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!

French Accents (via)

A panetiere, circa 1750, where they stored bread-Fancy!

During the late Medieval period the panetiere, was a room within or directly off the kitchen where the bread or “pane” was kept and related food preparation done. The officer who was over the pantry was known as a pantler. The evolution of the pantry over centuries would find it repurposed and called by many names such as the buttery, butler’s pantry and china pantry.

Hoosier Cabinet (via)

Pantries went mobile when in the late 1800s into the1930s, when a freestanding rendition was introduced, the Hoosier Cabinet. This is a classic American antique piece, as these were treasured kitchen storage items. If you’ve ever seen a historic home built in the 1920s or 1930s you will see that there is very little storage built in.

Decor Pad (via)

One of my favorite things to do is add a small countertop in a walk-in pantry. It is a great place to store your appliances such as a mixer. If you’re pulling out several items, you can just place them on your work surface. Who says a pantry must be white?

Houzz (via)

See the pullouts on the left, these are a great way to organize your pantry & give you access to hard to miss items.

Elle Decor (via)

Go all the way up! A great tip is to build your pantry all the way up. One thing I love to do is to put a bank of upper cabinets all the way at the top. This is a nice place to store party supplies, linens and those other objects that you need but don’t use often.