Build a Walk-In Pantry for More Kitchen Storage Space:
Frame the Walls, Run Wiring, Hang Some Drywall, and Install a Door
© 2010 by Kelly Smith all rights reserved
A common complaint in most homes is the lack of kitchen storage space. In older homes, the trend was to have smaller kitchens. In modern homes, the trend is to open the kitchen up more to the rest of the home; open to the great room is trendy. While the selling points are amenities like granite countertops and Energy Star appliances, in many cases, storage space is sadly lacking.
One solution is to build a walk-in pantry. This is a particularly good solution when the kitchen connects to the garage. It's easy to carve out a bit of garage space. The initial task is to pick the best location.
In the best situation, you can locate it in the corner of the garage and extend it just past the door connecting the garage to the kitchen. That way, 2 of the walls are already there and only 2 additional walls have to be framed up and tied in.
Lay Out Your Pantry Walls
Always check your local building code before you start; then you can lay out the walls. The code will probably let you frame with either wood or metal studs. The price is comparable but galvanized steel studs and track is easier to work with.
In most cases, the pantry will be rectangular shaped and for the long wall, you can just snap your chalk line for the bottom plate parallel with the existing wall and then use the 3-4-5 rule or even a framing square for the short wall. For details of the framing process, refer to this basement framing article. During the lay out process, remember the rough opening for a door into the garage.
Wiring the New Room
Again, refer to your building code. Chances are this is going to be a fairly minimal job. In most cases an overhead light rounds out the requirements. If you need electrical outlets, run your Romex before you hang any drywall or install fiberglass insulation batts.
Hang and Finish the Drywall
When I built my pantry, I found this to be the easiest process:
- I hung the inside first to take advantage of the overhead fluorescent lights in the garage. Just common sense.
- Next, stuff the insulation batts between the studs from the garage side.
- Hang the drywall on the exterior of the pantry.
- Attach corner bead to the outside corners. With the configuration described above, that’s just one stick on the out side.
- Tape and float the walls. This will take a couple of days since you’ll have to allow time for the first coat to dry before you float it out.
- Sand, texture the walls, prime and paint
That’s about it. The rest of the job depends on what you like. You’ll want to choose your flooring. I went with laminate, but tile, epoxy, or vinyl are good choices as well. Next, install the door and baseboard. Then decide on cabinets or racks, home-built or store bought.
Additional Resources for this Project
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