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jenniferdubemccallum

Help me design my walk-in pantry

8 years ago

Thank you for all the inspiration as I've gone through all the pantry-related posts on here! I've posted about this before, but I'd like some feedback with this plan I've come up with. The contractor is going to build this out for me, and I have a week to figure this out, so please bring on the suggestions!

First some photos of the space, then schematics in the comments....

The space is right off the kitchen (i.e., the pantry door is right next to the fridge). It is awkwardly shaped, so it's difficult to photograph but I've tried. It used to house a tiny/crappy wet bar on "Wall A", which we've removed, and stackable laundry crammed awkwardly in the corner of "Wall B", (which we moved upstairs). Wall C has the furnace behind bifolds. We obviously have to plan for the contingency of furnace replacement someday. On Wall D we plan to put up a hanger to stash mops and brooms.


Wall A -- looking in from pantry door:


Wall B -- Note shorter ceiling height:

Wall C & D:


Comments (19)

  • 8 years ago

    What's the overall dimensions?

  • 8 years ago

    My plan for your review & feedback:

    Wall A -- would like to have a 36"x high x 16" deep counter for a coffee station, with open shelving above. Contractor says I shouldn't go any deeper than 16" due to possibly having to remove the furnace someday. Note additional outlet to be added.


    Wall B -- We really would like to have a beverage center/wine cooler in here somewhere. Have yet to purchase it so we are wide open, but it seems 36"H by 24"D would work for most standard units. Would not put a cabinet over this. Would use the space beside it to stack cases of diet coke, beer, etc. Would like to wrap the shelves around the corner, because if the counter is 24" D it would be hard to otherwise access/make use of the space in the corner.


    I'd like all the shelves to be 10" width as that seems to be the recommendation on the pantry threads here? But the contractor is saying 12" may be cheaper? Does 2 additional inches make a difference?

    Not sure how to find my old post here, but yes I know it's not ideal to have a pantry near a furnace with a beverage center in there making heat as well.... we are willing to make the trade off for the additional storage, and won't be storing any fresh foods in here.

  • 8 years ago
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    A pantry is a room in which food and staples are stored, and odd-shaped, seldom-used appliances. You are trying to turn this into a sort of "kitchen annex". I'd rethink the space.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks Anglophilia, the place is a condo in the city, so every inch of storage counts. The walls can't be moved because condo. We can't tear down a wall and properly "annex" it into the kitchen -- it's behind the kitchen and under the stairs, load bearing, condo duct work, and all that. But because it's right off the kitchen, it really is the perfect location for a pantry!

    Yes the pantry is meant to store staples and odd-shaped, seldom used appliances. I've already got every cabinet (that I can reach -- I'm short) in our newly remodeled kitchen full, so we need the space for just that, food-staples in particular!

    We've got no other room for a beverage center to accommodate the hubby's case-a-day diet coke habit -- which would take up the entire fridge otherwise. We also entertain quite frequently, so like to have a beverage center for beer and wine. I guess we don't necessarily have to have the coffee maker in there, but it would be a really nice to have it there for sure, since we are huge coffee drinkers and I WFH.

    Here is pic of the kitchen in progress -- note the pantry door on the left next to the fridge. To the right is the entry, and the stairs run behind the kitchen. The pantry and furnace is under the stairs.

  • 8 years ago

    Bump

  • 8 years ago

    I'm a bit confused. Is the pantry door the door next to fridge or this door?

  • 8 years ago

    Ok I see the plan on other thread. I think the small wall right as you walk in is best spot for bev fridge for easy access for guests and you and it's away from fur nance. I don't know if the coffee station in pantry is very useful or practical. I would keep coffee in main kitchen and use remainder of pantry for 12" shelves along back wall and a spot for broom, mop etc to the right

  • 8 years ago

    smm5525, pantry door is the open door right next to the fridge. Wall "A" -- where I want the coffee maker -- is right there. The bifolds in the pic you re-posted is on "Wall C" and behind those doors is the furnace.

    Initially we were going to put the bev fridge on Wall A, as you suggest. Unfortunately we can't have anything deeper than 16" there, and a bev fridge needs 24" of depth.

    I guess we could put it there but we'd have to be willing to demo the shelves in the event we someday need a furnace replacement.

    Our coffee maker is pretty large and bulky, as we go through a lot of coffee. We actually have two coffee makers, both bulky -- one for k-cups and one for drip. There are a lot of associated supplies -- 5 lb bags of coffee, k-cups, coffee grinder, filters. I would move the coffee cups in there too.

    If we kept it out in the kitchen, which is where it is now, it would go under the upper cabinet to the right of the fridge and next to the cooktop. It looks cluttered there now and the top of the coffee maker is only inches away from the under cabinet light. I fear it'll look even more cluttered once we get the hood installed. Plus, I'd much prefer to keep that space clear for cooking-related use.


  • 8 years ago

    Jennifer that makes sense. Just keep in mind, for parties you might have to keep beverages out on the counter in kitchen as people likely won't enter pantry to help themselves. No big deal!

    Agree about the adjustable shelves and maybe some vertical divides to keep things nice and organized.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I'm not sure if it would work for you but, FYI, Perlick does make an 18" deep beverage fridge.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks akrogirl32! We were thinking of going cheap for this item. Originally we were going to have the bev fridge installed in our dining room cabinetry, to do that, we'd need an 18 inch, and when we looked around, found out they are pricey. So we nixed that and went with the pantry idea, since we don't need anything fancy. It's mostly to store beer and soda. We don't drink red wine at all so no need for dual controls, etc.

    Thanks smm5525, agreed, and for big parties we put the drinks in a tub full of ice out on the deck. This is really mostly to get hubby's daily supply of diet coke out of the main fridge. We had an undercounter wine cooler in our last place, and the hubby kept it full of diet coke and beer, we rarely used it for wine... but it was nice how it freed up space in the main fridge.

    Thanks practigal -- looking at the Elfa site now. I do like the idea of adjustable shelving. I don't want wire shelves but it looks like Elfa has other options.

  • 8 years ago

    Jennifer that's a lot of Coke! At least get him to change to regular, that diet stuff is bleh, lol!

  • 8 years ago

    Jennifer, I like your idea. I don't think the extra couple steps for the coffee is a problem and if you are serving a large crowd, a carafe in the kitchen would work. I too like solid shelves. In our last home, I knew what I wanted on the pantry shelves and measured for storage and installed permanent shelves which worked for us, but some adjustable shelving is nice.

    For parties, you can add some of the beverages to the kitchen fridge.

    Jennifer Dube thanked Karenseb
  • 8 years ago

    If you do vertical divides you can adjust the shelves within each section and keeps stuff more organized than on a long shelf

  • 8 years ago

    smm5525 it's even worse when my mother comes to visit. She also has a 1-2 case a day diet coke habit!

    I am awaiting an order of plexiglass vertical dividers which I initially ordered for my bedroom closet, with extra for the linen. I don't think I'll need them after all in the linen, but I expect they will work in the pantry just fine.

  • 8 years ago

    Karenseb,

    I knew what I wanted on the pantry shelves and measured for storage

    I have a fairly good idea of what I want to store in there, though it's been so long since we had a working kitchen, I may be mis-remembering. I made a list awhile ago:

    spices -- we have, and will always have, a zillion. I'm thinking I'll hang these on the back of the door, or on the wall to the left as you enter. I do have a drawer across from the cooktop that could possibly work (and would be more convenient), but right now I have that filled with placemats, paper napkins, kitchen linens. I suppose I could move those into the pantry instead.

    chip bags / snacks

    canned goods

    pasta sauce jars

    peanut butter & jelly jars

    cereal boxes (not many)

    oils & vinegars

    spice packets

    nuts & dried fruit bags (in basket or in a container)

    bags of dried beans (in basket or in a container)

    condiments

    pasta & other grains

    cracker boxes


    coffee station

    bev fridge

    diet coke cases

    bottled water case


    large bag of rice


    paper towels

    napkins

    coffee, filters

    extra tin foil

    extra plastic bags

    extra trash bags


    small appliances including: crockpot, rice cooker, food processor, toaster, hand mixer


    mops & brooms


    apron -- hanging from hook on wall


    step ladder (could be tucked away next to the furnace-- there's space.)


    I don't bake very often so I figure I'll keep flour in the freezer.

  • 8 years ago

    Here's what I meant