How to Design Shelving for a Walk-in Pantry

Design the shelving so you can view the pantry's content in its entirety. Build shelves along one side wall and the back wall only, if the pantry is narrow. Construct shelves on both side walls and across the back if the space is generous. Use graph paper to draw the storage plan with detailed dimensions of the spacing. Allow at least 12 inches between levels, so that locating items is easier.

Create a shelving design for reaching items and easy cleaning. Don't place shelves too close to the floor so food items won't get dirty. Use the bottom 24 inches of each wall space for storing bins of potatoes or enclosed rubber containers for seldom-used items. Plan to install 6 levels of wall shelves spaced 12 inches apart, as one choice. Store canned goods on shelves reaching from 2 feet to 7 feet off the floor. Plan to use shelving at least 12 inches in depth, so you will have room to maneuver items easily.

Select high-quality shelving and hardware, because the weight of food items is significant. Purchase 1-inch thick oak boards for a typical country kitchen feeling. Use heavy-duty stainless steel shelving for a high-tech look. Buy metal wall shelving strips with small slots to hold brackets to use with either wood or metal shelves. Construct stand-alone shelves, if you desire, but secure them to the wall studs with 4-inch screws and an electric screwdriver in several places.

Nail up a strip of wood approximately 2 inches high along a whole shelf. Store breakable jars of pickles or condiments on this shelf. Secure the wood strip to keep jars from tumbling off at any time. Purchase long strips of finished wood trim to cut for this purpose.

Design heavy shelving at the floor level of the pantry to make mopping easier. Store items up off the floor, if you want to sweep and mop under the lowest shelf on a regular basis. Install shelves made of 2-inch thick boards to hold heavy canisters of flour, jugs of water or over-sized cans of food. Place these sturdier shelves about 8 inches off the floor.