Need a pantry?
Have you considered turning an under-utilized closet into a pantry?
I’m very lucky to have a main-floor laundry room between my kitchen and garage. The previous owner had installed a mudroom closet in there — totally sensible — but since I never actually used it, that closet was just sitting there, annoying me with wasted potential.
Meanwhile, my kitchen cupboards were bursting at the seams. Something had to give.
So, I decided to transform that unused space into a closet pantry — the easiest, fastest DIY pantry makeover you’ll ever see.
And yes, I 100% cheated by buying a couple of pre-fab drawer units because… drawers are my nemesis. (We all have one, right?)
Step 1: Remove the Doors
It started as a builder-standard double-door closet. I could have left the doors on, but then I’d have to shut the laundry room door every time I wanted a spice or ingredient. No thanks.
Off came the closet doors — the perfect blank slate for a DIY closet pantry.
Step 2: The Secret Weapon – Pre-Fab Drawer Unit
I began with this drawer unit (Canadian Tire, about $169 CAD on sale). (If you’re in the U.S., you’ll likely find it for much less.)
Each drawer is deep enough to hold canned goods, Costco-sized items, and all my baking supplies.
Sure, I could have built it myself, but I factored in an “annoyance fee” for building drawers… and this route came out way cheaper than therapy.
I placed the drawer unit in the centre of the closet and then finagled the rest of the space to fit the storage containers I already had.
Step 3: Plan Storage as You Go
This closet pantry was completely improvised — no master plan, no measurements — just building section by section as I figured out what I actually needed.
The right corner of the closet is angled and shallow, so it wouldn’t fit cans or boxes. Perfect for spices and hiding the mop!
Using leftover ¾” plywood, I cut triangular shelves and supported them with MDF braces drilled into the wall and the centre drawer unit.
Shelf spacing? Totally based on the height of my trusty Tupperware spice containers. (Amazon affiliate link — see disclosure at the bottom of the page.)
Pretty great, right? A pantry with custom spice shelving? Chef’s kiss.
Step 4: Build a Simple Frame for More Shelves
On the opposite side of the drawers, I built a rectangular frame from ¾” plywood and pocket holes, then attached it to the centre unit with screws.
Add in a few shelves of varying heights, and suddenly there’s room for bins, chips, and (let’s be honest) dog treats.
It wasn’t beautiful yet — but a little trim and paint can fix anything.
Step 5: Add Trim and Paint for a Polished Look
I ripped 6″ MDF baseboards into 1¼” strips to use as face trim. A dab of wood glue, a few finishing nails, some wood filler, and a quick sand later — boom.
Then I painted everything in untinted white cupboard paint for that clean, built-in look.
The shelves don’t go all the way to the top of the closet pantry (because I can’t reach up there anyway). The upper space hides my never-used fondue pot, rarely-used vases, and almost-never-used Tupperware.
Practical minimalism at its finest.
It’s absolutely perfect for my needs AND, if I ever decide I need a mudroom closet again, only the spice shelves have actually been attached to the wall. The rest is easily disassembled and taken out!
Step 6: Fill It and Enjoy!
Bottom left: large bins for grocery bags, off-season shoes, beach towels, and dog cookies.
Above: my Tazo tea shelf (because of course), baskets for onions and potatoes, cereal and condiment shelves, and the tallest one for my chip cravings.
Above the drawers in the centre I have my “goodie station”.
The drawer unit holds canned goods because I can easily pull them out and grab things from the back if needed.
Finally, my weird corner section has my little spice collection and my floor cleaners. (This Bissell Crosswave has been my saving grace – can’t recommend highly enough!)
And all of it? Hidden neatly behind the laundry room door. You’d never even know a full closet pantry was tucked in there.
Step 7: Admire (and Reward Yourself with Snacks)
The “beasties” follow me in every time because they know the rule — if Mom gets a treat, they get one too.
All in, this closet-to-pantry conversion cost about $425 CAD, including the pre-fab units.
Not bad for a weekend project that turned wasted space into fully functional storage!
From a useless closet to a hardworking closet pantry in one weekend?
Not too shabby, eh?
Closet Pantry Takeaway
If your kitchen cabinets are full and you’ve got an unused closet nearby — transform it!
A closet pantry doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or custom-built. With a pre-fab drawer unit, some plywood shelves, and a bit of paint, you can create a pantry that perfectly fits your needs and your snacks.
Trust me, once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
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Or the AI version (which is much neater, but the spelling is for shit)
