If the last year of lockdowns, social distancing and Netflix bingeing has taught us anything, it is this: Our homes — our havens — should be well-stocked and organized, designed to make our lives more manageable in these trying times.
With all the eating and cooking centered around the home, it makes sense to ensure our go-to ingredients are as accessible as our remotes.
Finding the baking powder to concoct your favorite comfort cake shouldn’t be a Herculean task. Why perform acrobatics to reach for the rice or chicken broth to prepare dinner? Doesn’t this year already have enough obstacles?
So, no better time to organize the pantry.
Whichever route you choose to revamp your pantry, the point is to make your life easier by organizing your food needs in a central space. Photo courtesy of All About Closets
In addition to closets, homeowners have been looking to make their pantries more efficient, said Dawn Smith, director of operations at Closets & Storage Concepts, a Camden County-based firm that designs, manufactures and installs custom closet storage and organizer systems.
“I would say that with people spending more time at home working and with having children at home for school, there’s definitely a focus on getting a home that is more organized, by creating space or making them more functional,” Smith said. “Obviously, usually the first place is closets, and within that is usually the pantry.”
Some prefer to hire professionals to redesign their pantries while others prefer the DIY method.
For do-it-yourselfers, George Chowanec, owner of All About Closets, based in Forked River, recommended using solid surfaces and advised against white wire ventilated shelving that will most likely result in items falling through. If wire is your only option, then add linen shelving where the wires are closely spaced together, he said.
Stay away from wire typically found at big-box stores; these are used as a cheaper way of getting something in a closet at the sacrifice of being a better product, he said.
While it may seem that a deeper shelf will afford you more room, opt for a shallower version so there’s less wasted space. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Ideally, the shelving will be of melamine or wood — which are strong — preferably adjustable to various heights and will move up and down to accommodate taller boxes and shorter cans, he said.
If shelving already exists, a piece of plastic placed atop it will make it solid, he said.
“Otherwise, a box of cereal or rice will fall through or tip over. It’s absolutely a nightmare,” he said.
While it may seem that a deeper shelf will afford you more room, it often leads to wasted space. That 12-inch jar of mayonnaise will get lost in the back. When the shelf is too deep, you can end up forgetting about the hidden items, he said.
“Sometimes, rather than going deep, we are able to do something in a ‘U’ or ‘L’ configuration and wrap it around the walls,” Smith said. “You can almost step in and see and reach them.”
Sort pantry items vertically, prioritizing the things that are used most often in the middle. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
When it comes to designing a space for optimal use, Smith said to place items used daily at eye level. Heavier items should be placed at the bottom of the pantry to minimize heavy lifting, and supplies that are rarely used can be placed higher.
If you prefer to have the professional touch on your pantry, the options run the gamut.
Designers will add everything from wire baskets that extend outward, scooped drawers where the front is cut so that you can see what is inside the drawer without opening it, and platter dividers for cookie sheets and items that you can store vertically, Chowanec said.
Depending on the size and scope of your pantry, you can have regular drawers inside for linens, tablecloths and miscellaneous items, and spice racks that can slide in and out, allowing you to lay spices down horizontally, he said.
Some homeowners have added outlets in their pantries to convert the space into a multiuse area of the home. Photo courtesy of Closet & Storage Concepts
If you’re talking high-end, the walk-in pantries can be split so there are countertops, mixers and small appliances. Some homeowners have outlets in their pantries to power toasters or coffeemakers.
Whichever route you choose to revamp your pantry, the point is to make your life easier, Smith said.
“When it comes to your pantry, you want to make sure that you’re utilizing the space to its maximum for your useable items,” Smith said. “Often, in pantries, there are expired foods or things you haven’t used in a long time. Apply the same organizational skills that you do for your closets. Do you need it? Would you still buy it today? Otherwise, it just becomes another storage closet.”
A veteran reporter of The Star-Ledger, where for 21 years she covered news stories and lifestyle features, Carmen Juri is now a high school teacher and freelance writer. She’s also the mother of two teenagers and a globetrotter who loves to cook and attend the theater.
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.
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