A very practical DIY project for small kitchens that can be done on a low budget. A few days ago we were talking about the basics we would put in a survival kit to be prepared at home for any eventuality. And we also pointed out a common problem: the lack of storage space.
If you don’t have a storage room, a garage, an attic or even a patio, spare terraces or similar, storing water and tins of food can be an almost impossible mission. Hence, the DIY project we bring you today is most interesting, as it allows you to take advantage of a space that was practically unused to have a huge shelf-pantry, although logically the idea can be transferred to other parts of the house.
Building our own mobile pantry
We found the DIY project on TikTok thanks to @homehacksidea, an expert in organizational tricks, who has expanded the storage possibilities by transforming a space next to the refrigerator into a pantry with a large storage capacity.
To do this, he used a prefabricated piece of furniture as a base, in this case a model from IKEA, as well as a functional accessory that serves to give mobility to the whole and that can be found in different formats. The process was as follows.
We start by assembling the piece of furniture that will serve as a pantry. In this case, we have opted for the Billy bookcase from IKEA, a versatile piece of furniture with several options in terms of size and design. Its structure allows us to take advantage of the height of the space without the need to modify the wall or carry out complex installations.
In addition, its depth usually fits well in narrow spaces, facilitating its installation in small places, although on this occasion a mobile base is also going to be incorporated so that the shelf can be removed from the space whenever we want.
The tiktoker uses a mobile base originally designed to make it easier to move heavy appliances such as washing machines or refrigerators. This accessory, known as Washing Machine Stand Movable Base, can be found in stores such as Amazon for less than 25 euros, and is available in various shapes and sizes.
It allows the cabinet to slide sideways with less effort and its load capacity is sufficient to support the bookcase with a multitude of stored objects, such as cans, even bottles of water or oil. All you have to do is fix it to the base of the shelf with sturdy screws and you’re done.
In addition, to facilitate the use of the pantry and to make it easy to take things out and put them back, a front handle has been installed that allows the structure to be moved with a simple gesture. In this way, the cupboard slides smoothly to allow unobstructed access to its interior.
One of the benefits of this project is that it does not require permanent modifications to the home and, unlike the built-in wardrobes with fittings that we can have made to measure when we have a kitchen installed, this solution can be dismantled or relocated according to the needs of the space.
