14 Genius Pantry Door Upgrades That Will Elevate Your Kitchen

Best Of Hometalk
by Best Of Hometalk

If you have a pantry in your home, odds are the door lacks character and function. But with a bit of creativity and some basic supplies, you can make some simple changes that will update your pantry door from boring to extraordinary. We’ve put together a list of inspiring kitchen pantry doors that will help you elevate your kitchen’s storage area by leaps and bounds.


1. Paint Your Own Shabby Chic Pantry Door

Add some Tuscan charm to your pantry by distressing the surface of a cherry red coat of chalk paint. Follow along as this Hometalker creates a distressed paint finish and then supplements it with a vinyl cut-out for the perfect finishing touch. This is a simple way to transform a boring builder grade door into something with some serious personality.

Pantry Door (Under a Texas Sky )

See post: Under a Texas Sky|Distressed Pantry Door DIY


2. Add Function To Your Space With Sliding Pantry Doors


The next time you’re at the flea market, don’t pass by that vintage door without a second thought – it may be the perfect addition to your pantry. All you need is some elbow grease, a can of paint and a bit of hardware to turn it into a beautiful sliding vintage pantry door. Plus, it’s the perfect solution for small spaces where there isn’t enough room for a door to swing open!

Pantry Door Ideas (Lynn Fern)

See post: Lynn Fern|Sliding Pantry Door


3. Dress Up Plain White Pantry Doors

Are your boring white double pantry doors screaming for some personality? Give them what they want! Do as Kandy did and start with a dark latex paint for the background and then use chalk to outline your decorative design… it’s a genius worry-free way to prep for any mural. Fill in the chalk lines with latex paints in a variety of bold colors.

White Pantry Door (Kandy Scott)

See post: Kandy Scott|Kitchen Pantry Doors Mural


4. Add A Labeled Glass Pantry Door

Add a vintage vibe to your kitchen by swapping out your existing builder grade pantry door with an antique half glass door from your local salvage yard or flea market. Don’t stop there though; apply vinyl letters in your favorite food-related phrase for the perfect finishing touch.

Glass Pantry Door (Beja Foster)

See post: Beja Foster|Antique Pantry Door


5. Make Your Own Vintage Pantry Door Organizer

Take advantage of an underutilized area of your kitchen by making a small farmhouse style pantry out of an old wooden screen door. This Hometalker painted hers red, and then organized the contents of her pantry with coordinating vintage jars and attached custom black and white labels for a cohesive look.

Pantry Door Organizer (Rachel @ The Olde Farmhouse…)

See post: Rachel @ The Olde Farmhouse…|DIY Farmhouse Pantry


6. Add A Chalkboard To Your Pantry Door

Give your pantry door a functional makeover by adding a coat of chalkboard paint to an inside panel. It’s the perfect spot for meal planning, grocery lists or notes to family members. The kids will love to draw on it too. And you can simply close the door when guests visit so your lists are out of sight!

Chalkboard Pantry Door (Andrea)

See post: Andrea|Chalkboard Pantry Door


7. Build a Screen Door From Scratch

If vintage isn’t your style, consider making your own screen door out of a few pieces of wood from the lumber yard. This is especially effective for irregularly-sized doors since you can customize the measurements to your space. This Hometalker even added screen door hardware and a simple hook and eye lock.

Pantry Screen Door (Ashley @ Domestic Imperfection)

See post: Ashley @ Domestic Imperfection DIY Pantry Screen Door


8. Add Openness With A Chicken Wire Window

You can transform a boring white pantry door by cutting a rectangular hole in the middle and replacing it with trim and chicken wire. The trim can be painted a contrasting color for some extra farmhouse charm. Simply sandwich the chicken wire between slats of MDF, insert into the rectangular hole and cover with the trim.  

Chicken Wire Window Pantry Door (Nicole)

See post: Nicole|Pantry Door Upgrade


9. Be Daring With Your Pantry Door

Kitchen pantry doors tend to be quite mundane, so why not add some bold color with a can of paint? Here, a cheerful red color was chosen to coordinate with the other red accents in the room. Last, attach a vinyl “pantry” decal for an eye-catching typographical finishing touch.

Frosted Glass Pantry Door(The 2 Seasons)

See post: The 2 Seasons|Update A Room With A Painted Door


10. Add Some Country Style To Your Pantry Door

Molding and a decal do wonders for this basic white door, turning it into the perfect country style entrance to the pantry. The key is to add three different sized rectangles made from molding along with a windowpane vinyl decal. And last but not least, vintage style letters spell out the word “pantry” at the top of the door.

DIY Pantry Door (Jackie D.)

See post: Jackie D.|Pantry Door - Makeover From Original Door


11. Sliding Pantry Doors Save The Day

If you’re missing a pantry altogether, do what this Hometalker did and add a closet-style pantry onto an existing wall. Sliding barn doors add both style and function to an otherwise utilitarian pantry in a kitchen that lacked personality.  

Sliding Pantry Doors (Julie at Build, Sew, Reap)

See post: Julie at Build, Sew, Reap|New Pantry Build With Sliding Barn-Style Doors


12. Forget The Pantry Door Organizer – Try Open Shelving

If your kitchen lacks a pantry, make your own by creating an open shelving system to store dry goods right in plain sight. It will force you to be organized, while also allowing you to keep tabs on your pantry’s inventory.


Tip: place each jar next to its contents before pouring it in to gauge whether it will fit; this way you can avoid having to remove it when you find out (too late) that the jar is too small.

Open Door Food Pantry (Lela Burris)

See post: Lela Burris|Create An Open Shelving Pantry With Ikea Shelves


13. Make A Back of The Pantry Door Organizer

Take advantage of an often underutilized area… the back of the pantry door! For very little money, you can build a simple wooden box that holds foil, plastic wrap, baggies and more. And here’s the best part – the wooden panels are strategically placed so that you can take a ziploc bag out without removing the box. If you’re a renter, you might try creating an over the door pantry door organizer in this same style to avoid damaging the door.

Over the Door Pantry Organizer (Shanty2Chic)

See post: Shanty2Chic|DIY Foil and More Organizer


14. Try Farmhouse Style Pantry Doors

No wall space for sliding pantry doors? No problem! Opt for double pantry doors in that same farmhouse style. This Hometalker used tongue and groove stock board and dark stain to create a stunning set of doors to hide her storage area. Finish with a set of chrome handles and coordinating hinges for a polished effect.

Farmhouse Style Pantry Doors (Erica Van Slyke)

See post: Erica Van Slyke|Double Pantry Barn Door DIY – Under $90


It turns out that the humble pantry door is a versatile element of the kitchen, thanks to the many upgrades that can be done to add style, function and personality. All it takes is some ingenuity, a few hours and a trip to the home improvement store to give your pantry door the makeover that it deserves.


If you’ve enhanced your pantry door in any way, be sure to share your project in the comments section below. And don’t forget to save these ideas on Pinterest for future reference!


Written for the Hometalk community by: Faith Provencher | Design Fixation

Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
Next