Swoon-Worthy Pantries
By Rose A. Cooke
Shelves lined with canned goods, dry goods, paper towels and a few bulky appliances. Is that what you see when you open the pantry door? What if entering the pantry put a smile on your face and became a featured room on your house tour? Well, get prepared for some knock-your-apron-off pantry inspiration.
Though pantries are one of the most used rooms in the home, they often receive the least attention when we are designing and decorating. It’s time to give pantries the love they deserve. Pantries are dripping with potential. With a little imagination, you can build out, dress up, and organize a spectacular Barndo pantry.
When deciding on the footprint of your pantry, consider how you want to use the room. Will it be for storing pantry goods only, or do you need space for other purposes that pair well with the pantry? Pantry/laundry/mud room combos are popular especially when they connect the kitchen area to an exterior door through which you frequently enter the home. A heavy-hitting multifunctional room could include a pantry, laundry area, craft room and pet washing station.
Consider design features that will make your pantry uniquely functional for you. For example, adding a pantry island serves a multitude of purposes. If you entertain often, you may want a butler’s pantry complete with a refrigerator, sink, prep area, and a coffee station. A butler’s pantry can be designed on the other side of a kitchen or dining room wall and entered through an open passage, without needing a door.
You can carry the style of your Barndo into your pantry, or you can make it pop with a different color palette and design of its own. There are many ways to dress up your pantry, starting with the floor. Patterned flooring adds style and interest—classic black and white tile flooring has made a huge come back and works well in a pantry. When it comes to lighting, track lighting and dotless strip lighting are creative options for illuminating the pantry. And, of course, you can’t beat a chandelier to bring in a touch of elegance.
Easy décor updates can quickly elevate a pantry. Furniture pieces can substitute for cabinetry. An antique dresser or armoire delivers a dramatic statement and makes the pantry feel like a room of its own. Installing café curtains hung over lower shelves make the area appear less cluttered and more attractive. In her own Barndo, Stacee Lynn turned an antique wooden ladder into a pot rack by adding hooks and suspending it over the coffee station in her pantry. The more creative and personal the idea, the more special your space will feel!
Don’t forget about organization. It doesn’t take much for most pantries to become overcrowded and start looking a bit awry. One way to keep the space neat and organized is to add stacking baskets. These handy tools increase storage space by storing your goods vertically, eliminating wasted space. If you want an expertly organized pantry that maximizes space, consider engaging a closet designer company. These businesses can customize all your storage and work areas in the pantry with the right combination of shelving, drawers, and other design elements. This often results in a more cohesive, modern look.
Last, but not least, think about the entrance to the pantry. Here again, choices abound. Sliding barn doors are popular in Barndos and glass pantry doors are gaining a lot of traction in modern style homes. In the right space, even curtains can serve as a charming divider. Stacee Lynn’s favorite is the smuggler’s pantry door. This door looks like a cabinet or perhaps a bookcase from the outside, but it is actually a murphy door, also known as a hidden door. This offers a lot of appeal for being very cool and practical at the same time.
Just because a pantry seems mundane and utilitarian at first blush, there’s no reason not to make it another stunning space in your home. There are countless ways to design your pantry that can make your life easier and your environment more beautiful. The pantry can be brilliantly styled to indulge all your wishes. When you unleash your creativity on your Barndo design, don’t overlook the pantry.
