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Let me be honest! Our pantry was a wreck. Our wire shelving wasn't working anymore. Food and pantry items would slip through the cracks, literally! I needed help, and The Home Edit Team Nashville came to the rescue.
If you are not familiar with The Home Edit, it all started by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. Originally from California, and now living in Nashville, this organizing duo wanted to combine conventional organization with interior design. They wrote the book, The Home Edit, and it became a New York Times best seller.
The Home Edit Nashville's Pantry Transformation
With celebrity fans and clients like Reese Witherspoon, Khloé Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Thomas Rhett, The Home Edit has become a national success story. In addition to their book, they also landed a deal with The Container Store to promote their line of home organizing systems for the pantry, refrigerator, kitchen, bathroom, closets, and laundry.
The Home Edit team is located in Nashville with offices in New York and Los Angeles as well. They provide full-service and virtual home editing. So I called the Home Edit Nashville team in to work their magic on my kitchen pantry.
This was the amazing result…
My Pantry Before & After!
From this before picture below, you can see I was in desperate need of help. I must have been fooling myself, because I thought I was overall an organized person! Yikes!
But life gets busy, and with two teenage boys to feed, oftentimes, life get messy too. Thankfully, The Home Edit team offered hope. We worked together on a plan that was customized to our family's needs. In addition to this pantry, they also added an overflow of backstock in another cabinet for canned and boxed goods, along with bread.
Wire Shelves No More
But let me start from the beginning. Before the team came to do their thing, I knew I had to do something about those wire shelves. Rather than take them down, I decided to cover them up and use the existing shelves.
There was no need to remove all those anchors, because the shelves were sturdy. I just wanted solid shelves to avoid food and small packages from falling through the wire from chips and crackers to macaroni.
Here are the 7 easy steps I did to customize my wire shelves for less than $100!
Transform Your Wire Shelves into Custom Wood Shelves
Step 1 – Measure
The first step is to measure the shelves' width and depth. Our shelves were 37″ x 12″. I had the shelves cut one inch shorter so they could fit into the closet without being too tight. This left 1/2″ on each side width was easily covered by the trim.
The front of the shelves were 2-1/2″. The trim needs to completely cover the front, and I cut the trim the entire 37″ to completely cover the front of the shelf.
Step 2 – Get Supplies
After measuring, head to your local hardware store for supplies. I went to Home Depot, but Lowe's or any hardware store will have what you need including:
- 3/4 Birch Plywood (for shelves)
- 2-1/2″ Solid Wood Trim (I used the Egg & Dart hardwood casing design)
- Screws or Nails (I strongly recommend using a nail gun)
- Paint (I used SW Alabaster White (SW 7008 available as most paint stores)
- Painting Supplies (roller, brush, painter's tape, drop cloth, paint tray)
Home Depot has these giant 4×8′ sheets of birch plywood. I love these, because I got eight shelves from from $55 sheet. You can also get them in smaller boards of 2×4′.
You can get the boards cut right there for the size you need. Just ask for help for loading and cutting these heavy boards.
This is a big help, because you won't need to cut anything for perfectly custom shelving! I had mine cut 36×12″ so there would be 1/2″ on either side so they could angle them in place once I got them home.
There are lots of design options for the trim. The most important things to remember are select hardwood not the vinyl, and select the right size to cover the front of the shelf wire. I needed the 2-1/2″ width.
Once again, have these cut by the hardware staff. I had mine cut 37″ long for each shelf. Remember to get one trim piece cut for each shelf you need.
Step 3 – Paint
Now that you have supplies, make sure your pantry is cleared out for painting. Once I had taken everything out of our pantry, I saw how dingy our walls were as well. So, I decided to give the walls a good coat of paint first.
My favorite paint color in all the world to brighten up walls and closets is Sherwin Williams Alabaster White. You can get this color at any paint store. Ask for SW7008.
I find using a roller to paint the boards is easiest. You can paint the shelves in the garage or outside, or just right in the closet. If it's a top shelf and you can see underneath, you might want to paint both sides for aesthetic reasons; otherwise, I would make it easy on yourself and just paint the top side of each board.
Step 4 – Place Boards on the Shelves
Once the paint is dry, if you haven't already done so, place the boards onto the shelves. I recommend placing them at an angle to make them easier to slide into place.
This is our son Brandon with Nashville's lovely Home Edit team MacKinnon and Susan. We were so thrilled with how quickly they transformed our pantry into something efficient and beautiful.
Step 5 – Add Trim
The next step is to add the trim pieces. I used 2-1/2″ hardwood trim in the Egg & Dart design. The width was perfect, and this pattern added a touch of casual elegance to our pantry.
I highly recommend using a nail gun to add the trim. You don't have to buy one and/or use it yourself. Ask any handyman you know, and I'm sure they would be glad to help. It literally took our carpenter friend, Jared, less than 15 minutes to add all the trim using his nail gun.
You can also use finishing nails or screws to add the trim. Just be careful not to split the wood. You may also add a bit of wood glue to help adhere the trim, but it's not necessary. You may want to add a bit of wood filler to touch up any small holes left from the nails before painting.
Step 6 – Paint Trim
Next, paint the trim with a small roller or paint brush. This is a great time to touch up any scuff marks on the walls.
See how pretty the Alabaster White color looks! I love a bright white pantry and closet. It just makes it easier to see everything when you don't have a light in your pantry.
Step 7 – Organize Pantry Using The Home Edit Method
Now your pantry is bright, beautiful, and functional! You are ready to apply all the Home Edit tips and tricks. You can most certainly use their services, or you can buy The Home Edit book and do it yourself! You will love their custom labels and containers!
Their book is filled with all kinds of ideas for every organizational need your family has for pantries, drawers, closets and cabinets. Focus on using clear containers, bins, and turntables so that every pantry item has a place to call home. I especially love this back of the door unit that seemed to double our pantry space!
Send me your before and after pantry photos. Everyone loves a good makeover!
I’m here for YOU! Send your decorating questions to buffie@buffieshomedecorating.com.
Much love & joy,
Download my guide on all the details of this project – How I Organized My Pantry Using The Home Edit Method!
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