Pantry options

[rubytue]

We are moving to a new house this weekend, so I’ll likely be hanging out here more 😁

First thing, the kitchen doesn’t have a pantry. I’m kind of perplexed as to we’re to put pantry stuff, but I guess a cabinet will work. My houses growing up were like that… But, I really want a pantry. Preferably, one of those walls of cabinets with pull out shelves. We have two options… maybe 3.

1. The laundry room is right next to the kitchen. Toying with moving the laundry to the basement - it would be a large laundry room there with room to sort and fold. It’s basically a galley now. It’s not a scary basement, and it’s a ranch, so only one floor from the bedrooms. 

2. Put a pantry wall on the empty wall in the kitchen. We have the make/model of the cabinets, so we can match them. 

3. Take out the empty wall in the kitchen to open to the rest of the house. H wants this because he wants one of those huge island. I’m not against this. I know there is some push back on open concept everything, and this will make all the loving space one, huge bowling alley. I am already talking about separating some space at the other end of the room, because it’s too open. If we do this, the pantry wall could go on the exterior wall perpendicular to the removed wall.

pictures in the next post. I need to shrink them. 

[rubytue]

trying photos. 

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[rubytue]

Kitchen as is

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[ssmjlm]

Our last house didn't have a pantry, so we made the laundry room into a combined laundry/pantry. We stacked the W/D and then did shelves.

[definitelyO]

that's an awesome space - great windows/doors!

we don't have a pantry. Food stuff goes in the cupboards.

[mrsukyankee]

Jun 15, 2021 12:28:16 GMT -5 definitelyO said:

that's an awesome space - great windows/doors!

we don't have a pantry. Food stuff goes in the cupboards.

Same. But if we had options for one, I'd put the laundry in the basement and make that into a pantry/storage area.

[simpsongal]

This is a bigger change, but I would consider swapping the kitchen doors for lower cabinets and windows. If the wall comes down, I don’t think you’ll need the 2 sliders next to each other. I’d try to fashion some pantry in the laundry area too.

Great space!

[InBetweenDays]

Beautiful space and yard! I'd be very tempted to take down that wall and open it all up (but I'm a fan of open concept). I'm just having a hard time envisioning how the lines of the ceilings would work together. And I agree with simpsongal. If you take down the wall I'd consider removing the sliders in the kitchen.

FWIW we don't have a true pantry either. We have side-by-side full height cabinet/cupboard where we store most of our food.

[rubytue]

Oooh. Thanks you all. Keep them coming. Things I hadn’t even thought of. Though I really dislike stacked units, more than stairs. So I probably won’t stack and pantry. I hadn’t even thought of the multiple sides next to each other.

I will also add, nothing is happening right away. We are going the get a temp island and shelving while we living in it and figure out flow.

Also, if you see the L off the big room, that’s where I want to add separation. It’s like two living room type areas, connected. I want to sit in the sunroom and feel separated from the TV. I’m still contemplating how to best do that. Thinking MCM slatted divider wall, or maybe glass walls. But glass walls feel corporate. We are moving from a 1700 sq ft townhouse, so furniture will be the first thing. I want a big cushy chair in the sunroom.

[numbers]

I'm not sure I'd completely lose that entire kitchen wall.

I would definitely expand that doorway to 60" though for better flow.

I'd then add a floor to ceiling matching pantry cabinet in the space to the left.

[numbers]

For dividing the two living spaces, I've always loved the look of flanking low bookshelves.

Like this, but I'd have each bookshelf be much wider for your space.

[Deleted]

We just did #1 in our house last year. My H is still in the process of building the cabinets. We actually already have a food pantry in the kitchen, so this space is actually going to be mostly for my overflow kitchen appliances, I have a lot.

In your case, I would also do #3 because you can also get some great storage in that huge island.

[hbomdiggity]

Jun 15, 2021 12:48:37 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

This is a bigger change, but I would consider swapping the kitchen doors for lower cabinets and windows. If the wall comes down, I don’t think you’ll need the 2 sliders next to each other. I’d try to fashion some pantry in the laundry area too.

Great space!

Removing the sliders is my suggestion as well. I don’t know that I’d even remove the wall (maybe expand opening) but with the other set of doors right there I don’t think you need the backyard access.

[expectantsteelerfan]

We currently have a single cabinet width of cabinets floor to ceiling with pull-out shelves, and I found it not adequate at all as a pantry space. Each of the shelves is overflowing, so if you pull them out, stuff falls. We added a 2nd free standing cabinet as well, and even that hasn't been enough.

I feel like an idiot because I can't make sense of your pictures.  Is the 1st one the kitchen, or the room on the other side of the wall that would come down?

If not, and that wall is in the kitchen where you'd add cabinets, I think the slider might be too close to get cabinets in there.  I agree with others that you could remove the sliding doors (or even replace with a single french door) to get more room for storage, but I'm not sure what your best bet is.  

I don't love complete open concept, but I do like kitchens that are big and open with an eat in area that are then open to a living area.  

[libbygrl109]

I am all for doing what fits your family and forget about what’s “in”.

The only concern I’d have is if that wall you’d like to take out is load bearing. If not, then I could see opening it up, replacing the sliding door with windows and lowers like someone else mentioned, and do whatever else will give you the storage you need.

Congrats on the house! It looks like it will be a great space.

[lilac05]

I would move laundry downstairs and use that as a pantry. (But leave the hookups to leave the option open to move laundry up again in the future if you want to.) I have a 2 story with laundry on the main and bedrooms upstairs, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, if I was building a house, I would still make the same choice.

I wouldn’t take out the slider in your kitchen. I think you’d really miss all of that light! Plus I think you’ll use the deck more if you have direct access from the kitchen.

I think you are wise to take some time to really pay attention to how you live and move in a space before making big changes. You might find solutions you had never thought of. I don’t have nearly as much storage in my current kitchen as in a previous house, but there’s a huge closet in the basement that I didn’t need. I ended up moving most of the stuff that I only use when we have company down to that closet. I’m able to store things nicely on shelves where I can easily grab them rather than stuffing everything into the cabinets that I have. It’s a little weird, but it works really well!

[rubytue]

Jun 16, 2021 7:33:11 GMT -5 numbers said:

I'm not sure I'd completely lose that entire kitchen wall.

I would definitely expand that doorway to 60" though for better flow.

I'd then add a floor to ceiling matching pantry cabinet in the space to the left.

This is now the leading wall option. I mention it to H and he liked it. It avoids the load bearing issues (it’s got some load because the kitchen has an attic above).

[numbers]

Jun 21, 2021 21:46:53 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Jun 16, 2021 7:33:11 GMT -5 numbers said:

I'm not sure I'd completely lose that entire kitchen wall.

I would definitely expand that doorway to 60" though for better flow.

I'd then add a floor to ceiling matching pantry cabinet in the space to the left.

This is now the leading wall option. I mention it to H and he liked it. It avoids the load bearing issues (it’s got some load because the kitchen has an attic above).

Nice! I've done a full renovation on 3 houses now (plus consulted on many for family and friends) and expanding doorways is always one of my first changes.

[wildrice]

Your house looks gorgeous! Well worth the wait you had to find it

Do you think you'll use all of the cabinets for dishes? My last few places haven't had a panty, so I've just stored stuff in cabinets.

Personally I don't think I'd move the laundry. I've been surprised how much worse I am at keeping up with laundry since it's not on the same floor as our bedrooms anymore. It just seems like so much more of a chore to go into the basement for it, and I can't hear when a load is done so I have to pay attention to the clock and go down and change it over.

[bittybomb]

I love the new house!! How exciting - congrats.

I think I would also move the laundry to the basement. My house is 3 floors plus basement, and I really don't mind my laundry down there. I fold in the finished part while watching tv, and it gives me some me time while I hang out and wait for the wash to finish. Doing the laundry scares everyone else away. lol.

In my old kitchen we did not have a pantry and didn't have nearly enough cabinet space to store food so I used these hemnes bookcases in the breakfast room off the kitchen. I stored the food in the glassed shelves, and used the drawers for tin foil, garbage bags, baggies, reusable bags, extra dish soap, etc. It actually worked well for awhile until we could do something more permanent.

www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hemnes-glass-door-cabinet-with-3-drawers-white-stain-50371772/

[rubytue]

Jun 22, 2021 10:05:27 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Your house looks gorgeous! Well worth the wait you had to find it

Do you think you'll use all of the cabinets for dishes? My last few places haven't had a panty, so I've just stored stuff in cabinets.

Personally I don't think I'd move the laundry. I've been surprised how much worse I am at keeping up with laundry since it's not on the same floor as our bedrooms anymore. It just seems like so much more of a chore to go into the basement for it, and I can't hear when a load is done so I have to pay attention to the clock and go down and change it over.

It’s funny, I felt like this kitchen was so much bigger, but I’m out of space already and I have a bunch of boxes left. Only space left is above my reach, so the rarely used stuff goes there. I was going to put pantry stuff in one cabinet, but then cups made the most sense. 

H keeps mentioning the walk-in busters pantry. So I think he is convinced on doing that, even if we add some pantry wall. I’m torn. I love the laundry location, steps from my office, because I do laundry while working. Fold while on conference calls, etc. I’m really concerned with stairs carrying baskets due to my neuropathy issues and stairs. But, it’s also a straight, carpeted, shot. So maybe it would be ok. Ahhhh! So difficult. 

[sb]

Jun 24, 2021 13:26:10 GMT -5 rubytue said:

It’s funny, I felt like this kitchen was so much bigger, but I’m out of space already and I have a bunch of boxes left. Only space left is above my reach, so the rarely used stuff goes there. I was going to put pantry stuff in one cabinet, but then cups made the most sense. 

I'm having the same experience with our new house. I thought there was plenty of cabinet space because there were more cabinets and drawers. But I didn't realize how much of the space is totally out of my reach. Also most of our uppers are glass now so I only want pretty stuff there.

Our new pantry is tiny. We are eventually going to do a butler's pantry in a weird room we have between the kitchen and dining room, but that will be down the road a few years. Just dealing with it for now.

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2021 21:46:53 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Jun 16, 2021 7:33:11 GMT -5 numbers said:

I'm not sure I'd completely lose that entire kitchen wall.

I would definitely expand that doorway to 60" though for better flow.

I'd then add a floor to ceiling matching pantry cabinet in the space to the left.

This is now the leading wall option. I mention it to H and he liked it. It avoids the load bearing issues (it’s got some load because the kitchen has an attic above).

When we converted our laundry, we took out the standard sized door and expanded the size and now have it as an open doorway. It makes such a huge difference, you won't regret making the doorway bigger.

[Susie]

Our old house has basement laundry and has no pantry.  Both are annoying, but the basement laundry annoys me more.  I wouldn't give up first floor laundry to gain a pantry.

Our new house has a laundry room with pantry cabinets off the kitchen.  TBD how I like it!

I'm not sure what I'd do with your space because I'm still exploring how I use ours.  Definitely a "revisit in 6 months" kind of thing.  I do like having a half wall between kitchen and family room.  If you took out the upper part of the wall, you could do lower-only cabinets there for some added storage.