We all love the idea of a well-designed and decorated space. Unfortunately, you never know if you’re going to end up in a small kitchen, at some point. Should you end up in a kitchen without a pantry, you’re at a higher chance of having a cluttered kitchen. Worse still, if you have some mental stress, the clutter can be bad for your condition. Even if your kitchen is not all that busy, you’d still need to stock food staples, and without a pantry, it’s a challenge. In this article, I am going to share with you how to organize a kitchen without a pantry.
With just a little creativity and innovation, even a small kitchen can be fully functional without the luxury of a walk-in pantry. In this article, I’ll share some ideas I’ve gathered within the course of my work. Most of these can be implemented in a matter of hours or less. The fastest way of getting results is how well you stick by or IMPLEMENT a given method.
You may like: How to organize kitchen pantry for your lovely kitchen.
What to Consider Beforehand
As a general kitchen rule, you do not want to implement a method, only to realize you missed something a day after. There are considerations you should make to ensure your solutions are longlisting and convenient. Let us look at a few of these;
- What do you use Often?
Whenever doing any kitchen organization, this should be the first thing in your mind. If you do not have a pantry., ensure that whatever method you use to organize, you have what is frequently used closest to you.
- What Appearance do you Want to end up With?
Kitchen organization is largely dependent on your individual taste. Align your organization method with your preferred style.
- Do you Need External Storage?
It is not every little thing in the kitchen that you use often. The rarely used items can be tossed in an external store, or you can buy the services of an external storage company.
Suggested Link: Best kitchen pantries reviews from pro.
Organization Ideas
Having answered each of the above questions, here are some ideas you can use to tidy up your tiny kitchen that lacks a pantry.
- Wall Shelving
Although not as great as a hidden pantry, an organized exposed shelve can give a great vibe to your kitchen. Open shelving works pretty fine where it isn’t possible to add a new built-in cabinet.
An open shelf can be made in a few hours by hanging pieces of wood and nailing wood planks on them. the best items to store in an open shelving design are the visually appealing plates and bowls. Do not store boxy items like cereals here, unless you’ve got something to show of them.
- Mount a Pegboard
Honestly, a stylish pegboard can easily outdo some dated pantries. A pegboard will easily blend with the wall you choose to mount it on, plus, it’ll accommodate a lot of stuff. You could even hang an oil’s shelf, or a fruits basket on it.
Whereas a custom made pegboard offers more options in terms of space and items to accommodate, a pre-made version can also work great.
- Hang a Couple of Baskets
Ever thought the ceiling could offer some storage? Hanging a series of baskets, or what is commonly seen as a three-tiered basket is not only aesthetically appealing but offers you the much-needed storage space. the best items for such baskets would be fruits such as bananas and oranges, as well as staples like rice, pasta, and any other lightweight staple.
This option is workable even in those kitchens where wall space or countertop space is not at your disposal.
- Get Creative With the Counter Space
Almost every kitchen has a countertop, space being the variant. Even in a small kitchen, you can avoid cluttering the counter space by installing a double shelf. You can also use a rack to store more items without looking like junk.
- Bring in a Sideboard
Sideboards are not dated, at least for some of us. If you have an open concept kitchen with some space in the dining area, a sideboard will save you a lot. Traditionally, these cupboards were used to store silverware and other dining items. Re-purposing a sideboard to store food staples wouldn’t seem off at all.
You should however redo the cabinets to be more suited for pantry items. Make space where you can stack up storage containers.
- Repurpose the Bookcase
There is no such rule as that a bookcase should hold only books, or is there any? A bookshelf in the kitchen is just like a basic shelf. You can stack your good looking dinnerware such as mugs. The shelf can also hold pantry items in baskets. Dry goods and canned foods can make this option look classy, especially if you arrange everything nicely.
The bookshelf can also be a great place for dinnerware. You can dedicate it wholly for this and then stock up the cabinets with food staples.
- Introduce a Portable Kitchen cart
A kitchen cart with wheels should give the much-needed access to wine while cooking. This is not the sole way to use a portable kitchen island. You can re-purpose it for storing dry food items as well as those you rarely use. the great thing about this method is that everything is usually in view, and you do not have to carry anything, just push the cart into and out of the kitchen.
- Make use of the Walls
Walls offer multiple storage options for pantry items. Whenever struggling with storage without a pantry, think of the walls. You can attach a magnetic bar to hold cutlery, as well as hooks to hang fruit baskets. For pantry items, make the wall storage nearer the cooktop as much possible so that when preparing a meal, you can easily reach everything.
You could also attach a magnetic rack or a magnetic fridge. The rack can then carry lightweight tins to hold spices.
- Organize your Drawers
Drawers can carry more items if well organized. There are great drawer organizers in the market as of now. Use these organizers to afford more space in your drawers. This way, you won’t have to store many non-food items on the countertop. You can thus display your storage bins on the countertop without making it cluttered.
- Add some Virtual Space with a Mirror
Ever walked into a seemingly small restaurant only to find it looking twice as large on the inside? This is how cool the mirror trick can be.
Add large mirrors to walls that are not in use. These reflect the space inside making you feel like you have more space. While this trick doesn’t add any space, it can be amazing especially if the kitchen is nicely organized. You do not have to feel the tininess of the kitchen.
- Ever Thought of a Lazy Susan?
With a small kitchen, there’s not a better way of holding those oils, vinegar, and other skinny bottles. It works best if you label those bottles, with the labels facing outwards. This way, you do not have to knock everything else over when reaching for a particular one.
Video Tips: How to Organize a Small Kitchen Without a Pantry
Conclusion
A kitchen without a pantry should not limit you anymore. The above ideas represent what I and others are adopting to solve the pantry problem in a small kitchen. Try them out today and you could end up with something you love even more.
Rita C. Donnell (Jennifer) has spent the last 26 years studying and practicing nutrition science. She has used a larger part of this time in improving people’s livelihoods. She has done so by coming up with unquestionable ideas on how to tackle food problems in her community. Readmore
Thanks for all these tips.