small space.

Discover more pantry posts:
→Pantry Storage Ideas
→Small Pantry Organization Tips
→The Ultimate Pantry Makeover

Until we figured out a no pantry solution, we were stuck using an old bookshelf for our makeshift pantry, which looked terrible. But it beat having all our food on the floor! Plus, I knew it was only temporary.

No Pantry Solutions

From the moment we were under contract, my decorative wheels were spinning with dreams of building a new pantry. The space where our pantry would need to go was on the side of our refrigerator, which was pretty tight. We also had a window on the wall adjacent to where our pantry would need to go, making things slightly more complicated.

I had a few ideas for our pantry alternatives. I knew I wanted both upper and lower cabinets to maximize the space. Also, I wanted to put our trash/recycle containers in one of the lower cabinets to keep them hidden (am I the only one who hates seeing kitchen trash cans?).

Our contractor had the idea to add a countertop between the upper and lower cabinets, which I was super excited about. We were going to use butcher block for the counter and install white subway tile to create a more polished, yet classic look.

I saw the final designs and was thrilled! The only problem was – the cost. We had originally budgeted $2K for our pantry, but our bids were coming in at double that price and more. I was unwilling to spend that much for a pantry I couldn’t even walk into, so it was back to the drawing board.

Creating a Pantry in a Small Space

Now that my dreams of having a perfect pantry were shattered, I had to find a pantry alternative. I had less than 60” to work with, so I was going to have to get creative. Measure the space you designate for your pantry alternative and choose options that maximize your storage capacity.

I checked out Wayfair and Home Depot who had nice options for stand-alone pantries. The prices were reasonable, but I wasn’t super happy about the actual amount of storage space. Also, because my kitchen cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore Simply White (which is slightly off-white), I was worried about matching the color. My best option was to find a pantry alternative that complimented some of the other wood tones in my house.

I used to be obsessed with all of my furniture matching perfectly, but I’ve come to love mixing wood tones to add a bit of variety to my home decor style. Don’t feel like every piece of furniture in your home has to match. As long as everything coordinates, mixing tones gives your space character.

Create a mood board to compare different looks. I narrowed down my top picks based on style, size, and storage capacity. This is my favorite site for creating mood boards.

The Best Pantry Alternative

I already had my new pantry storage cabinet in my cart at Wayfair when my husband texted me a picture of a cabinet he found at Costco. At first, I wasn’t super excited about it because it wasn’t a pantry. It was a bookcase with glass doors. How could I have a pantry with glass doors? I knew our pantry would have to be tidy at all times, otherwise it would look terrible.

But the more I thought about it, the more perfect it sounded. I had invested in pantry organization earlier in the year, so I knew I could keep this pantry looking good. Plus, it was around $500 and offered plenty of storage. I immediately sent him back to Costco to buy it and luckily, they had two left! Bonus: it came fully assembled!

Our new pantry is 72” tall, 37’ wide, and has 5 shelves (4 are adjustable). It actually offers more storage than our standard pantry from our last house. Look for pantry alternatives that give you storage flexibility (like adjustable shelving).

Because Costco’s inventory is constantly changing, I found a similar option here. This one is pricey, but it’s gorgeous! It’s actually one I was originally considering before I found the Costco option.

Small Space Pantry

I am absolutely obsessed with our new pantry. It fit our small space perfectly, looks great, and didn’t cost a fortune. Also, because it has glass doors, I’m incentivized to keep it looking organized.