His Builder Planned Two Rows of Pantry Shelves: He Built an Entire Walk-In Storage System Instead
A 5-by-8-foot walk-in pantry was supposed to receive two rows of shelves mounted on white metal brackets. The builder’s plan would have provided basic storage along the walls, leaving the rest of the room open. But homeowner and Imgur creator Chasmann saw room for something beyond standard pantry shelving.
He took on the project himself, starting with hand-drawn measurements before building wood-framed shelves, a tall storage tower, and a counter-height surface. It was his first attempt at this type of construction, with the work extending from the bare walls to the stained shelf fronts.
The finished pantry holds dishes, kitchen appliances, food containers, and baskets across several storage levels. One wall has no shelving at all, raising an interesting question about how he used the narrow room without filling every available surface.
The builder planned two rows of shelves for the empty pantry
The original pantry measured 5 feet by 8 feet, with a rectangular floor plan, plain walls, and a recessed ceiling light. The doorway opened toward the back wall, with enough depth for storage along the sides.
According to the owner, the builder intended to install two rows of shelves supported by white metal brackets. He chose to build his own system before that plan was carried out, using the room’s depth for several types of storage rather than two shelf runs.
He drew the shelving plan before cutting the wood
The project began with pencil drawings on graph paper, including measurements for shelf heights, framing, plywood, and vertical supports. Notes show calculations for the wood pieces needed to assemble the storage sections.
The plans account for a narrow upright cabinet and longer shelves supported by framing along the walls. Building the pieces to fit the available dimensions allowed the storage to follow the room’s shape without relying on prefabricated shelving units across every wall.
One wall received patterned wallpaper instead of shelves
The left wall was covered with botanical wallpaper featuring fine branches, leaves, and tree shapes in muted gray tones. The pattern runs from the doorway toward the back of the pantry, opposite the planned shelving.
Leaving this wall without storage preserved a clear side of the passage. The wallpaper also introduced a finished surface before the wood shelves and cabinets were installed, giving the narrow room a decorative element without adding more furniture.
Wood framing formed the shelves along two walls
Wooden supports were installed along the back and right walls, creating an L-shaped arrangement of shelves. The framing shows crosspieces beneath the future shelf surfaces, with vertical supports and plywood sections forming the lower compartments.
A tall, narrow white shelving unit occupies the back-left corner. Its small compartments provide a different storage format from the long horizontal shelves, making space for items that would otherwise share a wide shelf.
The lower section became a counter with storage underneath
The lower right-hand section was built at counter height, with open compartments beneath the work surface. More shelf framing extended above it, connecting with the shorter runs across the back wall.
The construction photographs show drills, clamps, plywood panels, and measuring tools throughout the room. The shelves were assembled in place, with the framing fitted around the corner rather than using separate freestanding bookcases.
White shelves and stained wood fronts completed the storage system
The completed shelves have white horizontal surfaces with stained wood along the exposed front edges. The warm wood finish continues around the corners, connecting the back and right walls across the different shelf levels.
The tall white tower has narrow compartments from near the floor to the upper shelves, while the back wall includes a lower section with space for larger items. The counter-height surface extends along the right wall, with open storage beneath it.
Unlike the builder’s proposed metal-bracket shelves, the completed system uses wood framing and fitted compartments to create a continuous arrangement across two walls.
The stocked pantry holds more than food
The finished photographs show the tall tower holding small appliances, boxes, dishes, and a stand mixer. The back shelves contain serving plates, bowls, and kitchen equipment, with a countertop oven positioned on the lower work surface.
Along the right wall, open shelves hold containers, cookware, and food supplies. Patterned baskets occupy the lower compartments, keeping smaller packages off the main counter.
Lighting beneath one shelf illuminates the back work area, where the countertop oven sits. The setup gives the pantry a place for appliance storage and access, though the photographs do not establish whether the oven is intended to operate in that position.
The before-and-after shows how the 5-by-8-foot room changed
The original space had bare walls, an unfinished floor, and no fitted storage. The completed room has wood-look flooring, botanical wallpaper, a tall shelving tower, stained wood shelf fronts, and open compartments for appliances and food supplies.
The builder’s proposed two rows of metal-bracket shelves were never installed. Instead, the homeowner used the back and right walls for a fitted storage system while leaving the wallpapered side open for access.
The result serves as both a pantry and a storage room for kitchen equipment, with dishes, appliances, and food occupying separate sections.
All project photographs and construction details are credited to Imgur creator Chasmann.