Our house has an original Edwardian pantry just off the kitchen. Its tiny but I love it, especially as we can store virtually all our food in one place. When we first moved in in 2005 we considered knocking it into the kitchen but I'm so glad we didn't. The hoover also stays there, and we have a small freezer in there too so it really is a very useful space. It still has the original slate slab where meats and cheeses I presume would have been put, and it has shelves and is fully tiled. there is also a little window. It needs a really good sort out and I'll probably paint the wooden shelves, as they are stained a dark brown which I really don't like.
And as you know, utility chic is my thing, so you can imagine how much I like looking at Pinterest images of pantries! So when I had so many messages in response to an Instagram story featuring some of my favourite pantry images, I felt fully justified (and just a little bit excited) to write a post about the research Ive done into pantries, or how to create pantry like food storage in your kitchen.
I'll start, if you don't mind with some dream pantries, where space is abundant. But even in these pantries there are loads of tips and hints you can use in any space, which I'll show you later.
How gorgeous is this secret pantry behind a flush concealed door.
I love Abi Campbell, a photographer in London's entire house, and her pantry is gorgeous. You can see she's extended her kitchen into the side return (the narrow strip of garden you very often get in a Victorian terrace) and used what is normally an under utilised glass lean to for this lovely pantry.
The huge benefit of the last 2 pantries is that the contents are totally hidden once the door is closed. So you could have the tidiest or the most luxurious kitchen yet no-one can see your own brand baked beans! While I absolutely love the glass fronted pantry, I know mine would never be kept tidy enough to be on show like that.
This classic pantry by Devol is also tucked away but you could use shelving like this in the kitchen too.Just be careful it doesn't look too cluttered and that you only keep food that you use regularly, as you don't want dusty tins and jars
I love everything about this house, The Oyster Catcher in Mousehole, Cornwall. Owned by photographer Paul Massey, this seaside house is a rustic interiors dream. I love the way this pantry is tasteful, stylish but also looks like it is actually being used!
This is one of my favourites, because its white, it has horizontal panelling and its just simple and beautiful. I also like how the microwave is kept hidden away in here too.
OTHER AREAS WHERE YOU CAN CREATE FOOD STORAGE
So many older houses would have had pantries but many of these would have been knocked down over the years. We were lucky our house hadn't been updated at all (well, I say lucky, I got mild electric shocks on a regular basis before we re-wired) so the pantry was still there. But everyone has to keep their food somewhere, and if you can keep it more or less in one place, you'll be winning at kitchen organisation!
Use space which you might normally ignore..
I love this use of the understairs cupboard. This is a space which can so easily become a dumping ground so I love how this has been shelved to make the most of the storage space. It looks like Ikea picture ledges or something similar have been used to create narrow shelves on the underside of the stairs themselves. Source: Pinterest https://architecturemagz.com/
Use the corners
I love this idea of using the corner of a kitchen for a large pantry style cupboard. These corners are often difficult to make the best use of, and while this corner cupboard is large, it contains loads of storage and doesn't take up as much space as a walk in pantry would.
Organise your cupboard's pantry style
Here, a normal wall hung cupboard has been organised in a traditional pantry style. Rather than crumpled packets of pasta or half eaten boxes of cereal tucked at the back of cupboards, everything is neatly displayed and easily reached.
Pantry style storage tips
Whether you have a pantry or not, there are lots of ways you can utilise storage to organise your food cupboards so that they look stylish but are easy to access what you need. Whatever storage space you have, here are some tips to organise your food cupboards.
1. Store pasta, rice, cereals, sugar and any other dried goods in glass jars. Not only does it look good, it keeps things fresh and you can easily see what you have, or what you're running low on. Print or write on sticky labels like these, for contents, use by dates, cooking instructions or recipes.
2. Categorise everything. Label bigger boxes for crisps or treats, keep lunch boxes together with snacks for school. Keep cereals in plastic boxes to keep them fresh. Ikea have a brilliant range of containers, boxes and jars
3. Group objects together - for example, if you regularly bake keep your cake ingredients in one place. Sort out what you actually use, throw anything else out especially if it's out of date. If you have space, keep your mixing bowls and food mixer here too. If you make lasagne regularly, keep all the ingredients in one clear box together , or even in your lasagne tin. If you make curries keep the spices, the tins and maybe the rice in one clear plastic box. This way you can pull it out and have everything to hand, and you can see when you need to top up.
4. Keep your baking tins or other kit you might not use everyday in pretty baskets or boxes.
5. Use shelf inserts - they're brilliant for creating more storage space. They're from Ikea and are perfect for food storage as well as crockery as you can see what tins you have (see below left)
I hope you've found this useful, I'd love to know what you think
Debra
Hi, I loved reading your article and your very useful tips on storage! I just wanted to say I have just had a Lochanna kitchen fitted with the corner cupboard that you featured. It’s very spacious and although I thought there wasn’t going to be enough bottle storage there is room in each space for two bottles! :)
I love my tall units and large island with lots of drawers too. I think you can’t have too much storage, especially in the kitchen which is the heart of most homes.
Thanks again.