Food/Home Storage Shelving

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I would like to respond to a question I recently received about building food and home storage shelving.

You see, it does make a difference how you approach this project!

Depths of Shelving

The specifications of shelf depth, spacing of shelves, and the specifics for preparing either a room or a wall to most effectively store food and other nonfood items is very important.  I believe you need three depths of shelving.  “Deep” shelving, as I call them, are shelves that holds cases of paper towels, toilet paper, disposable diapers, and other more bulky things.  These need to be about 18”-20” deep.  “Medium” shelving is shelving about 15-18” deep that holds flats of canned soups, fruits, and vegetables.  “Narrow” shelving is only 10-12” and is great for holding cake mixes, cereal boxes, and other foods that are narrower.

Three Heights of Shelving

You will want to have, in addition, to these three different depths of shelves, three heights of shelves.  I like the first shelf from the floor to be about 30-36” above the floor.  This will accommodate stacking two traditional round food storage buckets, one on top of another, so that items such as flour, sugar, oatmeal, and powdered milk can be kept in those buckets (with gamma lids).  Then, have 15-18” tall shelves for the taller grocery items like the large cereal boxes, popcorn cans (which I use to store many items after the Christmas popcorn is gone).  Lastly, have several 12-15” shelves, which will easily hold smaller height products with additional space to reach your hand in. Any space left above easy reaching distance could be left empty for lightweight, bulky items to be put way up high (always remembering to put the uprights to the ceiling to keep items from dropping off the ends of the shelves).

Uprights for Strength

Keep in mind, when you make shelving, to have the uprights (supports) quite near each other (within 3’) as canned goods and other items can be quite heavy when stored in bulk.  Take the time to paint and otherwise make this area beautiful.  This will make going to your food and home storage area delightful.  Also, have a little bit extra lighting (as our storage areas are usually without much natural light).

Remember, different depths and heights of shelves with sturdy supports in a brightly painted place with good lighting makes not only purchasing but storing your food and home storage a very pleasant experience.

Find more helpful ideas in the House of Order Handbook.

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