- measuring tape,
- 1x2 red oak boards,
- 1 inch PVC pipe,
- 1.5 inch wood screws,
- pvc pipe cutter,
- drill/driver,
- 1 inch paddle bit,
- normal drill bit,
- Phillips head screw bit (aka 4-way).
A recent plumbing repair necessitated the removal of everything in my pantry (master bath plumbing access panel is in the back of the kitchen pantry). I told myself that I must use this as a reason to reorganize my pantry. The large amount of wasted space on the back of the pantry door seemed like a great place to begin. When I investigated with my measuring tape, I found that I had slightly more than 4 inches of clearance between the door and the pantry shelves. Inspired by many internet posts which used towel bars, curtain rods, or similar items to hold pot lids, I looked around my house to see what I had to work with. I came up with PVC pipe and red oak 1 by 2 inch boards. Theses are nicely inexpensive materials.
Using a paddle bit that matched the diameter of my PVC pipe, I drilled about a quarter inch into the end boards. This created recessed spots for the ends of the PVC pipes. When the end boards were screwed down tightly to the back board, the PVC pipe was held quite firmly. After measuring my door, I cut the back pieces 22 inches long and the side pieces 4 inches long. On my 24 inch wide door, this left an inch of space at each end, so that the racks would not catch on the sides of the door frame as the door was closed. The PVC pipe pieces were cut to about 22.5 inches, so that around a quarter inch would be recessed inside the end boards.
The final result is very functional, and helps my cabinets by eliminating the pile of pot lids that fell each time I opened the cabinet door. I may get ambitious at some future date, and paint the entirety white.
Stay tuned for Part 2: spice racks!