Revitalizing a worn out pantry

Before

I should be better about pictures! These are my earliest pictures of the project, halfway through demo. The vertical tracks held tired melamine shelving. (Or even worse, wire-rack shelving!) The narrow shelf unit on the right of the water heater was also beat up, and unstable as the melamine side was bowing out and the shelves precariously perched on their little plastic studs. Above the fridge on the left, shelves that were deep and inaccessible without a tall stool to reach back. And, as you can easily see, walls with a busy blue and white pattern to hide the many, many dents, scars, and other drywall imperfections.

Down to (almost) studs

The damage to the drywall needed extensive patching; many plastic anchors to dig out and patch, wavy walls and popped screws, and gouges. The floor was covered in stick-on square tiles, which had over time loosened, been chipped and exposed the subfloor to leaks and moisture. (The electrical panel's front cover was removed just to make drywall repair easier.)

New (waterproof!) flooring

And it's cheap ($2/sq. ft, ~$85 for the 2 packs to cover.) This floating click-fit flooring is entirely waterproof itself, and the tight joints will keep any moisture effectively above board for easy cleanup.

A uniquely different storage solution (part 1)

We can't hang many shelves on the back wall, since we have the electrical panel to accommodate, plus the fridge door. But, there was ~7" of space to the side of the fridge... so, the solution is clear! 250lb heavy-duty drawer slides to suspend a gliding panel of shelving capable of storing dozens of cans, bottles, and other heavy kitchen staples.

A uniquely different storage solution (part 2)

The space above the fridge is difficult to use well - so deep, yet so high that even a tall stool would make it difficult to reach the back. But some simple deep shelves, and long hardboard boxes, we have massive light storage possibilities.

More durable shelving completes the space

The old shelf layout on the right was dictated by the heater and its plumbing, but we could definitely improve the strength of materials! 3/4" plywood instead of 1/2" particle board. Water-resistant varathane finish instead of melamine. Solid wood shelf cleats, fastened by screws, instead of small plastic shelf tabs. This will hold up heavy cans, bottles, whatever we throw at it.

Clean, strong, and stocked up

All the finishing touches (trim paint, ceiling repainted, quarter-round on the floor perimeter) and shelves are ready to be filled. So much nicer to use, and vastly more usable storage.

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