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Pantries

Kitchen Ideas

The Pantry

 

I dream of having a pretty and organized pantry. Especially in the fall! My new house does have a walk in pantry right off the kitchen, but it is pretty basic, just wire shelves. I’ve been looking around at inspiration photos and thought you’d have fun seeing these lovely pantries as much as I did!

Pantries

I have these same baskets — I hope to get my pantry as organized as the inspiration photo! Hmmm…someday!

Pantries

 BHG Kitchen & Bath Ideas

I love the open shelving in this kitchen and I have no problem seeing pantry items and dishes out in the open. I like seeing “real life” so the open concept doesn’t bother me at all. But if it bothers you, I’d keep the doors on!

Pantries

 BHG Kitchen & Bath Ideas

This is a fairly small pantry but with the open glass doors it really makes it a feature of the room as well as a functional space for all kinds of kitchen storage.

 

Pantries

Love these pullout style pantries, they sure look like they can hold a lot!

Pantries

 BHG Kitchen & Bath Ideas

I have always tried to have a baking center in my kitchen (like we talked about in this post), even in a small space it is fun to organize all your “baking needs” in one area.

Pantries

I actually just took the doors off of my upper cabinets in my kitchen baking area a couple of hours ago.

I don’t have my kitchen all fancified yet (and now that I see those yellow cabinets (above), I can’t stop thinking about wanting YELLOW ones!), but here is my first attempt at making my new kitchen more to my liking (below)!

I took off several other cabinet doors in the room and filled the shelves with all my white dishes. It is amazing how much bigger and brighter my kitchen looks, even without painting any of the cabinets (or adding my beloved subway tile…sigh, someday — I still have a big box of it so don’t be surprised if I get inspired late one night to try tiling a backsplash!). I’ll show you the dish cabinet photos another time, I didn’t take a picture yet. As you can see, I love the open shelf concept for pantries and dish cabinets. Something about it just feels homey and “real.”

Pantries

Pantries

A regular cabinet or freestanding unit can work great to store pantry items! Most of my kitchens have needed extra storage and a freestanding cabinet has been a lifesaver.

Pantries

For more inspiration, check out my post on Frugal and Stylish Pantries!

Inspiration images from BH&G Kitchen & Bath online (find the rest of their kitchen pantry ideas on their website right here!)

49 Comments

  1. Kathy

    I have a large freestanding cabinet {that matches my kitchen cabinets} that holds most of my items. I like your cabinet without the doors on ~ I think it breaks up that expanse of wood. I have also been kicking around the idea of putting glass into one cabinet’s doors and using that cabinet for my glassware.

    Reply
  2. Jess

    I love your baking center. Thanks for the great inspiration! I am pumped to get more done to mine this weekend!
    .-= Jess´s last blog ..Procrastination Sneek Peek =-.

    Reply
  3. Janine Adams

    I think your door-free cabinets look beautiful! It’s hard to tell which of our photos are your inspiration photos and which are your actual kitchen photos.

    I’d never thought of taking off the doors. What a great idea–and motivation to keep the cabinet contents tidy.

    Reply
  4. Annie

    Although we are still in the middle of our kitchen remodel, the walk in pantry portion of it is complete. I love, love, love it!!! I, too, have open shelving and it is such a pretty place that I could just stay in there all day. :)
    .-= Annie´s last blog ..A Spoonful of Humiliation with your Monday Coffee? =-.

    Reply
  5. Christi

    My pantry looks very similar to the 3rd picture. Well, at least the pantry itself – NOT the organization *yet*! The 3rd shelf is deeper so that I could store my coffee maker, etc. in there as well instead of on my counter tops.

    I’m so looking forward to this pantry, after having to use my regular cabinets for food storage for so many years.
    .-= Christi´s last blog ..things I’ve learned {or remembered} this week =-.

    Reply
  6. cindy

    I love what you’re doing with your shelving. I’m tempted to remove some of my doors too, but my kitchen is so small I’m afraid leaving them open would make the room feel cluttered. Any thoughts?
    Thanks for the pantry inspiration. Organizing *that* is way down on my list, but should prolly be way up at the top!
    peace.
    .-= cindy´s last blog ..Another Sneak Peek. =-.

    Reply
  7. Abbie

    Those are some great looking pantries! I don’t mind seeing the things on shelves out in the open, but MY dishes/stuff doesn’t seem to ever look that nice or organized!

    Our new (old) house has a butler’s pantry that is most of my kitchen storage. The cupboards/shelves there are in quite good condition (unlike the later kitchen cabinets) for their age. I’m wondering if taking the doors off (cool doors) would open that space up, but none of it is really visible from anywhere else.

    I AM going to stock a baking center in the pantry on the counter, though, just with all those things I don’t usually use that I’m hoping to use in the next couple months!
    .-= Abbie´s last blog ..Siblings. =-.

    Reply
  8. Sandy

    It’s kind of amazing we women can get that excited over organization… but I certainly do! All those pictures look great and inspire me! This morning I had already been working on my bedroom closet, it’s past time to put the sandals away and restock with closed toed shoes.
    .-= Sandy´s last blog ..TaDa! and finally… the bedroom reveal =-.

    Reply
  9. Karen

    My old house had a pantry. This house has a small kitchen without a pantry. I have two cupboards for my food, so I can’t buy in bulk to save money since I don’t have anywhere to store the excess. I did put those hanging wire racks on the back of the door leading to the laundry room. I love your granite tile in your baking area.
    .-= Karen´s last blog ..Tortellini with Mascarpone Sauce =-.

    Reply
  10. Meredith

    You have a friend in me! I go quite ga-ga over pantries and kitchen organisation. I love those old Merchant/Ivory movies in the grand old houses in England of yesteryear where they display row upon row of gleaming copper saucepans and butler’s pantries filled to the brim with every type of plate, cup, saucer, bowl and crystal stemware one could imagine. A beautiful post Melissa. Meredith xo.
    .-= Meredith´s last blog ..how many!!? =-.

    Reply
  11. Layla

    You just made me want to go back to work on my pantry!
    Wait, no, I’ve gotta work on the guest bathroom first….no, the master bedroom,….wait……AHHHHH! SO many rooms, so little time!!!!!

    Truth is, I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have any rooms to re-do!
    :-)

    Layla
    .-= Layla´s last blog ..Guest Bathroom Door Re-do =-.

    Reply
  12. Linda

    Okay I just realized that I missed the Proscrastinator’s After party!! Blast!! I meant to link up, but I guess I finished my staircase project a couple days too late. Darn it!
    .-= Linda@Craftaholics Anonymous´s last blog ..Crib Spring Makeover and Staircase Reveal =-.

    Reply
  13. Deanna

    Love this post! I will likely link to it. We are in the talking stage of planning to have my parents add on an inlaw quarters to our home, the catch we can only have one kitchen. This will mean a need to expand the kitchen we have and to add lots of storage! The pantry and kitchen ideas in this post are fantastic! Although the open shelving in the one kitchen, while I like it alot, it’s so high that I think even if I stood on the countertop I couldn’t reach the top shelf! :)
    .-= Deanna´s last blog ..Preparing =-.

    Reply
  14. Red Door Home

    I am thankful for my wired shelf pantry but I too have dreamed of starting over and adding cabinets and/or open wooden shelving. Thanks for the wonderful photos.

    Reply
  15. suzanne

    My pantry is a disaster. I want a pretty pantry….I just don’t know how to do it. And open shelving???? I just don’t know about that. I admire it, but don’t think it’s for me. Maybe ONE cabinet, but not all of them!!! Thanks, these are gorgeous!

    Suzanne
    .-= suzanne´s last blog ..She still says it…. =-.

    Reply
  16. home before dark

    Love this post. I am a grab and go cook and like you I like seeing open shelving showing life at work. My redo will feature a wall of open shelving and a barn door slider to access storage in the stud area for things that aren’t so pretty or not used as often. So looking forward to this.

    Reply
  17. Janell Beals

    Oh, my dream is a bulter’s pantry (for my butler of course). The third image you post could easily be it, with the tall white glass front cabinet doors and marble counters…timeless, gorgeous, functional and even glamerous! Someday…
    Janell
    .-= Janell Beals´s last blog ..My To Do List =-.

    Reply
  18. linda

    Loveyl pantry inspiration! Your looks great too!
    We retrofitted a deep closet into a pantry/coffee station…I’m always on the lookout for a great pair of doors for it!

    Reply
  19. Barb Boyack

    Love what you have done in your kitchen..I have the standard kitchen pantry, in the kitchen, boring door on it…it does have a lot of shelving in there..I love the idea of the double doors on it, just to break up the boring-ness! I would love a glass door on it, one of the etched ones that says PANTRY so will save up for that..I love the idea of leaving some cabinet doors off, but we have a great room, i think it would look too cluttered in my space…and not big enough for a dedicated baking area, but my goal is to get all the baking things in one area. We have only been here since early June, work in progress..
    Great post!
    .-= Barb Boyack´s last blog ..HEADS UP! IT’S A GIVEAWAY… =-.

    Reply
  20. Jean

    I like your area without the doors. I had never really thought of this concept of removing doors before. My kitchen is so small that most of it is for necessary items that wouldn’t be very attractive to see every day so I probably will keep the few cabinet doors I have. Loved seeing the other photos as well. Thanks for always thinking of ideas and finding beautiful pictures for inspiring me!
    .-= Jean´s last blog ..A Last Minute Witch Hat to Make =-.

    Reply
  21. Johanna

    loving the pantry ideas! thanks for the inspiration- this will help me organize my pantry. love the baking area idea.
    .-= Johanna ´s last blog ..happy autumn =-.

    Reply
  22. Lynda

    Such lovely pantries! I would *love* a baking centre but sadly I have no room for it or a pantry. Storage space in my kitchen is at a premium and not too pretty behind those doors. :) Someday, I would love to remodel and have open shelves and a glass door to showcase my vintage pieces.
    ~ Lynda
    .-= Lynda´s last blog ..From the heart =-.

    Reply
  23. Gina

    I love these ideas and the beautifully organized inspiration photos! I just recently took the doors off one portion of my cabinets, but now I’m thinking of doing that for a baking center-It would really work so much better….hmmm, I may be distracted by a little project today!

    oh, and I even put trim on the shelves of the open cabinets to make it look more finished! take a look here:
    http://notsorandomstuff.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-convert-cabinets-to-open.html
    .-= Gina´s last blog ..Fast Forward =-.

    Reply
  24. teresa

    You have “inspired” me to go home and update my pantry- fun.
    thanks for the fabulous pictures.
    .-= teresa´s last blog ..Flour Sack Pillows =-.

    Reply
  25. Nickki

    I love the idea of just taking cabinet doors off, but what do you do about the holes left from the hinges?

    Reply
  26. cheryl

    I would simply love anyone of these pantries! We can never have too much storage space in our homes. Espcially storage options that are also attractive. Thanks so much for the inspiring pictures.

    Reply
  27. Passementerie

    My kitchen sadly doesn’t allow for a pantry space, really and indeed when Beatrice starts walking I’m going to have to rethink some of my space as it is, to prevent wholesale destruction!

    An ex-boyfriend’s family had a castle in Ireland (where I’m from) and the vast two-room kitchen also had a roomy pantry (not much smaller than my whole kitchen now!) which was glorious and always very very well stocked (this was the “wet” pantry, I should mention, as opposed to the “dry” pantry down the corridor where things in tins & the freezer lived!).
    .-= Passementerie´s last blog ..Curious Clubs and Cream Teas =-.

    Reply
  28. Amber

    I hearted this post so much that not only did it kick my butt in gear to clean out my whole pantry – but I also tweeted about it to help share the love! +-D

    BTW, I love the open shelving idea, too – and think what you did in that space of your kitchen looks GREAT!
    .-= Amber´s last blog ..Winds of Change =-.

    Reply
  29. Sharon

    I’m a doors closed kind of girl … though I do like the look of flour and sugar in pretty glass containers. BUT oh I do envy a pantry. It doesn’t matter how many cupboards we have it is never enough … and mine are just never organized enough either. Sigh.
    .-= Sharon´s last blog ..Finally decided what to hang on the wall… =-.

    Reply
  30. Kim

    I just love all your pics…they make me want to be even more organized than I already am in my very small kitchen. I do have to tell you that I was so tired this morning and before my first cup of coffee was ready sat down to read your blog and misread panties?…I couldn’t imagine what it was about…hahaha, I really need to sit down after my first coffee!

    Reply
  31. Michelle, Home Staging Pro

    A tip from a professional home stager: If you take the doors off your cabinets, save them! While you may like open shelving in your kitchen, (its lovely, done right. I have some in my own kitchen) most home buyers prefer cabinets with doors where they can hide all their “stuff”. When you get ready to put your home on the market, put the doors back on. It will make your home more appealing to more buyers.
    .-= Michelle, Home Staging Pro´s last blog ..Holiday Greenery Sale – Ballard Designs =-.

    Reply
  32. Tracy

    Oh, I have such pantry envy! My kitchen has the worst, teeniest, sad excuse for a pantry I’ve ever seen and short of a gut job, there’s nothing that’s going to fix it. Good thing there are only two of us here now and we don’t need to keep much in it.
    .-= Tracy´s last blog ..Unexpected Warmth =-.

    Reply
  33. Sandy

    Hi Melissa! Inspiring post. I’m happy my pantry is behind doors, and what I’ve found out already, with open shelves, is that it can look really messy, really fast. I’m glad I only have a few! :) I’ll be posting soon my FAVORITE open shelf – I love it!

    Hugs – great pix! And glad I can have a “peek” into your kitchen! xx
    .-= Sandy´s last blog ..Inspiration Comes … =-.

    Reply
  34. L.Duncan

    I love these images! I’m actually in the process of changing my coat closet into my pantry! I would love for you to follow the transformation! I found this post on twitter. I wonder why I follow you on twitter and not your blog? Oh well, I follow your blog now!!!
    .-= L.Duncan´s last blog ..OFF TO A FRESH START =-.

    Reply
  35. Shelia

    Your baking center is great and I like your open cabinets with the baskets! I have a funny little pantry where the doors open and then there are more doors with shelves. It doesn’t take up a lot of space and holds quite a bit but I wish I had more room.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)
    .-= Shelia´s last blog ..No Spooky At My House… =-.

    Reply
  36. Elizabeth

    At first glance I scrolled down and thought ALL the photos were inspiration pics. I had to read to find out that two of the photos are of YOUR kitchen. Very nice. Love the materials and the way you have arranged it all.
    .-= Elizabeth @ blue clear sky´s last blog ..Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special~~Vignettes =-.

    Reply
  37. Jenny

    I love seeing other peoples pantries.
    I must admit that I saw your blog on my bloglist and thought the title said, “panties”…hehe…I immediately thought, I wonder what she’s got happening over there!LOL
    .-= Jenny´s last blog ..Waylon Jennings – Turn back the years =-.

    Reply
  38. Beverly

    Your cabinets look great with the doors off. I can’t tell there was ever doors there. I have several with glass doors and I always worried about keeping them organized, but it just happens naturally.
    My Pantry is in my Laundry Room and the doors never got put on. After seeing all those open pantries, I think I will stop bugging him for doors and just make the contents look more “cute”. Thanks for the post and my husband will thank you.
    .-= Beverly´s last blog .. =-.

    Reply
  39. Condo Blues

    I’m not a fan of open storage. I can’t keep my cabinets in that magazine styled facsimile of real life look. I dream of a wall of floor to ceiling cupboards in my kitchen.
    .-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..Blitzkrieg’s Balloon Boy Costume! =-.

    Reply
  40. Pattie

    I love the second one with the baskets. I’ll be getting a walk-in pantry with the wire shelves like you mentioned having when we move — yay! — and I’d love to have mine look like this one. You said you had the baskets, may I ask where you found yours? I want to be prepared when I finally get into our new place. :-)

    Reply
  41. Sandra

    What beautiful photos! My pet peeve is labels – I hate looking at them because they are visual clutter and advertisements. I prefer to decant as much as I can (not just flour/sugar, but oils, spices, oatmeal, vinegars, etc.) Its an investment to buy decanters, so I have collected them gradually over the years and as they go on sale. As a result, I have a beautifully organized and clutter-free pantry! (Although I do suggest labeling the bottoms so you remember what is inside!)

    Reply
  42. Lara

    I love my walk-in pantry and thank God for it everyday. I am contantly reorganizing it and have so many “pantries” pinned on pinterest for inspiration….so I LOVED this post. My first step though is to get rid of the dreaded wire shelves! LOL Must get hubby on board with that project. I would love to put some fun wallpaper or a fun paint color in there. Thanks for another wonderful post. :))

    Reply
  43. NanaDoll

    with a tiny kitchen and no room anywhere for a pantry, i am fighting jealousy, but appreciate the creative shelving ideas and going to continue to purge the junque–just love this site!

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. How to have open shelving in your kitchen (without daily staging) - [...] or things that can be confined to baskets or canisters. As you can see in the above photo (shown…
  2. The Pantry is Complete! - [...] out Melissa’s inspiring pantry pictures over at The Inspired Room!) Like this post? Print, email or share [...]
  3. The Year in Review: 2009 DIY - [...] A quick and easy makeover…the kitchen cabinet doors came off the cabinets. [...]

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