Ideal Pantry Layout
When touring the Fulton Mansion in Richmond, TX, built in 1877, I loved getting to see the pantry. This historic Victorian house had a great pantry design. With shelves lining the room and plenty of light and floor space, it demonstrates two of my favorite organizational principles…visibility and accessibility.
I particularly like the shallow shelves, which are neither too low nor too high for the canned goods and smaller containers. Placing the bulk and heavy items on the floor under the shelves works well, too. The ample floor space allows someone to back up and see everything at a glance, while also making it easier to pick up and move bulky things. Everything is easy to see and easy to reach!
Visibility is particularly important in pantries, as the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality often leads us to hold onto food beyond its expiration date. We might repurchase something because we didn’t realize we already had it, or we might think something is hidden behind another item, only to find out it’s not there.
As a closet designer, I have lost count of how many times someone has asked me to design only deep shelves for their pantry to accommodate more items. However, holding more is not always the best option. Deep, crowded shelves may hold Costco-sized amounts of items, but they are usually not the most functional choices for a pantry. I always encourage people to right-size their shelves for what will be stored on them.
Deep shelves can be used for larger items, like stand mixers, large crock pots, cases of beverages, or bulk paper towels.
Mid-depth shelves, averaging 12” deep, can be used for almost anything. They are perfect for cereal boxes or a loaf of bread, but you can still store mixers and crockpots if placed sideways. Smaller items can be placed on these shelves by grouping in bins, arranging on stadium-style risers, or placing on a turntable.
You might be surprised how much can fit on a shallow shelf! Most cookbooks fit on an 8” deep shelf, as do most boxes of crackers. A great way to make use of limited space, even on the back of a door, is to have several 4” deep shelves or baskets spaced closely together. Canned goods might only fit one item deep, but closely spaced shelves will maximize your use of vertical space.
When designing a walk-in pantry, I frequently design an entire wall with only 12” deep shelves and use a separate wall for deeper shelves and drawers. Keeping one wall shallower allows room to easily access the larger items on the other wall.
For a reach-in pantry, I generally recommend 12” deep shelves from waist height to the ceiling. A reach-in pantry closet is typically 24” deep, so shelves above door height must be half that deep or it is impossible to get anything onto them. A few deeper shelves might be used in the lower portion of the space, but only as needed. Too many deep shelves might give you more surface area, but you will find yourself playing a puzzle game each time you need to put things in or take them out.
To have an organized pantry, follow the organizational principles of visibility and accessibility. These are the same principles Harriet Fulton used 150 years ago, and they still work well today.
If your pantry isn’t perfectly designed and you can’t change its structure, stay tuned for future blog posts where I will help you make the most of what you have.