I am so excited to share how I added a pantry closet to our home. Is this technically my third pantry? Yes. Yes it is. Is that Excessive? To me, no.
My 1st pantry is a skinny tall cabinet that has small shelves, and doesn’t actually store that much. It’s great for holding our supplements and a few canned goods, but it’s not great for storing a larger amount of anything.
My 2nd pantry next to our mudroom is pretty full of appliances. 1 chest freezer, 1 upright freezer and the refrigerator/freezer that came with our house. There is room for one shelving unit, but it is mostly taken up with big containers for different pet food and potting soil.
How We Added a Pantry Closet
That brings me to my longing for another pantry area. We have lived here for almost a decade and it took me that long to convert this awkward nook in our dining room into a pantry. I decided to try it out before putting money and time into building walls.
I just turned our large china cabinet/hutch perpendicular to the wall to kind of wall off the new pantry space. Then I added a curtain rod and some curtains I made previously out of canvas drop cloth. I already had both of these shelves in other spaces in our home. I figured this was a better use for them. Don’t be afraid to shop your home for items. Especially if you are just trying something out that could be temporary.
I suggest this with most home improvements. If you have a way of trying it out first for little to no money do it. It will give you insight into whether it’s worth the investment. The only thing I bought for this space is the light. It’s a plug in light so I could easily use it somewhere else if I decide to change this up.
I was worried this layout would make the dining room feel crowded, but I actually think it is roomy and makes more sense. Another good reason to try it out first. It’s nice to know ahead of time that there will be plenty of space to walk through and it won’t be causing traffic jams on the regular.
Pantry Closet Storage Tips
We now have 2 very visible pantries so I have challenged myself to make them as aesthetically pleasing as possible. For my newest and more conventional pantry space I am using wooden crates and baskets to hide the bigger packaged items. I love to thrift baskets. The more square ones seem to be the most functional, but round ones can work too.
I really like the picnic baskets with the lid to help hide the ugly necessities. The one in our new pantry hides all the grilling tools, and the one in our mudroom pantry hides the dog and animal gear. Also bushel baskets can be so fun especially if you are going to have times where you harvest from a fruit tree or your garden. That’s what I see myself using mine for is for apple harvest time especially.
Then I have jars for our bulk spices. I find it easier to keep them organized in labelled jars in alphabetical order. It’s been really nice having them stored this way. Before they were in a couple different spots in our kitchen because I had so much and not a big enough space for them all to be together. Having them all together and in order has made filling my spice shakers so much easier.
Then for dog food and potting soil I like the galvanized bins with lids. They sell them at tractor supply and I think big hardware stores. The big container here I got at an estate sale for like $2 so keep your eyes peeled at yard sales and second hand places. I have gotten many containers and crates for $5 and under that way. So to sum it all up in a list.
Pantry Room Storage Solutions:
- Wood Crates
- Baskets/Picnic Baskets
- Bushel Baskets
- Jars
- Label Maker (This is the one I like)
- Galvanized Bins With Lids
Future Pantry Ideas
I realize this space is not aesthetically the most pleasing, but is very functional. At some point I would like to put a wall up so that I do not see the back of our china cabinet. (Maybe I can get creative in the meantime to hide that.) A wall seems so much more permanent though, and we have lots of other projects that are taking priority right now. So plenty of time to decide for sure.
Also maybe better lighting. Although some of those quirks I just find charming. Overall I think this project has been such a win. It’s something I thought about for a bit and I’m so glad I decided to just go for it. This is your permission slip if there’s something in your home that you have been thinking about go for it. Most things can be changed back or redone if you end up not liking it. But it could become one of your favorite things about your home.
Thank You For Visiting Our Farmhouse
I hope this was helpful to you and inspired you to make your pantry space more beautiful and functional. My favorite combination. And don’t be afraid to play around with your space, and try things out before fully committing to them. If you have an awkward corner near your kitchen play around with it to see if it will work well as a pantry space.
If you would like more home design tips you can find more information about my room design guide here. I also have more home design posts that you can find here. If you are into diy you can find posts on my diy projects here. As always make sure to check back for more updates on our home projects.