Is your pantry a convenient storage area or does it seem more like a dungeon, with long forgotten cans and half-empty boxes lurking in barely accessible corners of the pantry? If it’s the latter, don’t do anything drastic. Just a few inexpensive additions to your pantry can make all the difference.
Pantry Access Ideas
The secret to a well organised pantry is not usually a larger pantry. In most cases, it’s just a matter of making the best use of the pantry space you’ve got. Start by opening your pantry door or doors and having a good look around. No matter how large or small your pantry may be, everything in the pantry should be visible at a glance. That includes the shelves above and below eye level. If your pantry doesn’t pass this test, here are some things you can consider doing to rectify the problem:
- If you have an older pantry with full-depth shelves, the first thing you might want to consider doing is getting a cabinet maker to replace your shelves with ‘C’ shaped cut-out shelves.
- If you have a narrow, single door pantry, consider installing pull-out pantry shelving units. These are simply drawers without drawer fronts. Their fully extendable heavy-duty drawer runners bring everything inside the pantry within easy reach. Leave a full-depth shelf above the top drawer for storing a single row of tall items, such as breakfast cereals.
- If you have a very narrow pantry, consider having a wire basket pull-out unit installed or having one custom made. These operate much like pocket doors that slip into wall cavities do.
Space Making Pantry Ideas
If it looks like your pantry is filled to capacity, take a closer look. How much empty space is there inside the pantry? You may be surprised to see that much of the pantries interior is just “dead space.” For example, you may not be using the pantry floor for storage or may be under-utilising it. A wire basket storage unit on the floor can hold your potatoes, onions, oranges and other vegetables and fruits that don’t require cold storage. If there’s as little as 50mm dead space between the backs of your doors and your shelves, that adds up to a lot of wasted space. The insides of doors are the perfect place for spices, canned goods and glass jars. All you need to do is install inexpensive wire baskets and you will never have to rummage for a can of tomatoes or that elusive jar of oregano again. A good kitchen storage supplier will be able to supply you with everything you need to make the most of the space you have and hanging the baskets is an easy DIY project.
Tidying Up Your Pantry
You’ve done everything you can to organise your pantry, but it still doesn’t look nice and tidy. What’s wrong? Maybe all you need is a variety of storage containers. Sugar, biscuits, breakfast cereals and other sweet goods left in their original containers are magnets for ants. Some air-tight, see-through plastic storage containers will keep them instantly identifiable, but safely and hygienically stored and sealed. What else is there in your pantry that would be better off in a storage container? Odds are, you’ll find a number of things that would look better, take up less space and keep your pantry tidier if they were stored in inexpensive storage containers instead of their original packaging.
For more pantry storage ideas, check out the kitchen design ideas photo gallery here on hipages.com.au. Along with dozens of examples of pantries, you’ll find drawer and cabinet storage ideas. If you’re wondering where to find the products you see in the gallery, use our free Get a Quote service and local suppliers will get back to you and tell you everything you need to know. You’re just a few mouse clicks away from a tidier, more efficient kitchen pantry, so take advantage of these free services and you’ll never have to fear opening your pantry doors again.
Credit: hipages.com.au
