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How to build a kitchen pantry

Close up of a Bunnings team member drilling the base of a wooden pantry into the pantry's wall

Overview

Flat pack cupboards make building your own kitchen a lot easier. All the boards are cut to size and come with pre-drilled holes. All you have to do is screw it all together. We show you everything you need to know to put together a pantry cupboard yourself. You also get a few tips to help make the job easier.

Steps

1Screwing kitchen pantry back panel to top

Put the back panel next to the top panel so the pre-drilled screw holes line up. Use an impact driver to gently drive the screws into place. Check to see if the joining edges have properly lined up. If not, tap them lightly into place with a rubber mallet and then tighten the screws.
Person drilling screw into panel of pantry

2Attach the sides to the kitchen pantry

Put the first side panel into place and line up the pre-drilled holes. Put a shelf underneath the side panel for added support. Screw the join between the top and the side panels together. Then work down the join with the back panel, keeping the edges lined up as you go. When the first side is on, turn the pantry over and do the same on the other side. Remember to use the rubber mallet to keep your edges lined up.
Person drilling screw into panel of pantry

3Attach the base of the kitchen pantry

Place the base panel at the bottom of the pantry and screw it into place. Attach it to the back panel first, which will help to line the panel up properly. Then do each of the side panels. Once again, use the rubber mallet to tap the edges into place before giving the screws a final tighten. 
Person drilling screw into panel of pantry

4Attach the plastic feet to the bottom of the kitchen pantry

The plastic feet for your kitchen cabinets come in four parts – base plate, tube, screw thread and foot. Attach the base plate to the base of the pantry using the predrilled holes and the short screws. Push the tubes into the base plates. Push the feet onto the screw threads. Screw the screw threads into the tubes and you're done.
Person drilling screw into base panel of pantry

5Adjust the height of the feet

You can adjust the height of your feet by screwing the threads in or out. This is very useful if your floor isn't level. Use a combination square to help set the height of all the feet at 145mm. Then put the pantry in place and adjust the feet if you need to level it up on an uneven floor
Person using ruler to adjust feet of pantry

6Install the shelves in the kitchen pantry

The sides of the pantry have pre-drilled holes to hold shelf support brackets. Select the height you want for every shelf and put your brackets in place. To ensure you put the brackets for each shelf on the same level, it's a good idea to count the number of holes between brackets. Finish by placing the shelves on top of the brackets. 
Pantry installed in incomplete kitchen

7Ready to install your pantry?

Check out our video on how to install a kitchen pantry.
Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.