How to make your pantry pretty
How to create the most practical – and Instagrammable – storage cupboard…
Main image: The Main Company
Pantries are one of the most desirable features right now in a kitchen, and with good reason. They allow us to hide away all the kitchen clutter, and create breakfast stations, baking zones and even cocktail cabinets. However, they can often become a disorganised mess of cereal, flour and leaking ketchup if they’re not carefully considered. Here’s the lowdown.
Decide on the purpose
Do you want your pantry to be a dedicated area for just one thing – breakfast, coffeemaking, baking, drinks – or will it need to be a multi-purpose space that will form the main storage area for the kitchen? If so, look at what you need to store in terms of quantity and size. Do you need to include sockets? Do you want lighting that turns on automatically when you open the doors? You could even incorporate a sink, boiling water tap and a wine rack. If you will use the pantry for baking, do you need space to open and close a mixer?
Walk in, built-in or standalone?
If you’re renovating and have a large space, you may be able to fit in a dedicated walk-in pantry – which can either be hidden behind a door (a sliding door is a great spacesaver) or make it a showcase with glass doors. Smaller spaces can have a built-in pantry cupboard that sits above a worktop or runs from floor to ceiling. If you’re not renovating, there are some gorgeous freestanding pantries. Or you could even upcycle a glass cabinet.
Pictured: Kitchens by Holloways, The Main Company
Consider the layout
Divide long shelves vertically to help with organisation. Adjustable shelf heights are also useful if your needs change later. Put the items you will use the least at the top. Consider drawers as well as shelves so you can see more easily what you have. Make use of the insides of the doors for spice racks or hanging items such as tea towels and oven gloves. Transparent shelf risers and see-through containers are great for organising your pantry. Or if you don’t want items to be visible, wicker baskets with labels work well. Buy a ‘Lazy Susan’, which rotates and is a great storage hack.
Pictured: The Cotswold Company, UMBRA
Choose your products
Glass storage jars are practical, look good and allow you to see how much of a product you have left. They can also be refilled at zero waste stores so you can reduce your use of plastic packaging. But make sure you label everything. Buy a marker pen or pre-printed pantry labels. Or collect vintage storage jars for a personalised look.
Pictured: UMBRA, Bowley & Jackson, Nkuku
