Dawn Matthews | Oct 15, 2024
How to Upgrade Your Pantry
15 Minute Read
To get the most out of your pantry, you need to maximise space, create a system that works for your daily routine and keeps everything easily accessible. Whether you’re dealing with a small cupboard or a walk-in pantry, the right storage solutions can make all the difference. If upgrading your pantry is on your to-do list, then once you’ve painted and finished the walls, you can make things a lot better very quickly with a few additions to the space.
Create useable space quickly with pantry shelves
Whether you’re in a new build home, or your home is a fixer-upper in progress, we’d be willing to bet that – unless you worked with a top-notch kitchen designer – there is space in your pantry that could be better utilised. To make the most of the space, rearrange the shelves that are already in there, and add extras at strategic heights. What depth of shelf is best will depend on the space you have available, but measure carefully and you’ll end up with the best result.
It can be tempting – especially if you’re adding a shelf purely for aesthetic reasons – to use a cheap MDF shelf in a pantry. Hardly anyone will look at it, since it is behind a closed door. But we’d advise against that, because if you decide to reorganise your pantry in the future (and if you’re like us, you almost certainly will!) then a solid wooden shelf with strong brackets means that you can place heavier items on it without fear of them collapsing.
Which shelves would we recommend for your pantry upgrade? Our solid pine shelves give you the strength and functionality that you need, but in the pantry, we’d recommend thinking about which fixtures will look best.
⏺ If your pantry has solid walls, and you like clean lines, then our floating shelves might be suitable. They can hold up to 35kg, which is 35 bags of flour, or around 87 tins!
⏺ To achieve a more rustic kitchen aesthetic in your pantry, our metal bracket shelves are ideal. They’re available in a range of depths up to 30cm.
⏺ For an industrial aesthetic, our pipe bracket shelves combine style and practicality.
If your kitchen is small, you might add extra accessories to your shelf to maximise storage. Our metal wine glass rack fits perfectly underneath a shelf, and frees up valuable cupboard space; or perhaps a metal hanging rail with hooks for baskets could give you the tiny bit extra storage you need.
Finally, once you’ve decided on your fittings and accessories, you need to decide what colour wood finish is best for your pantry shelving. There’s a good chance you’ll want to maintain the visual flow of the kitchen, so choose a wood finish that matches other wooden elements in your space – especially if you have a solid wooden kitchen table. When you buy from us, you’ll have a choice of nine gorgeous waxes, from darkest walnut to the palest shabby chic.
Find beautiful storage jars for dry goods
We’ve all grabbed a bag of pasta or rice, only to find it is open and the contents spill everywhere. Infuriating, isn’t it? With the right storage jars, you can eliminate that from being a problem, as well as upgrading your pantry styling.
Clear glass storage jars show what is inside them, making it easy to find what you’re looking for. While you might think they’d look messy because the food is on show, because they’re in containers, visually it makes sense and looks good. Our glass kitchen storage jars are available in three sizes and are stackable, so are perfect for small space storage and on your kitchen shelves.
If you want to create an even more organised pantry aesthetic, then you might add chalkboard labels that mean you can update them when you’ve used what is in them, or use a label maker to create permanent stickers.
Use baskets on your pantry shelves to keep smaller items at hand
The problem with many great ingredients is that they come in such small containers. Whether you’re a “do everything from scratch” cook with hundreds of jars of spice and dried herbs, or you use a lot of packet mixes, there’s a good chance you’ll have lots of bits and pieces that get tucked in down the side of tins, or just get lost in the back.
Baskets are the answer – and when you find high quality ones made from natural materials, they don’t only hold your ingredients like you need them to, but they also look fantastic.
Add a noticeboard for extra organisation
Are you a meal planner? Forever being asked what’s for dinner? Do you hate waste? Us too, that’s why we’re huge fans of having a noticeboard in the pantry. If wall space is lacking, then the back of the pantry door is an under-utilised space that you can use.
Write down your meal plan for the week, with notes about where to find the recipe. They might be in your favourite recipe book, or from a foodie Instagram account – and not only will you be organised, but everyone will know when they’re getting their favourite.
A noticeboard is also a great place to write notes about when food is opened, and so even if it gets pushed to the back of the fridge, you’ll be reminded and can make sure it doesn’t go out of date.
Finally, if you get any paper coupons, or recipes torn out of magazines, your noticeboard is an ideal place to keep hold of them – especially if you keep your reusable shopping bags in the pantry too.
Fix hooks for random bits and bobs
Talking of keeping your reusable shopping totes in your pantry… Hooks are the perfect addition to pantries. Shopping bags, aprons, oven gloves, and even dried herb bundles can be hung on hooks to save space and to stay organised. You can even use them for storing root vegetables like potatoes, with the addition of a hanging storage basket.
Depending on how much space there is in your pantry, you could use one of our wooden coat racks to give you just the right amount of hooks, or screw a metal hanging rail into the back of the door with S hooks for extra storage. Our metal hanging rail can also be attached under a shelf, to make use of dead space.
Make it easier to see your pantry with good lighting
When it is the depths of the winter and you’re searching for that ingredient that you just know is in there but can’t find, you’ll be so glad you took our advice about this. Installing lighting is easier than ever to do without needing an electrician, with LEDs, battery operated styles, and plug-in lights.
LED strips are sold as kits with simple instructions that allow you to cut to exactly the right length. Many LED strips are peel and stick, so you can fit them quickly and easily. Installing them under your shelves gives a lovely glow and allows you to see clearly. They’re also available in different colours – some even have colour changing functionality. Depending on if you have an electric socket available and the type of LED strips you buy, you can simply plug them in, or you can buy battery powered ones.
If LED strips don’t quite fit the aesthetic you’re going for, look at LED undercounter lights – many styles are simple to install and are battery powered. To avoid needing to charge batteries or risk wasting electricity, and for convenience, look for styles that have movement sensors built in. Once installed, when you open the door to your pantry, you’ll get the light you need without needing to search for a switch.
What if you have an awkward size pantry?
It isn’t a problem, because we make all of our wooden shelves, racks, and furniture to order. That means that if you’ve got a particularly awkward size pantry – if you’re lucky to be in a rustic cottage, for example – we can help! If you need a shelf or coat rack to be a certain size but we don’t have it listed, just order the nearest size, and in the order notes, tell us the exact size you need, and place the order. If you’re not sure, or would rather speak to someone before you place your order, give us a call on 01403 582740 during our working hours.
Our final thoughts
Upgrading your pantry might be one of the last jobs on your list when you move into a new home, and maybe it will take you years to getting around to doing it. But when you’ve done it, the feeling of satisfaction is – well, we’ll let you find that out for yourself! Once you’ve upgraded your pantry, and you’ve taken your before and after photos, make sure you tag us in your Instagram posts. We love to see them, and to share them with our followers! We’re @bensimpsonfurniture.
