Simple, Cost-friendly Storage Tips for Your Kitchen Pantry
Lucky enough to have a pantry or larder cupboard you can devote to those cookspace extras? Here’s how to keep yours tidy
Lucy Searle
4 September 2018
Houzz Contributor. Editor in Chief of RealHomes.com. I am an editor, journalist, web and copywriter. I was Editor of the hugely successful www.channel4.com/4homes, taking it from a small site to a leading brand. I was also founding Editor of Channel 4’s 4Homes magazine, was Associate Editor at Ideal Home and have written for MSN, Huffington Post, Homes & Gardens, Country Homes & Interiors, Beautiful Kitchens, House Beautiful, Good Homes, and many women’s titles. I founded www.tailoredcontent.co.uk with a fellow journalist and together we blog, write web content and run social media accounts for (mostly) interiors companies. As a general rule, I write about everything from buying and selling property, self build, DIY, design and consumer issues to gardening but have tackled travel and family...
Houzz Contributor. Editor in Chief of RealHomes.com. I am an editor, journalist,... More
From small appliances to herbs and spices, the kitchen pantry is expected to welcome the lot. But how do you stop it becoming a dumping ground? Good old-fashioned storage is key. Here are the storage essentials to put on your larder wish list – and they won’t blow your budget.
Measure up
If you’re having your pantry fitted out from scratch, it’s worth making a list of everything you need to store. Once you have your list, fit shelves at just the right height and depth for even fiddly little items like herb jars. This way, everything is catered for and, more importantly, easy to access and put back.
Installing shelves? Get help from carpenters in your area
If you’re having your pantry fitted out from scratch, it’s worth making a list of everything you need to store. Once you have your list, fit shelves at just the right height and depth for even fiddly little items like herb jars. This way, everything is catered for and, more importantly, easy to access and put back.
Installing shelves? Get help from carpenters in your area
Stack safely
Shelf inserts, like these ones, are an easy and affordable quick fix that allows you to fit in lots of kitchen paraphernalia. You can store everything from crockery to food jars, without having to pile them all up dangerously on top of one another.
Shelf inserts, like these ones, are an easy and affordable quick fix that allows you to fit in lots of kitchen paraphernalia. You can store everything from crockery to food jars, without having to pile them all up dangerously on top of one another.
Hang out
Hate fighting to get a pan out from the bottom of the pile? This simple solution is great for a large, open larder space with a free wall area. Every pan is easy to reach, remove and replace. The tricky part? Measuring the correct distance between each hook, so that each pan can lie neat and flat against the wall.
Hate fighting to get a pan out from the bottom of the pile? This simple solution is great for a large, open larder space with a free wall area. Every pan is easy to reach, remove and replace. The tricky part? Measuring the correct distance between each hook, so that each pan can lie neat and flat against the wall.
Divide and conquer
You know those drawer dividers for keeping socks neatly separated? They’re also a great solution for pantry drawers, allowing you to keep in order everything from herbs and spices to snacks and lunchbox fillers.
Planning a larder? Be inspired by these contemporary design ideas
You know those drawer dividers for keeping socks neatly separated? They’re also a great solution for pantry drawers, allowing you to keep in order everything from herbs and spices to snacks and lunchbox fillers.
Planning a larder? Be inspired by these contemporary design ideas
Label it
There’s so much to like about labelled glass jars. Firstly, they make what’s in them easy to identify, especially when the kids are helping out with baking. Secondly, they look smart on the shelves and thirdly, they’re cheap to buy. You can even rinse out old jamjars and reuse them.
There’s so much to like about labelled glass jars. Firstly, they make what’s in them easy to identify, especially when the kids are helping out with baking. Secondly, they look smart on the shelves and thirdly, they’re cheap to buy. You can even rinse out old jamjars and reuse them.
Insert a worktop
If your pantry has space for a deep shelf at kitchen worktop height, use it to incorporate a breakfast station.
What to include? Bread bin, jams, toaster, chopping board and cutlery. Everything is in one place, and you can hide the clutter behind closed doors.
If your pantry has space for a deep shelf at kitchen worktop height, use it to incorporate a breakfast station.
What to include? Bread bin, jams, toaster, chopping board and cutlery. Everything is in one place, and you can hide the clutter behind closed doors.
Go sideways
What to do with those huge, space-sucking platters, chopping boards and trays? Forget piling them up – a vertical divider allows you to keep them neatly organised, easy to access and, in the case of china platters, well out of harm’s way.
Need to get organised? Find essential kitchen storage in the Houzz Shop
What to do with those huge, space-sucking platters, chopping boards and trays? Forget piling them up – a vertical divider allows you to keep them neatly organised, easy to access and, in the case of china platters, well out of harm’s way.
Need to get organised? Find essential kitchen storage in the Houzz Shop
Create a display
If your pantry’s on show, decant your ingredients into vintage tins. This allows you to make a good-looking display, and keep clutter under control. Pick up retro containers from car boot sales, vintage fairs and, of course, granny’s kitchen cupboard.
If your pantry’s on show, decant your ingredients into vintage tins. This allows you to make a good-looking display, and keep clutter under control. Pick up retro containers from car boot sales, vintage fairs and, of course, granny’s kitchen cupboard.
Make space for the microwave
Microwaves can take up valuable space on the worktop, so why not make room in your pantry instead? It’ll make your kitchen look more streamlined.
However, before you move your microwave to the pantry, get professional advice on how to store it safely according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Tell us…
Do you have any clever, easy storage tips for a pantry? Share your ideas in the Comments section
Microwaves can take up valuable space on the worktop, so why not make room in your pantry instead? It’ll make your kitchen look more streamlined.
However, before you move your microwave to the pantry, get professional advice on how to store it safely according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Tell us…
Do you have any clever, easy storage tips for a pantry? Share your ideas in the Comments section
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Thank you for the mention! Lovely read.
I love traditional walk-in larders, a luxury for most i know, but they are simple and functional without getting too wound up in specifics, the space is the space. Here is one of mine.
I love the idea of storing large platters, chopping bards etc vertically. Thank you!