Indispensable in our grandparent’s era, until recently pantries were seen as a thing of the past. Pantries are undergoing a resurgence in modern kitchens, however, and for many homeowners have even become a main focal point in kitchen remodeling.
There’s no doubt, a well-stocked pantry is a huge time saver in a busy household. Not only do you have a cache of supplies readily on hand, depending on the size of your pantry, you can buy more bulk and save valuable time at the super market each week.
An ideal time to put in a pantry is when remodeling the kitchen, but you don’t need a total kitchen renovation to design a pantry that will fit your needs.
The key element homeowners are looking for in today’s pantry is a space that works. If you have to climb on a chair to reach the top shelf, or get down on your knees to get a can near the bottom it may not be working as well as it could.
The ideal pantry is a combination of drawers and pullout shelves — both to maximize the available space and ensure nothing will get “lost” in a dark corner.
Here are some tips for designing the ideal pantry:
Don’t be limited by a small space
You don’t need either a large kitchen or an adjacent space to design a great pantry. A well-designed pantry can be hidden in almost any nook of the kitchen. Step back and take a look around at the space, there is almost always a corner or wall space where a pantry could easily be added.
Think flexibility
The more options you have for storage the better the space will work. You’ll want adjustable shelves for those extra big boxes of cereal that you got on sale. Remember: your family’s needs may change so you want a space that can accommodate that. Also look for accessories, such as wire racks that clip on a cabinet door, to have all the ingredients you need close at hand.
Design your pantry with your lifestyle in mind
A pantry needs to be planned for the way you shop, cook and live. You need to be able to reach in and find what you need with ease. That beautiful pantry from a magazine may be lovely, but all wrong for your home. Do lots of research and looking around, but make sure the end result will be functional.
Label everything
To make things easier for everyone in the household, label the shelves: baking supplies, canned goods, pasta, etc. It will make it easier to keep the space organized, and ensure everyone knows where to find what they’re looking for.
Pantries aren’t just for food
If you have enough room, consider putting those infrequently used appliances that take up valuable kitchen space in the pantry as well. Think of all your kitchen storage needs and start there when planning the space.
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