Pantry Cabinets & Storage in Los Angeles, CA

Signs your kitchen is short a pantry

Most Los Angeles houses sit on slabs or shallow crawlspaces with no basement, so food storage overflows into the garage once the uppers are full. Watch for these:

• Bulk-store paper goods and water live in the garage or a bedroom closet.
• Small appliances crowd the counter because no cabinet takes them.
• Deep upper corners hold things nobody has seen in a year.
• A 1940s–50s kitchen has one broom closet and no other tall storage.
• A household of several generations shops for more people than the kitchen was built for.

Tall pantry cabinet sizes: depth, width and height

Depth is the decision people get wrong most often. A deep pantry holds more on paper, but items at the back disappear unless the shelves slide out.

Line the top of the pantry up with the top of the wall cabinets so the kitchen reads as one run. On a 9-foot ceiling, a short cabinet or open space above the pantry can take seasonal items.

Are pull out pantry systems worth it?

For deep cabinets, almost always. Pull-out hardware turns a dark 24-inch-deep cave into storage you can see in one glance.

• Roll-out shelves inside a tall pantry: each shelf slides forward on full-extension glides; good for heavy cans and small appliances.
• Full-height pull-out: the whole pantry slides out like a drawer, with shelves on both sides; ideal for a 9- to 15-inch gap.
• Door-mounted racks: shallow baskets on the back of the doors; good for spices and packets, but the doors get heavy.
• Swing-out units: hinged inner shelves that fold out of a wide pantry for two layers of storage.
• Base pull-outs: trash and recycling, tray dividers, and spice pull-outs next to the range.

Weight ratings matter. Check what each glide is rated for before loading a pull-out with cast iron or bulk water.

Butler's pantry cabinets in a hallway or dining nook

Many older Los Angeles houses have a short hall or pass-through between the kitchen and dining room. That space can often take a butler’s pantry: base cabinets with a counter, a few uppers or open shelves, and sometimes a beverage fridge.

• Leave enough walkway; about 36 inches of clear passage is a common comfort minimum
• Use 12- to 15-inch deep bases in very narrow halls instead of full 24-inch bases
• Pick a countertop that matches or complements the kitchen; a prefab top often fits
• Add under-cabinet lighting, since halls rarely have good light
• Plan any new outlet or sink with a licensed electrician or plumber and the right permit

A beverage sink or new circuit is plumbing or electrical work, which means pulling a permit (LADBS handles that inside Los Angeles city limits; other cities run their own building offices) and hiring licensed trades. Adcom supplies and installs the cabinetry; the hookups are separate work.

Built in pantry or furniture-style pantry?

A built-in pantry is fastened to the wall and matched to the kitchen, with scribed fillers and crown that tie into the run. A freestanding cabinet can move with you but rarely uses the full height of the wall.

When a pantry has to wrap around a beam, fit under a sloped ceiling or fill an oddly sized alcove, made-to-measure boxes are often the cleanest solution; see custom kitchen cabinets. For standard walls, tall units from semi-custom and stock lines usually fit with a filler or two. Tall cabinets should always be fastened into wall studs, which matters in a region that sees regular earthquakes. Ask whoever installs it how a loaded 96-inch unit will be secured to the framing, and check that the company holds a CSLB C-6 cabinet and millwork license before work starts.

Pantry cabinets in Los Angeles kitchens: storage solutions for small spaces

Condos, galley kitchens and older bungalows all run short on storage. These kitchen storage solutions add capacity without adding square footage:

• Corner pull-outs or blind-corner organizers to reach the dead space in an L-shaped kitchen
• Drawer bases instead of door bases so pots and dishes lift out without kneeling
• Toe-kick drawers for baking sheets and trays
• Tray dividers above the oven or next to the range
• Tall uppers to the ceiling where codes and the hood layout allow
• Inserts for existing cabinets: roll-out trays and organizers can often be added to boxes you are keeping

Small layouts are covered further on the small kitchen remodel page.

What adds to the cost of pantry storage?

• Height and width: a 96-inch double pantry uses far more material than a single 84-inch unit.
• Pull-out hardware: roll-outs, full-height pull-outs and swing-out units cost more than fixed shelves.
• Box type: stock and semi-custom tall units cost less than made-to-measure pantries.
• Finish and panels: finished end panels on an exposed pantry side, and matching crown.
• Counters and lighting: a butler’s pantry adds a countertop, possibly lighting and electrical work by others.
• Installation: tall cabinets need careful plumbing and stud anchoring, especially on uneven floors.

Planning a pantry at the Sherman Way showroom

1. 1

   Take stock of what you store

   Small appliances, bulk goods, baking supplies, cleaning products: list the bulky items first, since they set shelf heights.

2. 2

   Measure the space

   Width, depth to any door trim, ceiling height, and where outlets and switches fall.

3. 3

   Compare pull-outs in person

   Open roll-outs and full-height pull-outs at the showroom and feel how they glide when loaded.

4. 4

   Match the kitchen

   Pick a door and finish that matches your new or existing cabinets and hold it against your counter and floor samples.

5. 5

   Confirm the plan and order

   Every dimension is rechecked against the real wall, and it is worth asking when the order is likely to land.

Why plan it here: cabinetry comes in a range of colors and sizes, local and imported lines sit side by side, and countertops, tile and flooring are on display in the same visit. Pantries are a common request in Burbank and Glendale homes, Santa Monica condos and kitchens across the City of Los Angeles. For keeping the new boxes in shape, read cabinet care in dry Valley heat.