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I was +ve commenting on other projects I thought i would share some of my own unique projects. Excuse the floor we havnt tiled yet just concrete paint to keep dust down plus i am doing flooring last after renos so we dont need drop sheets all the time.
Well I got the idea from a combination of places those fridges with the double doors from the outside ie access (the drinks via outer door or fridge inside fully opening the door.) This is a pantry door which was original plain and featureless inspired me to add a built in spice rack as we had a number of spices stored in plastic tubs we had to rumage through each time we went for a spice. Secondly all the conventional spice racks where too small and wouldnt hold our larger size spice jars so we would have some spice in a small rack the rest in the tubs so not a ideal solution.
Spice door design feature
- The spice racks are 100mm wide allowing for a double row of standard spice jars or larger diameter bottles.
- The bottom spice shelf has a back on it to allow sauce mix packets and or packet spices to stand there.
-The door now has double swinging hinges allowing access to new storage behind to door (previously unaccessable)
-The door has foot stopper to allow the door to be held open into or out of the pantry.
- Door handle original latch removed to allow ease of dual swing handles left on for pushing pulling the door open I havnt covered its hole yet.
- Standard bottle spice rack capacity approx 98 spices as shelves double sided. More spices if squeezed in or make spice rack bigger in door.
It looks like an easy project but there where several surprise problems to overcome as in most projects.
Firstly that door is a hollow Thin ply like wood outer and cardboard inner honey come cardboard and 20 to 30 mm outer edge of timber. So I had to add internal timber same thicknessas inside door to support the spice rack timber frame down to the door internal base so the weight of the rack and spices would not twist and buckle the whole door.
Door opening into kitchen allowing access to potental second row of spices and access (previously unreachable) behind the door for hanging stuff and ease of cleaning now.
Door Pinned open into the pantry allowing ease access while cooking etc.
Door Hinges
Limitations the door cant carry unlimited weight currently working perfectly (I did use Bunnings heavy duty quality hinges approx $75 each and I can always add more hinges to door if required, The cheaper small hinges I tried wont carry weight) as the spring loaded hinges will drop and not operate well. I might be able to get a couple of regularly used sauce bottle into it but where do you stop. The hinges i used are not designed to be mounted onto a flat door frame (It should mount onto frame approx 38mm wide same thickeness as door approx the hinge part has room to move). The problem with flat mounting these hinges is they need to room to open and the only way was to create slots into the timber frame to allow the hinge to drop into for proper door opening into the room. Opening the other way was fine as hinges where mounted on inside of door frame where the original position of door was. Slots a little messy I have cleaned and painted them now. You can buy hinges that allow proper flat mounting but very expensive $100+ ea
So all these spices sitting in the door so how do you stop them falling out eact time door opens and closes?
Well i used 100mm velco strip (Bunnings velcro, I was suprised they stock these items) glued on to the base of the shelves and I cut out round velcro for each of the bottles I wanted to mount in the door plus some extras for new jars. If we buy the same new spice we can open old bottle and add spices into old but good jar to save revelcroing every spice purchase. The glue on the velcro wasnt strong enough the hold the round dots to the jars as we grabbed the spices so i used builders liquid nails that worked.
Aluminium Shelves
I orgininal set out at a metal specialist to buy some C shape aluminium 100mm wide with 20mm edges for shelves but they said they would have to order them in specially so I changed plan on the spot and bought 100mm wide flat 3mm thick and 2 x 30mm angle. Notice the timber frame has saw cuts that the flat aluminiun slotted into nicly as saw was 3mm blade too. I cut the angle and simply glued them on to the flat plate with liquid nails. I glued the shelves into place to stop them moving. Some may want to fill saw cuts and hide them i am ok with them.
Well Finally all my spices are easy accessable out of tubes with room for many morespice if we want them and the sauce pkts have a home which are fiddly to rumage though loose in a pantry.
Hope you like and or want to design a better version on this proto type.
That is ingenious, @Jewelleryrescue! I don't believe I've ever come across this idea before, but it has so many great merits.
I love the idea of using velcro on the bottom of the containers, and the dual open hinges are also a great idea. You've really thought this project out well.
Many thanks for sharing, as I trust this project will inspire many of our members to try something similar.
Well done.
Mitchell
