There's no denying how helpful a pantry, even a small one, can be in how you organize your food in a kitchen. Even if you're working with a limited floorplan, there are plenty of other routes you can take to make room for this storage space where a walk-in or butler's pantry isn't an option.
Small pantry ideas come in a surprising range of forms — from making use of underutilized corners to scaling down a traditional pantry into its most compact form. I've found 6 ideas that will make food storage a lot easier in a small space, and these pantry ideas are surprisingly aesthetic given their size restraints, too.
But that doesn't mean it can't be efficient, and also beautiful. We asked experts for clever small pantry designs that can be integrated into any kitchen, along with ideas on how to keep it organized.
1. Create a "pantry cabinet"
Incorporating a pantry into a cabinet is a good way to fit in a pantry without having to find separate floorplan outside the main kitchen. Create a special section within your kitchen storage cupboard and add plenty of pantry shelving to ensure it looks streamlined.
"For me, any kind of pantry is better than none, but if you have options then I would go for a room above all else, but a very close second would be a beautiful big cupboard," shares Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL. "Either way you need slim shelves, well-positioned at eye line height to incorporate tins, jars, etc. You need wider shelves low down, for bulk and tall storage. You may have space for cutlery and linens or you may prefer to keep food stuff in one and tableware and crockery in a separate, possibly glazed, dresser. There is nothing sadder than hiding away piles of beautiful crockery and linens, showing them off in a glazed pantry."
To increase the use and function of such a pantry, add woven baskets that look smart, bring in a cutlery organizer, like this one from Amazon if this is where you keep all the spoons and forks, and include a hanging rack on the door for extra storage (we like this practical storage design from Walmart for the job).
2. Use glass doors
You can create a walk in pantry, even if it's on the small side. These are sometimes called reach-in pantries, but a design like this one by Lisa Staton of Lisa Staton Design offers just enough space to stand inside and use the countertops for prep.
The glass doors help to give this miniature room a bigger sense of space, and even helps t make the kitchen feel larger, too, while adding a new idea with an accent pantry color. "We designed this pantry storage to hold all the food and appliances and located it right around the corner from the kitchen," Lisa says, "and to give it a fun, fresh look, we added a pop of paint to it."
If your pantry is just as petite as this one, a great way to make it feel more organized is by adding baskets and drawer inserts like these from Wayfair to the shelves. These can help store smaller items such as wine openers, small cans, food bag clips, dishwashing pods, etc.
3. Use a walkway as a pantry
When there aren't extra rooms in the house, the alternative is to find space in the existing room. Create pantry storage along a wall and install sturdy floating shelves to take all the weight of items.
"Sometimes the desire for a pantry is so much that people will create their own by sectioning off a small part of their kitchen and incorporating it into the room's final look with beautiful joinery and metalwork," says Helen from deVOL.
This design uses a walkway leading to a powder room behind a hidden door in the paneling to make use of every last inch of the space.
4. Tuck a tiny pantry behind the backsplash
This is perhaps the cleverest small pantry idea we've ever seen. The pantry cleverly tucked behind the sliding kitchen backsplash not only makes superb use of space but also allows kitchen essentials to be at hand's reach.
"Sliding marble panels behind the range allow for storage of spices and oils to be close at hand without any clutter", shares Laura McCroskey, founder of McCroskey Interiors. "When open, the items are a short reach away. Closed, they are concealed by marble panels for a clean, seamless look. This stylish feature allows you to have everything you need for cooking at your fingertips."
5. Tuck one next to the counter
"Accessibility and practicality are always the most important elements when designing pantry cabinetry," shares Emily Henderson, founder of Emily Henderson Design. "It has to function to make life easier, right? Drawers and pull-out shelves for everyday essentials do just that. It’s the perfect way to help make sure you can always see what you have and not have to go digging in the back of the cabinet, unsure of what you will find."
In this kitchen, the small pantry is neatly designed behind the cabinet next to the kitchen countertop. It almost looks like the fridge section, with all the paraphernalia quietly hidden away. "Then in terms of the color, I consider green a neutral," adds Emily. "But a neutral that adds a bit more “life”. I also knew we wanted to go with a muted green since this home is in Oregon surrounded by trees. It was a beautiful way to bring the outdoors in."
6. Dedicate it to family use
Let's be honest, not every member of the family is going to realistically need to know where the flour is kept. If you've only got room for a small pantry in your kitchen, then dedicate it in a way that's going to ensure it's most used. That might mean keeping your more esoteric ingredients somewhere else, while the kitchen pantry is given space for snacks and breakfast cereals.
In this design by Bakes & Kropp, the pantry is well-stocked with the kitchen's most essential supplies for the family, in easy to access pull-out shelves.
What are some other great small pantry ideas?
You could add a floor-to-ceiling pantry shelf in your kitchen in case you don't have space for a walk-in pantry. You could repurpose a kitchen closet and convert it into a pantry. If you have a double-height kitchen, utilize the upper cabinets for pantry storage. Section off a portion of your small kitchen for a pantry. Incorporating slide-out pantry drawers into your kitchen cabinets will make for an accessible option. For tight spaces, a narrow pull-out cabinet can be a game-changer.
How do you maximize a small pantry?
There are many ways to expand the functionality and storage space in your pantry. Consider adding extra shelf inserts; these will allow you to add more things to the pantry. You could also hang a floating shelf on the interior of the pantry door to hold lighter, non-breakable items like paper towels or spices. Clear, deep containers too can allow you to store more things.
