You know that little space beside your refrigerator? The one you thought was for making olives, grapes, and other rolling food disappear? Well, it turns out that a lot of people have a much better idea for that skinny, seemingly useless space: roll a pantry into it. Okay, not a full pantry, but a selection of things you use frequently or want to keep nearby. These little carts are a great way of doing something useful with unused space, blocking the olives you'd otherwise have to fish out with the loop end of a metal skewer, like some kind of reverse antipasto basketball.
Don't limit yourself to just filling the gap between your fridge. Consider the gap between your washer and dryer or create one by moving them apart. This space is perfect for storing all your laundry essentials, like detergents, fabric softeners, pre-treatments, and more. You can even use a rolling pantry in other rooms, such as a craft room cart, carport cupboard, or mudroom rack. The possibilities are endless!
Pre-fab options you can buy today
If you're looking for pre-fab options, there are plenty available for purchase. For example, you can find the LUMAMU Slim Storage Cart for Small Spaces on Amazon for just $32.39. This cart is designed to fit in narrow spaces and has received good ratings, although some reviews mention that it may not be the most stable or sturdy option. On the other hand, Rev-A-Shelf offers the Base Cabinet Filler, which is a more high-end option priced at $537.95. Their products are known for their durability and strength. Ultimately, the choice between a budget-friendly solution and a more expensive built-in option depends on your preferences and needs.
Easy DIY rolling pantries
If you decide to have a go at making your own rolling storage cart, you can create something that exactly fills your space and complements your decor with the right paint and perhaps trim or molding to make the shelf look at home, like on these Slim Rolling Can and Spice Racks from LTD Commodities for $60 each. YouTuber Isabelle LaRue shows you how to do it as a simple DIY project using 1x6 pine boards ($15.98 per board at Lowe's), some salvaged casters, and some screen trim ($9.98 per eight feet). She essentially builds a bookshelf that fits the space by her fridge, then mounts casters on the bottom and creates "rails" from screen molding to keep things on the moving shelves. LaRue added a Command hook as a stop so that the cart can't be pulled out completely and end up tipping over. You can use the spare Command strips on your robot vacuum to keep it from getting stuck.
LaRue's approach to creating a cart can be improved with a few tweaks. Instead of using a Command hook, a great alternative would be to use drawer slides as tracks for the cart, similar to how hidden doors are made. To make the shelves stronger, support cleats can be used instead of simple butt joints. If the cart is placed next to a countertop, it would be easy to make the top shelf level with the countertop, creating an interesting space for storing fruits and vegetables.
