KITCHEN FIXTURES
Walk-in pantries are a huge benefit in creating a clean and organized kitchen. If you are one of the lucky who have a walk-in pantry built into your kitchen, there are optimal ways that you can organize the space to make items fit better and be more accessible. Thoughtful design choices and clever storage solutions are key to making the most of your pantry and turning it into a more valuable asset. With the right approach, a walk-in pantry can be more than just a storage area; it can transform into an inviting, efficient space that reflects your aesthetic and meets your needs.
When you are brainstorming ideas for how to arrange your walk-in pantry, imagine someone using the area for the first time. Think about how to make the area logical and accessible for all users.
Begin with a Clean-Out
The first step to organizing your walk-in pantry is to begin with a clean slate. Empty each shelf, container, and drawer, sorting things as you go. Discard any expired food items or specialty food that you won’t eat. Cleaning out all the food and other pantry items will allow you to know exactly how much space you have to use.
Wipe down all the surfaces, sweep the floor, and address any maintenance issues that have been covered.
Group Like Items Together
Before you begin putting things back into the pantry, group items that are similar together. This might be groupings like canned goods, baking items, or beverages. Putting all your pantry items into groups will allow you to see what you have and avoid duplicate purchases in the future.
Keeping these items together in the pantry makes finding them easier; for example, when you find the flour, you know the sugar is nearby. You will also be more aware of when it is time to restock particular items because you know exactly where to find them.
Maximize Vertical Storage
Using every inch of space in your pantry will allow you to store more and more efficiently. You can maximize the available space in your pantry using adjustable shelves that allow you to accommodate food of every height while not wasting space. Stackable bins double the amount of storage on a single shelf, while tiered organizers ensure that small items don’t get lost behind large ones.
Add more upper shelves if your existing shelves leave room above. Add over the door racks and hooks that allow you to optimize doors and empty wall space.
Designate Zones
Consider your space in the pantry and separate it into zones for different types of food items. Think about which areas are most accessible. These should be zoned for food that is most frequently used, which will be different for every household. High or low shelves should be set aside for bulk or infrequently used items.
Zoning food items streamlines your meal preparation and makes finding food more intuitive. This allows everyone in your household to find items that they need quickly without disrupting the organization of the space.
Install Pull-Out Storage
If you do not have drawers incorporated into your walk-in pantry, pull-out storage may be the next best thing. Pull-out bins, baskets, and trays allow you to access items in the back and keep food from being forgotten. You can also install more permanent options, like shelf sections that incorporate slide-out drawers. You can find large units that fit below your built-in shelves or smaller units that fit on the shelf.
Lighting Matters
Good lighting is essential for an organized pantry, but this may not be built into your design. Optimal lighting ensures that every shelf, corner, drawer, and bin in your pantry is illuminated, preventing items from being overlooked and forgotten. Bright energy-efficient lighting, such as LED strips or recessed lighting, works well and does not require excessive power. Natural light is another valuable source of lighting and gives the pantry a more cheerful feel.
Incorporate Labels
Clearly labeled bins, boxes, and containers ensure that even the most inexperienced pantry user can quickly find anything. This also ensures that regular users can return pantry items to their designated spaces, keeping the pantry organized.
Consider different types of labels and institute a system that is easy enough to maintain. You can use adhesive labels, chalkboard stickers, or a label maker for a polished and uniform look.
Discard Small Boxes for Larger Containers
Emptying the contents of your small box containers into larger, permanent containers will allow you to group like items together and organize the contents more efficiently. Small, flimsy boxes create gaps on the shelf and waste valuable space. Transfer products like grains, snacks, beverage packets, and baking staples into stackable containers to create a more uniform and space-effective system.
Add Shelf Risers
Tiered shelf organizers are a game changer for maintaining organization in a walk-in pantry. These multi-level platforms create layers that elevate the back items above those in the front. These are particularly helpful for small items like spices, canned goods, and other small pantry staples. With shelf risers, you can easily use the full width of your pantry without small, hard-to-find items getting lost in the day-to-day shuffle.
Dedicated Bin for Kids
A storage container that holds items that kids eat or use is a good way to promote independence as well as maintain a more organized pantry. By designating a specific location, kids can walk into the pantry and access items like their favorite granola bars, dried fruit, or drinks without disrupting the rest of the area. You can also better monitor what items your kids are eating and how much they consume on a daily and weekly basis.
Use Clear Storage Bins
Using clear containers for storage is one of the most effective ways to organize your pantry. This ensures that all of the items inside are visible before you pull it out. This eliminates the need to dig and shuffle the pantry around to find the needed item. If the containers are sealed, they also help to keep the contents fresh by protecting them from air and pests.
Add Custom Dividers
Large storage bins are amazing, but they can also become disorganized if some order is not imposed. You can add dividers to large storage bins if you want to use them for small items that can easily become disarrayed. Custom dividers allow you to fit them to your container and the type of item you want to organize.
Strategic Use of Turntables
Turntables, or lazy Susans, are an excellent way to maximize storage in hard-to-reach corners of the pantry. These rotating trays allow you to access anything on the tray with a simple spin, making it much easier to reach every item without having to shuffle everything around. You can also find turntables with multiple tiers to help you make better use of your vertical space.
Incorporate a Rolling Cart
Even if your pantry does not utilize all the area below the shelves or the small corner, you can add more storage with a rolling cart. Rolling carts come in both large and small sizes, allowing them to add ample storage or fit into tight, awkward corners. The mobility allows you to pull it out when you need to access items in the cart more easily. If you are using it to store small appliances, you can move it to the area of your kitchen where you need them.
Don’t Forget Aesthetic Touches
Organization and aesthetics may appear to be worlds apart, but adding attractive touches or a decor scheme to your pantry can make it feel more put together. It can be as simple as incorporating an antique container into your storage or arranging all matching bins on colorful shelves, but both personalize the space and add a sense of calm and order.
Look for ways to make your pantry reflect your personal style, like adding pretty contact paper, a distinct overhead light, or a wallpaper accent wall. These simple touches will make you happy to open it and motivate you to keep it more organized.
Keep an Inventory List
Maintaining a running inventory list of all pantry items that you need to restock is an easy way to help you keep your pantry organized and stocked. Whether it is a digital list, a whiteboard, or a pad of paper, you should be able to easily see the list at a glance and modify it as needed.
