One Room Challenge - Week 1 - Adding function & beauty to the Pantry
I’m so excited to be able to join the One Room Challenge (aka ORC) for the Fall of 2023! For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is a challenge where bloggers, DIYers, content creators, and designers redo one space in just 8 weeks. This challenge typically takes place twice a year - once in the spring and the fall. The last time I participated was in the Spring of 2022 when I redid the laundry space in our previous home, which you can read about here. This time around, we have moved and I have a whole list of spaces that need some character and organization added to them - but for this challenge, I will be reworking our pantry space!
I LOVE how big our pantry is - after living with a cabinet for a pantry for the last four years, having a walk-in pantry is a dream come true. But - the shelving that is in there is the standard wire shelves that builders install and it is just terrible. Not only is the shelving subpar, but the lowest shelf was installed 4’-6” above the floor, which leaves a ton of wasted space underneath, and the shelves are installed too close together - I can’t even fit a cereal box on the bottom two shelves.
Before:
Note: I didn’t organize this before taking photos because I wanted to be transparent. I also am using some extra storage pieces we had from the last house to create additional storage for snacks. Finally, please note the floor vent in the last photo, since we will need to work around that in the design.
The Plan:
This week I’m focused on planning out the next few weeks - the design, material lists, projects, timeline, etc. I always stress to clients that creating a plan is the first step to a successful project - and that’s true whether you are DIYing it or hiring a contractor.
I had found a few inspiration photos online that I loved the look of, all of which included base cabinetry. Here are some of my favorite inspo pictures for this project:
*Image 2: I have spent an hour searching for the original source of this screenshot that I took in the spring, and cannot locate it - if this pantry/design belongs to you or someone you know, please let me know so I can credit it appropriately!
Our pantry is only 5’-0” by 5’-0” so we can’t fit full size base cabinets - enter IKEA. Ikea has base cabinets in two different depths: 24” (standard) and 15” - which is the solution for our pantry. I’m still working out the exact layout for the cabinetry and how to best deal with the corner, but here are our top solutions for the time being:
*Just a note that we have an air vent located on the floor, which prevents adding cabinetry all the way to the other wall.
Project List:
Here is the breakdown of the next 7 weeks and the projects we will take on:
Week 2: Removing shelves and patching walls
Week 3: Painting (including stencil)
Week 4: Installing Ikea cabinets
Week 5: Installing countertops
Week 6: Building and installing floating shelves
Week 7: Organization
Week 8: Final reveal
I’d love it if you followed along with me!
