The Customizable Ikea Shelving Units You Can Use For A Pantry Makeover

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If you've ever found yourself stuffing loose food and household items into all crevices of your pantry and thought, "There must be a better way," we're here to help — or rather, Ikea is. Included in our 10 Ikea hacks for remodeling your kitchen are some ingenious items that can give you a serious pantry makeover, including the KALLAX shelving unit.

It's basically a set of standalone removable shelves, though you can supplement them with drawer inserts — perfect for when you want to add extra storage but don't want the hassle or cost of installing extra cabinets. A 13-by-13-inch KALLAX cabinet unit with two drawers only costs $12, and you can get the larger, 16-cube unit for $140.

These units works perfectly in the pantry since the one- or two-drawer inserts are relatively small, meaning you can likely fit several side by side underneath your lowest pantry shelf. You can also create a pantry space from the ground up with KALLAX shelves and DRÖNA box inserts. The convenient shelving units are made from fiberboard with particle board drawers, so they're lightweight and easy to move into your food storage space. Plus, they're available in black, white, or a mock stained oak look, so you can either match your kitchen decor or the existing shelving in your pantry.

Once you add Ikea's KALLAX shelves into your pantry, you'll likely want to squeeze a few more into a closet storage area (or even other parts of your kitchen). Wherever you add these units, optimize the organization capacity of your removable drawers by adding in dividers — which are basically partitions to easily separate items in the same drawer, such as utensils and cleaning products. You can make DIY dividers from recycled cardboard, or buy them at home stores or Amazon. Just remember: Even though KALLAX shelves and drawers can help you store a lot of loose pantry items, they are made of pretty lightweight material, so don't overstuff them or stack them with heavy products.

While you're strolling the aisles at Ikea and enjoying some of the best Ikea food court items, look for additional smart storage items to incorporate into the pantry. For instance, get the most out of deep pantry shelves by using storage containers to house an abundance of paper goods, reusable napkins, or dinner party ware and table settings. If you still need more storage, or if you're working with a small kitchen or pantry space to begin with, look for additional space-maximizing products like over-the-door pantry organizers. The way your organize your kitchen and its storage spaces can make a big difference.