Organizing
Kitchen Organization
By
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel has written on design for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Slate, Fast Company, and the international editions of Elle Decor.
Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process
Published on 07/06/23
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The key to organizing a kitchen pantry is to keep function and style in mind. A good-looking and cleverly designed pantry will be easier and more pleasurable to use for you and your family, designed around your needs with a place for everything, and everything in its place.
These pantry organization ideas, in a range of sizes and kitchen styles, will help inspire you to give your walk-in pantry a makeover that will pay off for years to come.
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Utilize Vertical Space
In this semi-open kitchen pantry from House 9 Interiors, shelving runs all the way to the ceiling. Glass jars of different sizes in the same design display decanted dry goods for easy access. The L-shaped space includes base cabinets, extra countertop space, and is partially hidden behind a glass-paned window. The interior is painted in a dusty pink color that is carried onto the adjoining kitchen wall and cabinetry for a cohesive look.
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Create Wraparound Storage
This small pantry from deVOL Kitchens is covered in a mix of glossy green tiles and matte forest green paint. The rectangular space is extra functional thanks to wraparound U-shaped storage that includes base cabinets, open shelving, and built-in storage. A small sink makes it extra functional for meal prep.
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Keep Sight Lines Clear
This modern California pantry from Tidal Interiors is open and visible from the main kitchen. White walls, open shelving, and cabinetry with pale gray backsplash tiles echo the kitchen design for a seamless look. Open shelving is neatly organized with stackable transparent food storage containers that double as décor.
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Add a Sliding Barn Door
A sliding barn door makes it easy to access this London kitchen pantry from Emilie Fournet Interiors. Interior lighting including a decorative pendant light and under-shelf lighting keeps everything easy to find. The empty space beneath the countertop has room for a sliding cart to hold extras that can be wheeled out and back when not in use.
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Add Corner Shelving
Jessica Nelson Design added functionality to a compact pantry with corner shelving. The shelving wraps around the space and easily houses clear plastic bins and glass jars stocked with pantry staples. The countertop houses appliances like the toaster and mixer, as well as bowls of fruit and alliums, and under-counter storage includes base cabinets and a space for storing wine.
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Include Prep Space
Kate Marker Interiors added a peninsula countertop prep space in this semi-open pantry that maximizes functionality. Corner shelving is finished with crown molding for a polished look, and pantry staples are displayed in matching glass jars on open shelving. Built-in open shelving under the window is outfitted with matching black wire baskets that hold grab-and-go snacks and other items.
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Use the Countertops
Michelle Berwick Design added natural wood base cabinets and striking wall tile to create a decorative look for this kitchen pantry that's accessible through an arched opening. The deep countertops are lined with a few jars of pantry goods, a fruit bowl, and a stack of cookbooks.
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Display Everyday Dishware
Marie Flanigan Interiors complemented the closed cabinet storage of this large and bright pantry with a wall-hung shiny brass and glass shelving unit. The open shelving creates a focal point and a place to display everyday dishware that's accessible and visible. Sticking to an all-white set makes it feel clean and modern.
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Build Flexible Shelving
Mindy Gayer Design Co. used flexible floor-to-ceiling shelving in this modern farmhouse-style walk-in pantry that can be adjusted depending on what you are storing. Matching storage containers hold dry goods at eye level, while extra serving dishes are stored on the higher shelves.
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Use the Back of the Door
Emily Henderson Design maximized space in this kitchen pantry with base cabinets around the periphery of the space, wrap-around open shelving, and by hanging simple pegs on the back of the back door to hang cleaning supplies and an apron.
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Use Glass-Front Cabinetry
JK Interior Living created a dish pantry using glass-front cabinetry from countertop to ceiling. The glass front gives the storage the look of a china cabinet and protects dishware, glassware, and serving pieces from dust.
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Add an Arched Door
Marie Flanigan Interiors added a custom feel to this small pantry with an arched opening and a custom wood pocket door. Shelves are styled with serving dishes, baskets, and minimal pantry goods for a clean and uncluttered look, while closed storage elsewhere in the kitchen hides clutter.
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Leave Some Open Space
While a pantry allows you to stock up on essentials, there's no reason to stuff it to the brim if you have enough space. This minimalist pantry from Cathie Hong Interiors includes plenty of closed storage, while open shelving and generous countertops display a minimal selection of decorative items. The remaining open counter space preserves an uncluttered feel and leaves room to use it as a workspace when restocking the pantry.
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Add Fixed Glass Doors
Emily Henderson Design added fixed glass painted white doors with a white trellis pattern glass pane that helps to conceal the pantry, while also allowing natural light to flow through. The pantry is painted in a smoky blue to add contrast and create a different atmosphere from the bright adjacent kitchen.
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Hang Shelves Over a Window
Kate Marker Interiors outfitted this pantry with built-in floor-to-ceiling shelving for maximum storage. A pale wood countertop beneath the large window provides space to store eggs and house potted herbs, while bonus open shelving fitted across the window adds an extra display opportunity without blocking too much natural light.
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Install Double Doors
This traditional English pantry from deVOL Kitchens is accessed by dark wood glass pane double doors that give it an old-world feel. Every usable surface in the deep pantry space is outfitted with shelving to maximize storage, and a simple globe sconce adds warm lighting.
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Stick With Shades of White
In this butler's pantry from Thistlewood Farms, open shelving is stocked with an all-white assortment of dishware that keeps the space looking cohesive. Sticking to all-white dishware means that you don't have to spend too much time organizing shelves and can stack them in a freewheeling way that feels effortless and casual.
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Incorporate Reclaimed Wood
Kate Marker Interiors added wall-to-wall open shelving made out of reclaimed wood above the built-in cabinetry in this bright pantry. The shelves add a warm and rustic note to the space, while the mix of glassware, white accessories, a small plant, and a painting make it feel decorated.
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Add a Solid Door
This kitchen pantry from Britt Design Studio has a solid door so that it can be closed and hidden from the view of the main kitchen space when desired. The mix of base cabinetry and open shelving that reaches the ceiling keeps the pantry neatly organized even when the door is open. Pantry goods are stored on the countertop level, snacks are organized in black open-weave baskets at eye level, and labeled closed storage baskets line the top shelves.
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Add Bold Tile
Kate Marker Interiors added bold classic black-and-white checkerboard floor tile in this light and bright galley-style kitchen pantry that is outfitted with pale wood storage and double ovens that turn it into a back kitchen perfect for baking marathons.
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Hang Wood Shutter Doors
Adding a decorative door to separate your kitchen pantry is a practical way to hide clutter when necessary, while also defining it as a distinct space. Marie Flanigan Interiors added decorative wood shutter doors to this L-shaped kitchen pantry that add warmth and contrast to the pale cool palette of stone and white walls. Depending on the size of your door opening, you can source vintage doors at architectural salvage yards or online to add character to a modern space.
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Include a Home Bar
JK Interior Living included a built-in home bar to the floor-to-ceiling storage in this bright and spacious pantry. Built-in wine and beer storage, glass-front cabinetry, open shelving to store glassware, and a small marble countertop prep space for preparing drinks make the space functional and practical.
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Add Farmhouse Elements
Marie Flanigan Interiors added brick tile, shiplap walls, and seamlessly built-in cabinetry that reaches the ceiling in this farmhouse-style pantry that includes a ton of storage space and a long open shelf for display.
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Add Subtle Signage
This kitchen pantry from deVOL Kitchens has a cursive pantry sign above the doorframe in an old-fashioned font that adds vintage charm.
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Use Every Inch
To maximize the wall space of this long and narrow kitchen pantry that leads to a powder room at the end, deVOL Kitchens hung simple open shelving that displays dry goods, pots of jam, and extra serving bowls. Dishtowel hooks are hung on the opposite wall to maximize usage.
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Add a Picture Window
Kate Marker Interiors added a round picture window above the sink in this light and airy kitchen pantry that creates a focal point. A mixture of built-in cabinetry and open shelving lines the three walls of the U-shaped space to maximize storage.
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Add Double Doors
House 9 Interiors added an arched opening and natural wood and glass double doors to this charming London kitchen pantry. The inside of the pantry, from the walls to the cabinetry to the wall-mounted bracketed open shelving, is painted in shades of warm beige that add depth to the modern white kitchen.
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Paint It Out
Emily Henderson Design used two tiers of open shelving around the periphery of this wrap-around pantry off of the main kitchen, painting them in the same blue as the shiplap walls so that they fade into the background and make their contents stand out. The shelves are styled to look effortless and casual, with things like jars of dried goods, cookbooks, serving bowls, and cake stands grouped together. The base's cabinets include pull-out drawers for storing food and snacks.
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Add a Vintage Shelf
Inspired By Charm added a vintage stained wood wall-mounted shelf for grab-and-go pantry items that complements the sage green open shelving in this butler's pantry. A pegboard shelf runs beneath the shelving to hang kitchen shears and measuring spoons, and the shelves aboved are styled into a series of vignettes.
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Keep It Symmetrical
Kate Marker Interiors added pale wood open shelving with black metal brackets in this light and bright U-shaped pantry nook. The black accessories and styling of the matching sets of shelves with books and art keep the semi-open space from looking like a storage closet.
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Organize Your Wine Stash
If you don't have a dedicated wine cellar but are a serious collector, consider creating a semi-open, galley-style wine pantry like this one from Marie Flanigan Interiors to store your bottles in style. The built-in natural wood wine bottle storage and drawers add warmth and a slightly rustic feel.
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Add Shallow Shelving
Michelle Berwick Design added shallow floor-to-ceiling shelving that maximizes space in this bright pantry built around a window. The shallow shelving ensures that items won't get pushed to the back or lost.
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Add Display Shelving
Kate Marker Interiors added a ceiling-mounted brass shelf to complement the built-in pantry storage wall containing every conceivable type of storage. The display shelf fills the blank space on the subway tile wall and is used for decorative glassware and morning coffee mugs and bowls.
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One-Wall Pantry
If you don't have a whole room, consider turning a wall of your kitchen into a pantry for dishes and incorporating a home bar, like this space from Marie Flanigan Interiors. Keep the counters clear for a collection of choice bottles stacked on a tray and a vase of flowers for a welcoming feel.
How do you organize a pantry?
To organize your kitchen pantry, take inventory of what you have, grouping like items together so that they are easy to find. Decant dry goods into storage containers and label them if necessary. Stock shelves so that everyday items are at eye level, storing less frequently used items on higher shelves.Regularly take stock of your pantry so you can remove items as they expire or replenish as necessary.
How do you organize a 24-inch-deep pantry?
The challenge of organizing a 24-inch-deep pantry is that items will get pushed to the back and ignored, leading to waste. To combat this, use wire baskets that keep items visible and in one place. Try a turntable to keep condiments or canned goods organized. Or install simple riser shelves that will elevate the back row of items and keep it visible.
How do you organize pull-out pantry shelves?
The best way to organize pantry shelves is to group items together, either neatly arranged if your pull-out shelves have a railing to keep items from spilling over, or in bins, storage jars, or on a lazy Susan. Store your most-used items at the front so you only have to pull the shelf out a few inches to grab what you need on a daily basis.
58 Kitchen Organizing Ideas to Make Your Space Less Cluttered and More Inviting