5 Ingenious Budget Pantries Hacked From IKEA Storage Basics

Want more kitchen storage, without breaking the bank? Do you dream of organized shelving and a perfectly posh pantry? Well, you’re in luck. Gone are the days when having a dreamy pantry means forking over big bucks to a contractor for from-scratch shelving. Homeowners and renters alike are getting super creative with IKEA basics, transforming everything from bookshelves to cubbies into pantries big and small. Here are five we love—all created without a single kitchen cabinet!

Jenna, from the blog Jenna Sue Design Co., transformed the IKEA PAX wardrobe cabinets into a built-in storage dream, filling the interior with IKEA’s KOMPLEMENT wire baskets for an additional storage method. The result? A sprawling pantry that houses everything from small electrics to dry goods and paper towels.

The addition of crown molding makes the whole thing look like a million bucks (despite being done on a budget).

If you have a small space that might not have a natural spot for a full pantry, make like Jessica, from the blog Petal and Ply, and utilize IKEA’s KALLAX cubby system to make a mini storage pantry. After a small makeover (including adding a back to the previously open cubbies and sticking on vintage-inspired labels), Jessica filled the cubbies with beautiful kitchen accessories for a storage solution that is both functional and pretty.

We’ve seen IKEA’s BILLY bookcases used in so many ways throughout the home, but this might be our favorite. Chrissi from First Home Love Life remade two Billy bookcases into an open pantry system that would make any homeowner jealous. Dry goods in streamlined jars and pops here and there of “life” (read: those lemons and limes, and the cute little plant!) keep it looking cool, not cluttered.

Ingrid from Now At-Home Mom put her own stamp on the BILLY bookcase-turns-pantry moment, adding big storage bins, jars, doors, and more. The trio of cabinets provides ample storage for her and her young family. It’s a more generous amount of storage space than some walk-in pantries!

For a more classic, traditional look, take inspiration from this amazing IKEA hack by A Charming Nest. She combined two HEMNES cabinets and added molding and trim to make them look like one big built-in unit.