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The project:
We transformed an unused section of the front lounge room into a custom walk-in pantry by constructing a new stud wall and enclosing the space for food and appliance storage.
- Materials:
- Tools:
- Step 1:
Step one of the project started out with some duct tape and a measuring tape. The whole idea of a walk in pantry started out because we wanted a double door fridge with a water dispenser and we couldn’t fit it in the dedicated fridge space in our kitchen. So what do you do when your fridge doesn’t fit? You build an entire space around a new fridge you don’t own yet.
We hadn’t bought the new fridge yet so we took a few measurements from a couple of different fridges we liked and worked out a general size then roughly marked out the pantry around those measurements. We also wanted to keep a decent space still in the front lounge room and not take up too much room with the pantry but maximise the walk in pantry space for all the appliances and food storage we needed.
- Step 2:
After confirming measurements it was time to peel back the carpet and underlay, remove the carpet nails and transfer more accurate measurements to the slab. As the original layout of the hallway featured an angled design, we tried to incorporate that angled feature on the opposite side of the pantry. It meant sacrificing a small amount of space in the pantry however we thought it made the walkway flow better into the lounge room as you enter from the kitchen doorway.
- Step 3:
Once measurements were triple checked we could start the frame work for the pantry. I’m not much of a builder but throughout this project referring back to various how to videos and diy forums certainly got me through most of it. The bottom plate was fixed to the slab using ramset masonry galvanised ankascrews. I then had to climb through the ceiling space and attach more support timbers to allow me to fix a top plate in place. Studs were cut and fitted between the bottom and top plate. Before plastering I added extra studs and timbers around the corners so I could fix the plaster board more securely. Whilst in the ceiling space I had to remove a down light and re-run it into the front lounge room entrance walkway. I don’t condone doing your own electrical work, however this time all I needed to do was cut a new hole in the ceiling and poke the down light back through. No rewiring required. As a precaution always turn the power off.
- Step 4:
Once the frame was up we needed to cut in a doorway. The plan was to use the original pantry cupboard from the kitchen as the main entrance into the new walk in. All shelves were removed from the pantry and plaster between the new and old pantry was taken down revealing a timber stud right in the middle of our entrance.
I entered the ceiling space once again to confirm that the stud was not load bearing. Once confirmed I was able to remove it along with part of the top and bottom plate to give us a new doorway. As the original pantry had a PowerPoint for the microwave it was also in the way of the new entrance. This time we called on a qualified electrician to move it for us. Luckily there was enough length on the cables that it was able to be re-run in the location ready for the future fridge.
- Step 5:
Plastering. Relied heavily on Bunnings how to installation videos and the Gyprock installation instructions for this one. I made a lot of mess and I wasn’t breaking any speed records for fastest plastering job but we got there eventually. We weren’t 100% sure of our shelf configuration at this point of the project so we left the hallway cutout open. It did eventually get blocked out with timber and plastered both sides.
- Step 6:
Our cupboards were sourced from a local joiner. They were made as rectangular cupboard but needed to be altered by us to fit them neatly within our pantry shape design. After the cupboards were installed we were able to fit the skirting boards to tie in with the cupboard toe board. We also hung the cornice to prepare the room for painting stage. Again, how to videos and installation instructions were very helpful here. I also recommend a Bunnings mitre box for cutting neat angles on the cornice.
- Step 7:
Like the cupboards, the bench top needed to be cut to fit the custom layout of the pantry. I used a sheet of yellow tongue flooring to measure and mark out a template to transfer onto the bench top to ensure I only needed to cut it out once. The hallway cutout was filled in at this point also and plastered over.
- Step 8:
Bunnings was our one stop shop for all paint and paint supplies. I’m not much of a painter so my partner took most of the credit for this step. Ceiling white for the ceiling and a vivid white for the walls. In person the walls almost look like a light grey colour which ties in nicely with the cupboards.
- Step 9:
After the paint had dried we were able to hang our storage shelving. Our original plan was to use floating timber shelves however we were concerned with just how much weight might be going on them so we opted out for a rectangular style enclosed shelf with a solid backing for more support. Buildex rapid drive screws were my pick to fix the shelves into the timber studs. Although they weren’t specifically for this application, the screws gave me peace of mind whilst installing them as they felt very solid and secure. The pine wood rectangle box seen in the photos was used as a prop so we could sit the shelf on whilst fixing them to the wall. It meant that we didn’t have to hold it by hand in place and try to secure it at the same time.
- Step 10:
Tiles and splash back were installed here along with a neat strip lighting for added ambience. Similar to plastering, diy how to videos are a massive help when it’s your first time tiling. After the tiles were grouted the pantry was ready for use. We still haven’t decided on a fridge to go in yet however the extra storage and open shelves make organising and finding food and ingredients hassle free.
