Custom Furniture for Kitchens: A Pantry Built to the Wall
Custom Furniture lets you carve a full-height pantry into a slice of wall you currently walk past, and in a Singapore flat that vertical storage is gold. A 300mm-deep, floor-to-ceiling pantry in the gap beside the fridge or at the end of a kitchen run can hold as much as two base cabinets, without eating your floor space.
Find the dead wall first
Most flats have at least one stretch of bare wall near the kitchen that does nothing. The end of a cabinet run, the narrow gap beside the service yard door, or the short return wall by the dining area all work.
- Measure the width — anything from 350mm up can become a useful pantry.
- Check the depth — 300mm takes canned food and jars; 450mm takes small appliances too.
- Watch the swing — a full-height door needs clearance, so a pocket or bi-fold front suits tight spots better.
- Mind the pipes — HDB often runs the gas or water riser along a kitchen wall, and you cannot box it in permanently.
Interior layout that actually works
A pantry is only as good as what sits inside it. We build the carcass first, then fit the storage to your groceries.
- Adjustable shelves at 32mm pitches so you can shift them when the tall cereal boxes arrive.
- A pull-out basket row at the bottom for onions, potatoes and the kids' snack stash.
- Door racks on the inside of the front for sauces, wraps and the spice tubes you reach for daily.
- One deep drawer near the middle for bulky items like the rice bag or extra tissue rolls.
Keep the things you grab daily at eye level. The top shelf becomes holiday-only storage, not a daily climb.
Custom Furniture against the structural rules
A wall pantry is mostly safe under HDB rules because you are adding a freestanding or semi-fixed cabinet, not hacking anything. Still, a few lines matter.
Do not seal the meter or DB box — the electrical panel must stay openable, so the pantry stops short of it or uses a removable panel. Keep at least the required clearance in front of it.
Leave the window grille reachable — if your pantry sits by the kitchen window, the grill for cleaning and escape stays accessible. We build around it, never over it.
Condo MCST notes — some management corporations ask for the work to happen within approved renovation windows, often nine to five on weekdays, and they may want a refundable deposit. Ask before the build starts so the installer is not turned away at the guardhouse.
Materials for a humid, greasy corner
The pantry backs onto the kitchen, so it sees the same warmth and occasional oil haze as everything else.
- Plywood carcass — the safer pick near the hob side; it will not swell if a little steam drifts over.
- Laminate or melamine board — smooth, wipe-clean, and cheap enough to redo if you repaint the kitchen later.
- Solid wood shelves — fine for a dry, inner section, but skip them right next to the stove.
What it costs and how long it takes
A single wall pantry runs roughly S$900 to S$2,500, depending on height, number of pull-outs and the front finish. Because it shares the kitchen's build slot, it adds about one to two weeks to the same 6-to-10-week measure-to-install window rather than starting from scratch.
Most homeowners fold it into the broader S$30k-70k renovation budget, and it often saves money elsewhere by letting you buy a smaller, cheaper fridge or fewer base cabinets.
If your countertops are always crowded with boxes, a wall pantry is the quiet fix that gives the room room to breathe. Picture the items you wish had a home, and that list becomes the shelf plan.
