35 Walk-In Pantry Ideas That Maximize Storage

Don’t waste an inch of space in your walk-in pantry. Customize storage to fit your needs using these ideas as inspiration.

Walk-in pantries provide a welcome space to stock non-perishables, small appliances, and other kitchen essentials that don't fit in the cabinets. Having this additional room frees up the rest of the kitchen and, more than likely, other areas of the house too, so you can keep them clutter-free. Because it's such a valuable storage space, it's important to organize your pantry wisely.

Regardless of its size or what you store in it, your walk-in pantry should be well thought out. Whether you’re adding one on to your home or planning to reorganize what you already have, it’s important to assess your current household needs and anticipate how they may change. Doing so will steer you to make the best design decisions and ensure you make the most of the extra storage. We're sharing our best walk-in pantry ideas to help you maximize storage space.

Related: 31 Kitchen Storage Ideas to Help You Declutter on a Budget

Open Pantry Shelves

A diversified pantry such as this one serves multiple purposes. Open shelves allow you to line up baskets and jars of dry goods, as well as display serveware. Drawers keep smaller items sorted, vertical dividers separate baking sheets and pans, and a countertop lends both storage and surface space if needed.

Simple Shelving

A single, vertical built-in bookshelf in a small walk-in pantry is all you need to keep essentials in order. Place clear, airtight jars full of your favorite pasta and baking ingredients on the shelves alongside cookbooks and occasionally-used items, such as a French press or food processor.

Walk-In Pantry Storage

This walk-in pantry serves as a storage space for backstock food supplies and extra storage for a bar cart or home bar. A custom-built wine rack keeps bottles in place while a stemware holder mounted under a shelf safely holds extra glasses. While it should already be cool and dry, you might want to make sure the pantry temperature is safe for wine storage before implementing this idea.

Related: 5 Simple Storage Ideas for Bulk and Backstock Items

Pantry Zone Storage

There’s no shortage of space in a pantry of this size. Floor-to-ceiling shelves on opposing walls of the walk-in allow you to define two different zones. On one side, food staples are kept organized by category and, on the other, dinnerware is sorted by dishes, glasses, and platters. Baking must-haves, such as cookie cutters and a stand mixer, are stored together around a compact countertop.

Related: How to Organize a Pantry into Zones So You Can Actually Find Things

Basket Storage

A variety of baskets keep produce, packaged food, and even cookbooks contained in this rustic yet industrial, walk-in pantry. Although they’re different from one another, the similar aesthetic of the bins minimizes any visual clutter.

Related: 20 Smart Ways to Organize with Baskets for a Less Cluttered Home

Small Walk-In Pantry Storage

This petite pantry is jam-packed with storage thanks to its myriad of shelving. The shelves are arranged at different heights, leaving no wasted space and allowing room for cereal boxes, canned goods, and everything in between.

Add a Utility Section

If you have the extra square footage, consider creating an area in the pantry specifically for paper goods, cleaning products, and other backstock supplies. Align items on open shelves by type so you can see what you have enough of and what you need to replenish.

Store Similar Items Together

As with any organized space, like items should always stay close by one another so you can find exactly what you need in moments. Store snacks in one section, drinks in another, and so on so everyone in the house knows where to go for their favorite treat.

Related: 8 Organizing Rules to Follow for a Tidier Home

Pantry Door Ideas

While a walk-in pantry should be kept neat whenever possible, it’s a nice option to close the door when guests arrive just in case it’s gotten a little messy during a busy season of life. A beautifully mirrored door with faux hardware will hide its contents away, leaving none the wiser.

Related: 10 Clever Ways to Dress Up Pantry Doors for Stylish Storage

Add Pantry Drawers

You can always include lower cabinets or open shelves in the pantry design. However, pull-out drawers will make storing and retrieving food items a breeze. Line up boxes, bags, and cans on their own and use narrow baskets to group flimsier packages, such as bread or nuts.

Pantry Corner Storage

The awkward corners of a walk-in pantry can actually be quite functional if you use them correctly. Put a few lazy susans to work by storing condiments, oils, and vinegars on them. Place a bulky round appliance, such as the crock pot, on the lowest level and a large, yet lightweight, pot on the highest shelf.

Related: How to Organize a Corner Cabinet for Maximum Storage

Conceal Clutter

Give your pantry a charming allure by incorporating a vintage double door that’s one of a kind. The glass openings give a sneak peek of what’s being stored on the shelves beyond the threshold but mostly conceal any possible clutter from the rest of the kitchen.

Future Preserves

If canning is one of your hobbies, having a walk-in pantry is an ideal storage location for your stock. Create rows of jars in order of what’s inside and their expiration. Use the space to also store dried herbs and fresh produce for future preserving projects.

Related: The Canning Supplies You Need to Preserve Foods Safely and Successfully

Pantry Storage Containers

Create a stunning site upon walking into your pantry by choosing matching containers to corral items. Spacious, open baskets keep packaged foods tidy and clear jars display decanted dry goods, such as sugar and flour.

Related: The 9 Best Pantry Storage Containers to Organize Your Kitchen in 2023, According to Testing

Organized Catchall

Owning a walk-in pantry doesn’t necessarily mean you must use it to stock non-perishable food. Think outside the box and employ shelves to store odds and ends that don’t fit in the kitchen, including seasonal linens, holiday centerpieces, and other decor.

Related: 18 Dining Table Decor Ideas to Instantly Enhance Your Space

Mudroom Pantry Combo

If you’re sans a pantry but your kitchen leads into an entryway, reserve a little room for overflow items. A corner built-in shelf gives just enough space to store bottled beverages and canisters of bulk-bought food.

Related: 8 Fresh Ways to Update Your Mudroom in 2023

Label Items

Getting your walk-in pantry organized is half the battle. Keeping it is the other. You can make it easier on yourself, and everyone else in the house, by clearly labeling sections and containers so there’s no doubt where something is or, just as importantly, where it should be returned.

Floor-to-Ceiling Storage

Sky-high shelves in a narrow pantry maximize your storage space so don't be afraid to take them to the ceiling. Only store the things you don’t use frequently on top shelves and include a step stool so they’re still within reach.

Pantry Barn Door

A sliding sliding barn door provides both functionality and style, making it the perfect choice for a farmhouse style walk-in pantry. Select shelving and organizers that also fit the rustic theme so they stick out through the glass door paneling.

Related: 23 Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas to Add Rustic Charm in Modern Spaces

Decanted Goods

Removing foods from their original packages saves a considerable amount of space. Use airtight food storage containers for everything from crackers to candy and generously sized, open baskets to corral fruit and vegetables.

Specialty Serving Section

If you’re the type that lives to host, chances are you have an abundance of servingware. Give those extra cake stands to champagne flutes a proper home in your walk-in rather than forcing room in kitchen cabinets. You’ll love the convenience of a party pantry the next time you plan a big bash.

Hidden Pantry Storage

Keep food storage hidden and your kitchen looking sleek by putting the pantry behind closed doors. Tall panel-style cabinet doors open to reveal a pantry and a refrigerator, keeping food in one central spot. The pantry's deep shelves are perfect for storing dry, canned, and jarred goods, while adjacent open shelving puts pretty cookbooks and serving pieces on display.

Add an Appliance Garage

Turn a small stretch of a wall into a hardworking breakfast station. Use cabinet doors to help it blend into the kitchen. Open shelves keep creamers, coffee beans, cereals, mugs, and juice pitchers within reach. A small countertop near electrical outlets is the perfect spot to house a coffeepot and toaster. Heavy-duty pullout drawers at the bottom can hold muffin mixes, cereal boxes, and heavy canned goods.

Related: 14 Appliance Garage Ideas to Declutter Your Countertops

Pantry Door Ideas

Who says pantry doors should blend in with their surroundings? A reclaimed barn door breaks up an expanse of matching cabinetry, adding character and a touch of playfulness to an otherwise utilitarian space. In addition, installing a cabinet above the door is a great way to capture additional storage space.

Restaurant-Style Pantry

No one knows food storage better than restaurants, so why not follow their lead when it comes to walk-in pantry ideas? A swinging door makes for easy in-out access, while frosted glass hides storage from guests. Wire racks from a restaurant supply store are an affordable and stylish place to house foodstuffs and cookware.

Use Frosted Glass

Small pantries have a tendency to feel dark and cramped. A frosted glass door is a stylish walk-in pantry idea that lets in light without putting your storage on display. White shelving and an interior fixture also boost brightness.

Remove the Pantry Door

In a small kitchen, removing the pantry door allows for easier access and keeps the room bright and airy. Adding labels to the shelves and storage containers keeps the tight quarters organized. Another great use of space is installing various horizontal, vertical, and square shelves, as well as sliding spice racks and storage bins.

Pull-Out Pantry Storage

A tall pullout pantry installed in the heart of the kitchen makes it easy to store groceries where meals are prepared. This easy-access pantry matches the other cabinetry for a cohesive look. Although narrow, it slides out to reveal long shelves that pack plenty of storage in a small space.

Double Pantry Doors

Incorporating a floor-to-ceiling, double-door pantry into the cabinetry is a great solution when the kitchen layout doesn't allow for a walk-in closet pantry. Adjustable shelving makes it easy to customize the storage for taller boxes, bottles, and canned goods. For additional storage, the on-the-door shelving doubles the space for small goods.

Butler's Pantry

A butler's pantry at the end of a small hallway off the kitchen is the perfect place to store linens, serving pieces, and other infrequently used items. Make it easy to quickly spot what you need. Remove the doors from the upper cabinets, install a narrow countertop, and use open-air pullout shelves in the lower cabinets.

Related: Butler's Pantry Ideas

Pantry Cabinet Ideas

Hide a walk-in pantry built behind the kitchen walls by installing an upper cabinet with cabinet-look doors below. This fool-the-eye solution provides extra storage in the bulkhead and a seamless look in the kitchen. When a pantry lacks windows, it's crucial to add ample overhead lighting.

Corner Pantry Ideas

A corner pantry with an angled door maximizes storage space in the kitchen. Skip expensive custom cabinetry in favor of basic shelving installed in an L-shape configuration. Use lazy Susan platforms to capture the corners and labeled plastic tubs under the shelves to store paper goods.

Small Pantry Ideas

Convert a cabinet into a pantry by installing slide-out shelves. Keep the small space organized by labeling each shelf and using colorful baskets and bins to corral small items. These simple solutions help family members quickly find what they want, return items to their correct spots, and avoid messy spills from open packaging.

Pantry Storage Inspiration

Make the most of a small pantry by outfitting the three walls with floor-to-ceiling shelving. Choose deeper, taller shelves for the back wall and short, narrow ledges on each side for cans, bottles, and other pint-size products. Reeded-glass doors hide the pantry's contents but keep the kitchen airy. Installing a pendant light inside the closet makes it easy to grab and go, especially for a late-night snack.

Bulk Pantry Storage

Kitchen pantries aren't limited to storing food. A clever kitchen pantry idea is to create a separate area for cleaning products and other household needs when space allows. For this catchall storage, it's best to install deep, tall shelves that allow plenty of room for items like paper towels, detergent bottles, and linen-filled baskets.

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