The kitchen is the heartbeat of your home. Memories are made in the kitchen, secrets are shared and traditions are created and passed down. The warm scents of baked delights or the savory aroma of a hearty meal never fails to delight and entice. It is impossible to ignore the importance of planning your kitchen space and creating an inviting and efficient design, while keeping the process simple and affordable. A custom pantry, large or small, can allow homeowners the freedom to create a space that meets their needs, while increasing a home’s value and appeal.
Creating a space for all the items needed to create kitchen magic need not be a hassle, requiring blueprints or the contemplation of tearing out walls. A simple unused corner, cupboard or even a spare closet can be transformed into a pantry that can help organize your home, creating clean lines and orderliness. Getting rid of cluttered counters and jam packed cupboards ranks high on the wish lists of most homeowners and a custom pantry can make those dreams a reality.
When designing a custom pantry, the first step is to find unused space in the kitchen. Don’t be picky. Narrow areas between appliances can be great hide-a-ways for sliding doors, low lying cupboards can be transformed with turntables and a narrow closet or cupboard can find new life with shelving and baskets. Make a list of all the spaces in your kitchen that are gathering dust or going unused and don’t count any space out. Even the smallest spaces can hide great potential.
As you add shelving and storage, consider what you normally need space for. Bakers are going to value heavy duty shelving that can hold hefty bags of flour, sugar, and salt. Gourmands will be impressed with neat trays for endless arrays of herbs. Consider your needs rather than just being impressed with the latest storage fads. If you have never needed 10 different types of oils, don’t assume you will once you have a pantry.
Lastly, create a space for open items. Pantries in magazines and online are rigorously arranged with everything neatly placed, and oddly unopened. Homes are real places where real people live. Consider storage for items in use. Make sure your pantry works for how you live. No matter how beautiful it looks online, if it doesn’t meet your needs, it’s not going to save you time or money. Choose wisely and choose with your family in mind.
