The Ultimate Pantry Makeover You Need to See

Last Updated on February 11, 2024

See the transformation of no pantry to a bookcase pantry to a custom pantry. Get inspired with this stunning pantry makeover.

Our kitchen was the first thing I fell I love with when we bought our new home. I loved almost everything about it, EXCEPT for the fact that there was no pantry. The previous owner remodeled it and did not include a pantry, which completely blew my mind! 

The good news was, we had the perfect place to build one. The bad news was my contractor was quoting me nearly $5K to build it. Because we were knee deep in renovations on other parts of the house, we just didn’t have the budget for a custom pantry. I found the perfect pantry alternative for around $500, and we used it for 2 ½ years. You can read all about it HERE.

Discover more pantry posts:
→Pantry Storage Ideas
→Small Pantry Organization Tips
→The Best Pantry Alternative

Small Pantry Makeover

Our kitchen has a perfect little 5 x 7’ nook tucked away in a corner that was empty when we moved in. This was the ideal space to build a pantry and it’s where we put our pantry alternative. 

Using a bookcase as a pantry alternative worked out perfectly for us. But because we have SO much open shelving in our kitchen, it was just one more thing on display. I was on a mission to have a pantry with real doors that would look perfect on the outside even if things weren’t so perfect on the inside.

We were lucky enough to be put in touch with an excellent carpenter to make some repairs on our house after a hailstorm. While he was at the house, I shared my dream of having a custom pantry built. He was convinced he could build us something at a much more reasonable price than our old contractor had quoted.

Our original pantry design was going to include a backsplash, butcher block countertop, and sliding drawers. To keep the price more affordable, I opted for a simple pantry with adjustable shelves and sliding doors. 

Pantry Cabinet with Sliding Doors

Our carpenter built us a solid wood cabinet to fit our space perfectly. It has 4 large adjustable shelves on each side and 2 sliding shaker style doors. 

We painted everything Benjamin Moore Simply White just like our kitchen cabinets and also matched the hardware. Even though the panty is in its own corner, it feels very intentional in this space.

This custom pantry has made such a difference not only in how beautiful it looks but it’s much more spacious too. I am over the moon in love with it!

Custom Pantry on a Budget Tips

1. Prioritize Your Needs

Make compromises on the bells and whistles you don’t absolutely need. Going with all shelves and no backsplash or countertop saved us a lot of money. Plus, it actually gives us more storage!

2. Shop Around

I didn’t have any contacts at first, so I was at the mercy of our original contractor. Thankfully, I waited until we found the right one for this job.

3. Do Some DIY

My husband and I painted our custom pantry ourselves, and it saved us $1200 vs. having our carpenter do it. Talk to your carpenter or contractor about ways you can cut down costs by taking on part of the job yourself (if you’re willing and able!).

All in, we paid $1,700 for this custom pantry. $1,600 went to our carpenter and we paid around $100 for the paint. That’s a massive savings from our original quote and it was worth every penny!

I hope this post inspires your perfect pantry makeover. Happy decorating!

This post is about a pantry makeover.