Having a pantry is a great luxury for homeowners. Even for homes that have plenty of kitchen cabinetry, at some point storage space runs thin. Having a dedicated space to store additional food, cooking utensils, appliances, tableware, cleaning supplies, and a host of other items that are commonly stored in the kitchen can be a tremendous asset.
Thinking about creating a pantry for your home? Or maybe you have a pantry but it’s in dire need of a reorganize? If so, you might be asking yourself how much storage space you need in your pantry.
The answer is every homeowner requires a different amount of space. A family of 5 is going to have different storage needs than a couple without children. However, there are a lot of items that we all commonly store in pantries, so there are some rules to keep in my when designing a storage system in your pantry.
Shelf depth can vary a bit depending on the size of your pantry, but a standard depth is usually between 16 and 20 inches. The top shelf of your pantry is usually a bit more shallow than the others, but it’s important to make sure that the shelves of your pantry aren’t too deep.
When shelves are too deep, the items you store become less accessible, defeating the purpose of a convenient pantry. If after you build your shelves you discover that items end up getting pushed to the back and forgotten about, you should consider making the shelves more shallow.
Not only is the depth of your shelves important, you also need to pay special attention to the space between your shelves. Before you start your pantry project, you should try and plot out all of the things that you plan to store in the pantry. Try to visualize and measure what shelf will store cereal, what will store canned food, etc. The more concretely you know what will be stored in your pantry, the easier it will be to plan for storage capacity. Make sure that you leave yourself some room to grow your pantry.
A good standard for measuring out your shelves is to create five shelves that vary is size. Start with a large shelf on the bottom for large and heavy items, about 20 inches above that have another that is about 16 inches, above that one that is 6 inches, above that one that is 8, and on top another good-sized shelf that is about 16 inches above the previous shelf.
When you’re building your shelves make sure that your bottom shelf is built high enough off of the ground that you’re able to utilize the floor space. By utilizing the floor space you give yourself an extra de-facto shelf. Using the floor is great for heavy or clunky items such as pet food, crockpots, or seldom-used baking dishes.
If your pantry has a door, make sure that you take advantage and use it. There are a host of different ways to use a door for storage. You can install a hanging small shelf unit that can house small ingredient bottles, stick hooks to the door to hang aprons, or clips that can hold long items in place like brooms, mops, and dustpans.
Once you get your system in place, you’ll want to revisit it periodically. The goal should be that your new pantry system is a perfect fit, but chances are that as time progresses and your life and habits change, your pantry needs will as well.
You’ll want to keep an open mind and leave yourself space in your new pantry system to make changes on the fly.
By following this pantry-space tips, you’ll be on your way to having plenty of room in your pantry. If you’re ready to design a new pantry or simply need more shelving for your current one, we’ve got you covered! At Harkraft, we specialize in top-of-the-line pantry organization products.
We sell and install door and wall racks for spices, bottles, and small jars, as well as premium wire pantry shelving. We also sell tiered shelf organizers and see-through wire baskets that will allow you stay organized as well as see what’s in your pantry without having to pull the items out or shuffle them around.
