Read This Before You Put in a Pantry!

Building yourself a pantry is a gift that keeps on giving. Many homes don't have adequate pantry space, but you can make a little room in the floorplan with renovation and a vision. Pantries can be deep or shallow, compact or spacious, but the perfect pantry is one designed for easy access and practical, organized storage.

Before you colonize the broom closet or take out the dining room wall, the kitchen experts at Edesia have a few sage words of wisdom to share that can make your pantry truly excellent without taking up too much space. Here's what you should know before you put in a pantry.

Build Into Extra Space to Create More Room for Your Pantry

Did you know that there is space between the walls? It leaves room for support beams (studs), insulation, and wiring. But a skilled renovation team can give you a lot of that space back for pantry shelving. You can probably claim more than a few extra cubic feet of pantry storage by building into those unused spaces. 

You can reclaim a broom closet and then build it out or bump a wall just a few feet to one side and enjoy the sudden abundance of grocery, cookware, and appliance storage you have created.  

Place a Benchtop Between Lower and Upper Shelves

One of the magic tricks of pantry design is to give yourself a countertop inside the pantry. You don't need a walk-in butler's pantry to enjoy a nice benchtop, which doubles as shelving when you don't need a workspace. This can transform your pantry into the coffee stop (with everything you need nearby) or just give you a convenient place to unload dry and canned goods with every grocery trip as you sort items into organized storage.

Plan Space Your Household's Pantry Storage Style

Why plan a generic pantry? When you're customizing your home, get personal. Do you store gallons of kibble on the floor? Give yourself sturdy lower cabinets of the right size for those giant bags. Are you tired of hefting the crockpot? Place an outlet on the pantry benchtop and slow-cook in the pantry. Use your height, your groceries, and your storage preferences to inspire how your shelves, niches, and outlets are laid out.

After all, it's your personal pantry.

Shelf Space Plus Organization Hardware

Make sure shelves are large enough for versatile storage. You don't want to block out nice canisters, small appliances, or upright pasta with too-short of shelving. For more compact and tidy storage, you can always add organization hardware like baskets and racks to the large shelves that make up your pantry's basic structure.

Use the Pantry Door for Spice Racks and Bag Hooks

Use every part of the pantry. The back of your pantry door is a great space for shallow spice racks or hooks to store bags, aprons, or dog leashes exactly where you can reach them most easily. Let your kitchen usage style inspire the ideal low-profile storage you can hook or hang on the back of your pantry door.

Get Decorative with Beautiful Pantry Details

The pantry is a utilitarian space, but that doesn't mean that it can't be beautiful. Consider little ways to make your pantry more attractive, like face-framed cabinetry, stylized trim, or cheerfully painted shelves with seasonal shelf liners. Then let your creativity run wild as you choose your organizational details with attractive slide-out baskets, cute canisters, or safety-crystal candy jars. 

Don't forget that your colorful crockery and little-used cookware can also double as decoration on the higher shelves. Especially if you plan a convenient spot for your fold-up step stool against the pantry wall.

Build Your Dream Kitchen with Edesia

At Edesia Kitchen and Bath Studio, we've built an incredible collection of pantry styles, each tailored uniquely to the house and the chef who will use the pantry most. Our builder-designers will help you create the perfect kitchen for your home's available space and your personal cooking style. Contact us today to dive into the design of your dream pantry.