The pantry is a very important storage space for the domestic organization of the house. Having it in order, organized and with all the products accessible will be the key to making it easy to use every day. There are many things that can be stored in a pantry, from perishable and non-perishable products, to kitchenware for occasional use, etc. Order is an essential requirement for this storage space to be practical and functional. This is even more important if it is a large pantry, which has a greater tendency to become a messy place where it is difficult for us to find things. To avoid this, the key is to design a pantry that is comfortable, accessible and easy to organize. Here are some very useful ideas.
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A combination of factors to get it right
Design a pantry It is not an easy task. Or, at least, it is a job that requires a complex process with several factors. It is the result of taking into account different aspects: the functionality, since the space must be functional and practical, capable of satisfying the storage needs we have at home; the organization, because it must be an easy space to organize, where we can find without difficulties what we are looking for at all times; and the aesthetics, to create a decorative pantry, with touches of color and a lot of style.
Each of these three factors must coexist and collaborate with the other two. More decorative designs also make it easier to tidy and organize the pantry and, therefore, are more functional. Besides, When our pantry is decorative and welcoming, it is easier and more rewarding to keep it clean and organized.
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More storage space
Maximize storage spaces It is a practical strategy for create an organized pantry that responds to household needs. Measure well the corner where you are going to install the pantry, or the room if it is an independent room. Think about which walls you can install cabinets or shelves on. Everything must be adapted to the available centimeters, so that it is as practical as possible and you can store more and better.
When choosing wall shelves, make sure the shelves are adjustable in height. This way you can adapt them depending on the products you need to save. Furthermore, you must add storage elements for small things: boxes, baskets, drawers, etc.
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Categorizing is the key
When you are designing what your new pantry is going to be like, you must do something fundamental: think about the products you have to save in it and create the categories of things you need. Think that you are going to need a space for canned goods, another for vegetables that do not go in the refrigerator, another for drinks, another for breakfast products, another for spices, oils, etc. Categorizing everything you keep is the best solution to always know where to look for everything and find it the first time.
Create categories and assign areas for each of them, choosing the most practical storage solutions in each case: drawers, shelves, removable baskets, etc. Be careful not to go overboard with the categories, as this will over-specify, instead of helping you achieve a more organized pantry, can be counterproductive.
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Easy access
This is a goal that we must pursue. A comfortable pantry is a pantry with easy access to all products that are stored in it. Find a way to ensure that you can reach the highest shelves without problems, adding a ladder or a bench or loft with two or three steps to the design. This way you will easily reach the highest furniture and shelves. Also don’t put in the middle cabinets or other types of elements. L-shaped or U-shaped designs for the pantry are the most functional.
A tip: Make sure there is enough room to be able to open and close cabinet doors that you have in the pantry. If there is not one, it is best to install sliding doors that, although somewhat more uncomfortable, take up less space.
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Bet on the comfort of the drawers
Just as in the kitchen, the pantry requires concrete, practical and comfortable storage solutions. Like large, fully removable drawers, instead of cabinets with doors and interior shelves. In the case of the drawers, you get a total view of the interior, which makes it easier to locate the products you need at all times. In addition, they are very comfortable to use because they prevent us from having to bend down to see inside.
Choose large drawers depending on what you have to store, and always use organizers for the interior. These simple elements help prevent content from continually becoming cluttered. Thanks to the drawer dividers, things stay in their place. Other ideas to gain functionality in the pantry are rotating supports for inside corner furniture. They help you have everything at hand.
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Use walls wisely
In addition to cabinets and furniture, there are other very practical ideas to increase pantry storage and make it more useful. Making the most of the pantry walls is a good strategy to achieve this. Take measurements, assess the gaps that the space itself offers, and install those elements you need. They can be shelves and flown shelveswhich are light and decorative. Installing one or two shelves from wall to wall, as in the pantry in the image, is practical and also decorative. Another option is put hangers and hooks to have different things on hand: bags, kitchen towels, kitchenware, etc.
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The power of labels
Being very clear about what we keep in the kitchen is essential to facilitate order in the pantry. Putting labels helps us know where everything is, what is in each jar, each basket and each box. In addition to properly label containers, it’s also interesting label certain products with the expiration date, to know until when we can use them. This is especially useful in those products that we buy in bulk, or when we transfer the products from their original packaging to our jars and boats. The transparent jars, All the same, they help us achieve more visual order, but we must not forget to note the expiration or previous consumption date.
A tip: In addition to labeling the products, you can label the shelves or cabinet doors, with the categories of products you keep in each space.
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Maintain cleanliness and order
A strategy that will help you maintain order in the pantry, in addition to ensuring that everything is organized, is clean products and facilities. Plan it ahead of time, at least once a month, and take advantage of the cleaning to throw away products that are expired or in poor condition. Also those you don’t use: consume them or get rid of them.
To clean the closets, All you need to do is use a cloth moistened with a solution of water and neutral soap. The pantry does not usually accumulate fat like it does in the kitchen. If stains occur due to accidents or spills of substances or food, you can use a mixture of water, a splash of ammonia and a few drops of dishwashing detergent.
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An auxiliary storage area
If you are lucky enough to have a large and spacious pantry, you can store in it, in addition to products and food, other things that will be there better than in the kitchen. Such as tableware that you do not use daily, glasses, glasses and other pieces of glassware, kitchenware, trays, tablecloths, etc. Storing all this in the kitchen can be annoying, since it is possible that these things become a nuisance, something that takes up space and that you hardly use. Find a corner of the pantry in a less accessible place for all these things. It can be the highest area of the cabinets, or the lowest drawers, for example.
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Solutions that are a plus
Once you have decided what the design of your pantry is going to be, it is time to see the specific solutions you need to implement them. They can be elements that maximize order in the closets, such as the holder to install on the door that helps you organize drinks. Or a multipurpose cart that you can have on hand to move some products you need from the kitchen to the pantry, or vice versa. As time goes by and as you use the pantry, you will realize the advantages of the new organization and some errors that you can correct. You will then know what elements you are missing and can add them to the pantry design.