Nowadays, pretty much every kitchen has a walk-in pantry where you store the kitchen goods that you can’t keep in the kitchen or the fridge. Probably you’ve seen that practical solution in redecoration magazines, on TV, or movies when the people get in something like a large fridge and store the food there. Something like Kim Kardashian and her family showed us, so they can prove they have good eating habits. But, you don’t have to be a Kardashian to implement this idea in your home. It’s more practical for houses because apartments are limited with space. But if you have it, why not? Sometimes it goes together with a cooling system, so the products can stay fresh longer.
However, in most homes, while the kitchen looks fabulous, the pantry looks like a complete disaster. We are all trying to keep it as tidy as possible, but very often we are just piling up things, and it looks like a hoarding point in our home. But, it shouldn’t really be like that. If you want to make the walk-in pantry attached to your kitchen look much better, then here are some tips from RTA Cabinet LLC that you might want to try out.
-
Keep It Clear of Kitchen Appliances
It might feel like if you add the refrigerator in the pantry, you will save up space in your kitchen. Still, you might also want to factor in the walking distance. It might save you space, but it might make you lose a lot of time in the process.
“A key design consideration for any kitchen layout is the ‘working triangle’ (the points between your refrigerator, sink, and cooktop) and the efficiency created in the distances between these areas. Placing the only refrigerator in your kitchen in the pantry may reduce this best practice in kitchen dynamics,” says Karen Ashton of Karen Aston Designs.
-
Give It a Concealed Door
You want to have a walk-in pantry, but you don’t want it to ruin the whole look of your kitchen. In this case, you might want to conceal it behind some jib doors in the same design as your cabinets. To the outside world, it will look like just a big cabinet. However, little will they know that it is the entrance to Narnia – or, well, to your pantry.
Be very careful about this project, because the usual doors won’t always work nicely, and you may need some advanced solution, in order for the whole system to work properly. Sometimes, a bad installation of the door can cause a lot of damage and spoiling, and you really don’t want that to happen.
-
Open Shelving and Many Drawers
When designing your kitchen’s walk-in pantry, you might want to think of adding shelving and a lot of drawers. The key here is to walk in, grab the stuff you need, and then get back into the kitchen to continue with your things. Top shelves are great to have here, as you will not have to bother with doors or other things like that.
With that in mind, you might still want to add a couple of drawers, particularly under the benchtop. This way, you can store the items that you are not using that often or those that you don’t want to be seen, such as your pantry essentials.
Don’t be afraid to get inspired by movies and popular shows. It’s all about your home, your taste, and your preferences.
-
Consider Bright Task Lighting
Task lighting is one of the best things to have in your walk-in pantry. One good idea here is to install LED lighting with motion sensitivity, as it will turn on the moment you walk in. This way, when you go into the pantry with the bag full of groceries, you will not have to struggle so much with finding your way.
If you have overhead shelving, you might also want to consider led strip lighting underneath it. This way, it will illuminate the benchtop enough for you to move around.
Lighting is important so you can easily find what you need, without causing any mess around. Choose lights that don’t provide heat, so you can maintain the proper temperature all the time.
-
Get Some Woven Baskets
Do you have shelves in your walk-in pantry, and everything looks disorganized? In this case, you might want to consider using woven baskets. Not only are they the best when it comes to concealing, but they are also the perfect choice in terms of design. No matter what model you choose, they’ll always look classy.
“Nothing is more helpful for keeping your home organized than having special containers for all the things we accumulate,” says interior designer Bunny Williams. This way, you can hide everything that you don’t want to be visible in your pantry. This also helps you categorize everything.
-
Consider Climate Control
Now, this will entail a little bit of effort, but it might also be the better solution for your pantry food. Walk-in or not, pantries can occasionally get warm, particularly on summer days. This is why you might want to consider adding climate control in the pantry, as it will assure you the food will not go bad.
Many people think it’s enough just to choose the coolest spot in your home, but integrating it with a cooling system will always ensure you have just the right conditions inside, to keep your food safe from spoiling.
-
Add Crown Molding
Just because the walk-in pantry is slightly concealed from the kitchen, it doesn’t mean you can’t make it look pretty. For example, if you add dark crown molding and place it against white walls, you will add a bit more grandeur to the whole setup.
If you follow these tips and instructions, you can be sure you will get most of the available space, and free up enough storage, especially if you buy a lot of things at the beginning of the month, or you are just a cooking enthusiast who needs the fresh ingredients closer to them.
The Bottom Line
Your pantry may be used for storing kitchen goods, but it still needs to be classy and functional. Hopefully, these ideas will help you improve your walk-in pantry so that it fits better with your kitchen.
Don’t be afraid to improvise and get your creative ideas into reality. It’s a huge investment, and it’s always better to do it together with the professionals you hire. They will help you get an effective design and make it all look stunning, and be completely functional at the same time.