Pantry/Crawlspace access re-do

11 years ago

Long time lurker, first real question posted! The confession: I have 90s oak builder grade cabinets, white laminate countertops, and vinyl flooring with gigantic scratches. Oh, the horror. I'm saving money to do it right, but it's going to be a few years.

Unfortunately, the storage space in this kitchen is lacking, but I do have a pantry-type space that I would like to do something with. It currently has some narrow shelving, and I've added some hooks and lots of my stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else. It also happens to function as the wine cellar.

Dimensions:
4 feet wide, 6.5 feet deep, Ceiling at entrance is 8 feet, but slopes and is at 4 feet at the back of the closet (due to stairs).

Caveats:
There is crawlspace access in this area, so I cannot install something permanent that disallows access. I do not ever access it, but it's likely at some point in the future (not often) that a contractor would need to do so. Some emptying work is expected if someone ever needs access.

So what can I do with this space to make it more functional? I need organized storage space for both food and non-food items. The carpet is coming out when I replace the kitchen flooring in a couple of months.

EDIT: Added Dimensions and re-oriented photo.

This post was edited by julieboulangerie on Sun, Jan 6, 13 at 20:29

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Comments (6)

a2gemini
11 years ago
Julie - can you try to repost with the picture not sideways and dimensions of the space.
Thanks!
julieboulangerie
Original Author
11 years ago
Dimensions added to the original post.

I went to the Container Store today for another item and perused their shelving. I am thinking that some sort of track shelving that would allow shorter shelves on the top, longer on the bottom to accommodate the sloping ceiling, along with a few baskets might work. Then I could remove the shelves and brackets if I needed access to the crawlspace. I would need to find out how much weight some of them can hold, though.
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a2gemini
11 years ago
Our pantry is similar sized but without the slope but we have an angled wall.
I currently have fixed shelves but am thinking of removing the shelving and putting in a more modular type shelving.
For now, I just used a lot of Made Smart bins to keep things organized.
During our reno - we didn't have enough to modify the pantry - but we did put in a pocket door and motion sensor lighting (plus the bins)
User
11 years ago
Interesting problem ...

Is it any wider than the door? If so, put shelves there, from front to back, full wall width, and hang your cleaning tools on the side.
Can you put large turntables in the corner?
Open up the wall and put shallow shelves between the studs?

To retain access to the crawlspace, make a shelf unit on whee;ls to fit ion front of the access panel.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pantry turntables
User
11 years ago
Can the access to the crawl space not be put on an exterior wall? Even if the space under the pantry is on a separate full foundation, surely there is other access to under the house from somewhere? There's nothing wrong with putting an access door into the space that's reached from under the house from an adjacent exterior access door. I'd explore doing that before I'd do anything else.
julieboulangerie
Original Author
11 years ago
There is not other access to the crawlspace fit for a human- we do have foundation vent screens about a foot across and 6 inches high, but those are more for airflow than anything else. An alternative access door would be a several thousand dollar project.

Pantry/Crawlspace access re-do

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Pantry/Crawlspace access re-do

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