7 minute read
THE EDITED KITCHEN
“A pantry gives a homeowner an opportunity to make their
organizing dreams come true,” says Roxanne Kirby,
Interior Designer at Design2Sell and Co-Owner of Allure in
Detroit Lakes. Chances are, if you have a pantry, you can relate
to the efficiency it provides. If you’ve lived without one, perhaps you know how food items, small appliances, and bulk items
pile up and get a bit messy.
Enter pantry design. Many newer homes have pantries as a standard feature and custom homes, where architects, builders, and designers work together to craft the perfect dwelling for homeowners in terms of lifestyle, number of people in the home, and specific needs, pantries are typically included in the plans, Kirby comments. “Everyone works together to design a kitchen and surrounding area that will contribute to the overall operation of the home and allow for maximum organization.”
Along with this, pantries allow for accessibility; canned goods, non-perishables, bottled beverages, and appliances can be stored neatly out of sight and easily located and used just when needed. Kirby states that when a new home is being designed, it’s important for all parties involved to talk about the issues of the past in terms of what kind of space worked and didn’t work. “The pantry is often the room that gets neglected,” she says. “It needs help. When a homeowner is envisioning what they want, they benefit from remembering their previous homes. How easy was it to stay organized, did they utilize a pantry, and what size of pantry do they want? These are all important to consider.”
See more from this home in our May/June 2020 issue, courtesy Harmonious Architecture
Design2Sell & Allure
The well-designed pantry allows everything to have its own spot and in a way that is neat and easy to identify. Often, basic shelving is included in standard pantries, however, moving or adding shelves in order to accommodate unique needs and items is a way to maximize space and ensure everything is easily accessed. Canned goods, when shelved front to back, can be blocked from view and therefore not used. Instead, including tiered mini shelf racks where there is a single row of cans on each shelf is a more visually appealing and efficient storage technique.
Metal bins with perforated screen-type panels allow proper storage of items such as potatoes and onions, keeping them in a cool, dark space rather than on countertops where they take up room and also ripen much faster.
Grab-and-go items such as kids’ snacks, bottled drinks, and other small goods can be stored in the pantry for quick access. Instead of family members digging through drawers or into the recesses of every cabinet, the pantry space can be organized with
See more from this home in our November / December 2021 issue from Lake & Home
Design2Sell & Allure
labeled bins and containers for high visibility. Kirby notes that clear containers, whether durable plastic or glass, even reused jars, make the best storage solutions for the pantry. “It’s all about what you can see immediately,” she states. “When you can see things without having to move items that are blocking what you need, that is when you know the system is efficient. And, don’t forget to label!”
Today’s pantries are often designed to blend into the kitchen area’s cabinetry and often include a door located on the edge of the space. Design2Sell, when offering space planning, custom cabinet design, and shelving solutions to clients, discusses the best placement of the pantry. Kirby notes that it’s all about how people will use the kitchen and how much access they need quickly and easily to the pantry that determines placement. “If the homeowners like to cook, for instance, giving them the most counter space possible is key. Then, being able to go to the pantry for their cooking and baking staples, items like a mixer, specialty cookware, etc. is important. The pantry becomes a critical component.”
Design2Sell & Allure With a mixture of bins, containers, shelves, and perhaps special features such as outlets for charging stations, modern pantries are the do-it-all solution to having clear countertops and a system where everything has its own spot.
Kirby remarks also that pantry doors can be customized to give a bit of flair or whimsy to the kitchen by including features such as frosted glass and even signage or artistic accents. Additionally, lighting, which she comments should be very bright and overhead, can be upgraded to the latest LED technology. “Flush, disc lights with LED lighting are great because they can be programmed and go from bright white to soft white,” she adds. “These also are installed differently than traditional can lighting, needing just four inches versus 12 for the insert.” Pantries can be found in many historic homes as they were used to keep food fresh longer; canning was a standard practice as was growing food at home. Storage was important as homeowners invested in ways to prolong their food supply and have dedicated space for what they grew and preserved.
It may take time to figure out what the best spacing and solutions are in a home’s pantry and this comes from living in the space until it becomes clear how the kitchen area is used most often. Kirby notes that one interesting solution she has seen for storing items that are bulky, such as paper towels, is to include them on a very high shelf, perhaps one that requires use of a step stool to access. This way, the items are out of the way on a regular basis, as they are not something that is usually replaced frequently.
Small appliances are best stored in a pantry space, especially if they are ones that are only used on occasion. Hand blenders, electric can openers, waffle makers, and toaster ovens may not be needed every day and the fewer appliances out on the countertops means more clean space; this adds visual impact as well as workspace.
Tanya Wagner, Showroom Associate/Designer at Center of Design in Audubon, MN comments, “Pantry closets seem to be fading out and butcher pantries are becoming more popular. The upper wall cabinets are disappearing in the kitchen and going up on the pantry walls instead.”
See more from this home in our November / December 2022 issue, courtesy Harmonious Architecture See more from this home in our July / August 2021 issue, courtesy Harmonious Architecture
Additionally, Wagner states that open concept kitchens would benefit from having the dishwasher and kitchen sink in the pantry to provide a dishwashing station to keep the main kitchen area easier to keep fresh in its appearance. “This way, the kitchen can be simplified and polished,” she adds.
Regardless of what type, a pantry will lend itself to providing much-appreciated storage and a place to store goods out of sight. In today’s “buy-in-bulk” society, a few extra shelves and bins keep the kitchen the beautiful heart of the home and if it comes time to sell a house, pantries add to the appeal of a kitchen. L&H
Inspiration is all around us and so much of it can be sparked by nature. In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have lakes, trees, and ample landscapes that we can draw from all year. But, winter is a unique spark; although the palette tends to be less vibrant in color compared to the other seasons, it is a popular one with designers and homeowners. Look outside and note what you see in nature, then consider if the palette is something that would work well in your space. There is a quiet resonance in the winter and, despite the temperatures, a warmth in its myriad hues.
