6 Questions to Consider when Planning a Kitchen Pantry

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1. Which way will the door open?

When in the planning stages its extremely important to think about accessibility and how you will enter your pantry. Sliding or barn doors will allow the most amount of space both inside and outside the pantry. Having an outward opening door will give the most amount space for shelves in the pantry but you’ll have to be sure you have enough clearance for the door to open. If you opt for an inward opening door just be mindful that you will lose some space inside the pantry to give the door enough clearance.

2. Will you have enough light?

Since most walk in pantries are built without windows or very small windows, having good lighting so you can find what you are looking for is imperative. If it seems like your overhead lighting isn’t good enough consider adding some LED lighting to the shelves and cabinets in the pantry.

3. How will the shelves be arranged so that common items are easy to reach?

Think about what you grab the most when you go into the pantry and make sure you make enough room on the shelves directly in front of you to fit the most commonly used items. Lesser used items that aren’t heavy can go higher up on the shelves. Save the lower shelves for bulky or heavy items.

4. Does the pantry need any special features?

Baskets with canvas liners are great to keep root vegetables and fruits like apples. Considering adding wine racks if you plan on storing wine in the pantry as well. Vertical dividers also help with storing flat pans and baking sheets.

5. How can free wall space be used effectively without overcrowding the pantry?

If you have free wall space on the sides of a pantry, you can add hooks for aprons or brooms to make the most of the space.

6. What larger items will be stored, and where?

Walk-in pantries are a great place to store large appliances like a food processor or mixer but make sure you consider the load capacity of the shelves. If you plan on storing a lot of heavy items on a shelf, you’ll likely need to reinforce the shelf to make sure it can handle the load.