How to Build a Custom Pantry: Plus the Best Organization

Welcome to the world of DIY building — where you will get frustrated, but absolutely LOVE the end result. Whether you’re a seasoned DIY builder, or relatively new, a custom pantry is actually a great project for both novice and advanced builders. When we moved into our first home, this was the first “building” project I tackled.

I grew up watching my dad do DIY projects around the house, so I always dreamed of starting my own projects in a house of my own. This project definitely will take some time, and of course, your space will need custom measurements and adjustments to fit the needs of your family. But I hope that I can provide some much needed advice and inspiration to get you going!

SKETCHING OUT YOUR CUSTOM PANTRY PROJECT

Before we get into materials, take a moment after you remove any existing wire shelves to measure your space. A BIG tip: when you draw each piece on your sketch, take a fresh measurement. Most likely you will have different measurements (like if a wire shelf was pulling the walls in from the weight).

Some big questions to ask yourself:

What are your goals for your custom pantry?
Do you need storage for small appliances? Do you have a platter that won’t fit in any of your cabinets? Cookie sheets?
What types of food storage do you want?

Use these questions to guide how large you need each section to be. (*All materials and containers I purchased are included further down in this post)

For me, I wanted a custom pantry where I could store cookie sheets and pans, a large Christmas platter, and our KitchenAid and other small appliances. I knew we needed more area for snacks, and we needed considerable room for where we store our morning smoothies. Check out the recipe for my protein-packed spinach smoothie here.

Related post: How to Create a Custom IKEA Closet

MATERIALS

Saw — fun fact: you can ask Home Depot to do all of your major cuts if you want to make things a bit easier (this is especially helpful for the width)
Drill
2x4s (6 pieces total to make the platform)
MDF board (this makes everything standing on the platform)
Screws
Caulk
2 inch baseboard and toe (if desired)
Finishing nails (for baseboard)
White paint — we used Behr’s Ultra White
Small pai nt roller and paint brush
Drop cloth

BUILD THE PLATFORM USING 2x4s FIRST, THEN BEGIN ON THE BOTTOM HALF

The first thing you want to do is build a platform for your unit to sit on. Visualize that you’re building the bottom half of a cabinet. Kitchen countertops usually measure 36 inches, so I used 38 inches from the floor because I wanted the shelf for the KitchenAid to just barely be taller than a typical countertop. (Don’t forget to account for the platform)

Remember, you’re building your custom pantry from the ground up. Take fresh measurements as you go, because you’ll find more times than not that the room isn’t at a perfect 90 degree angle. I had to at times make cuts that were slightly crooked in order to make everything fit completely flush against the wall.

KEEP BUILDING UP, UP, UP!

One recommendation I make when building is to take a photo of your progress, and then take a screenshot and draw on the photo for what your next steps are. Although I had my ideas sketched out, it was helpful to see where I was going next. I actually ended up changing my mind on the number of shelves I wanted by doing this.

Once everything is in place, you’ll want to use caulk to seal all of the corners and connecting spots so everything is seamless.

Personally, I made the choice not to paint the boards beforehand. If I were to do this over again, I probably would paint them to save time and the neck cramp I got from trying to squeeze into each space. The nice thing about MDF board is that it’s considerably strong as long as it doesn’t get wet. So when you’re painting, be sure to do multiple coats and use a glossy finish that is meant for cabinetry and other high traffic areas.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

My favorite part is of course the styling. Hopefully while you were sketching out your design you were measuring what you wanted to put in each section, but if not, it’s pretty easy to pick up different storage containers to find what works in the space. I’m in LOVE with the ones I chose to organize our custom pantry, so I’m including those below in case you would like to pick some up yourself.