Adobe Stock | Photo by Milan Markovic78
Organize your cooking supplies and ingredients while maximizing space in your pantry with these tips from a Hudson Valley designer.
Virginia Cocca, design consultant at California Closets, explains how to organize your cooking supplies and ingredients.
First Thing to Consider
Who is using the pantry? Do you buy in bulk? Are there any pets in the family or special needs? Some people prefer to see everything at a glance, which is usually easier when you have a lot of open shelving, while others prefer to hide the “mess” with cabinet doors or drawers. Generally, ample shelving and some drawers or baskets can make finding kitchen and food items much easier.
Where to Put Your Pantry
Close to the fridge, or in close proximity to the family table.
Favorite Detail
Labeled and decorative containers will clean up your space and help you identify items needed quickly or daily. Additional shelves can be added to maximize the height between shelves and help manage smaller objects.
If your space allows for a countertop, great! It can be multi-functional and serve as a landing pad or as a place for appliance storage or even a decorative vase or lamp. Having drawers or wine storage incorporated can also make the space easier to use and more enjoyable aesthetically.
Biggest Mistakes
Too much wasted space between shelving. Also, building shelving that is too deep makes it very difficult to access items at the rear of the shelf.
Lighting Your Pantry
The more light, the better. In a space such as a pantry, the more you can see, the more likely you are to use what you have. Forgotten items at the back of a deep shelf are easy to miss when the space is dark and overcrowded.
Related: Canning 101: How to Preserve the Hudson Valley’s Fruits and Veggies
