If you fancy yourself something of a domestic goddess, you’ll already know what I’m about to tell you: that a pantry is one of the best secret weapons you can have to keep your kitchen well organized. I’m not talking about a few dry food items stuffed into a cabinet under the sink, but a proper space to store foodstuff, sundries, extra household supplies and bulk purchases. Not only do you always have extras and refills to hand, you’ll never be caught on the hop with nothing for dinner and an empty fridge.
My take on the notion of a pantry is that if you’re going to create a storage space, you need to make it perfect – practical, efficient, space-effective and organized. I love the idea of really maximizing the potential of this small space and I enjoyed creating this great little pantry for a client of mine not too long ago.
Interior design by Amitha Verma
With this pantry, we really made use of the height of the space by building cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Though they’re not as easily accessed as the rest, they are perfect for storing seasonal items or things like birthday party supplies that are only needed once in a while. I also added a small granite countertop, simply as a useful work surface to collect all the things you need. It would even be handy to store heavy appliances like the blender and mixer so you wouldn’t have to bend down to reach for them.
One of my favorite features about this pantry is the adjustable shelves. Although they tend to be a little more labor-intensive for the carpenter when they’re being put in, it’s worth it, because then you have the option of adjusting all the shelving exactly as you need it. No more cramming in tall boxes and bottles sideways!
Finally, we put a lot of thought into the kind of storage on offer. After all, no detail is too small to pay attention to when it comes to creating a dream pantry, and we needed to make sure everything was easily accessible. The bin storage is ideal for open air food items like potatoes and onions, or even tall, heavy containers like rice packets and bottles of oil. At the other end of the scale, I always think mini-drawers are perfect for things like foil and saran wrap, so you can get to them quickly. Deep drawers are not that useful in a pantry!
The end result: a pantry we were really proud of, and hopefully one that is a dream to use!