How do you make a pantry in your home when you have no space for one? I live in a house that is 984 square feet… total! I raised my two girls here with one bathroom. We had so much fun, but the house had no pantry. When I bought the house, a washer and dryer sat in the kitchen! I love this crazy house.
But the house did not come with a pantry, so I had to be inventive. First, I moved the washer and dryer to the smallest bedroom of the house to create a laundry room and cat care area. Then, I carved out a couple of cabinets to become my pantry. I was overjoyed! Sometimes it does not matter if it is perfect, it is all about creating the space you need.
If we look back at last week’s blog, we learned all about adding wallpaper to the back to make it look amazing. How about some stylish baskets to hold the clutter and small stuff? In my own kitchen, I painted the interior a fun French blue with the cabinets in white. When you add the canned goods and cereal boxes, it is a pleasure to begin the cooking. It’s so much fun to go into an organized space where you know where everything is!
Another option is to find a cute cabinet or vintage piece to act like the pantry without looking like on. A closet or a space under the stairs is the perfect place to store household goods. Sometimes we need to think bigger than having everything in one place. Storing pantry items in one place and canned goods near the cooking center allows you to spread the space you need out.
When I lived in Germany, I learned to only keep 2-3 days worth of food in the pantry. This kept the food fresh and the need for extra storage to a minimum.
Also, you do not tie up a lot of funds on food that may never be eaten. Keep a list over the course of a month and figure out what you really need to always have on hand, then when you’re planning your meals for the week, it’s easier to know the things you really need to purchase.