20 Stylish and Practical Modern Pantry Ideas
When I first started thinking about my ideal kitchen design, I thought a pantry was basically just a big closet. But wow, I quickly realized it can be so much more!
It can be tricky to get the layout just right, but the key is learning how to create real definition and style within the space.
1. Nooks and Alcoves
Another contrasting design like this one from Robert Plumb Project proves again what a great solution this is. Plus, those oversized door handles add some serious style points to the kitchen.
Some other ways you can make a pantry wall stand out are by using patterned wallpaper or decorative wall coverings.
If you don’t want your monthly food stash on full display, an alcove will need a door or two. Sliding barn doors are super popular right now, even in very modern homes, but there are tons of other options out there.
Glass doors are less common, but I think a decorative pantry door can become a real focal point and a key design element in your kitchen.
You don’t need a pantry closet or alcove to be incredibly deep. Just a few rows of thin floating shelves can be more than enough to handle your usual supply of food.
I love how both Palmerston Design and Statkus Architecture used black to punctuate the pantry area in their white kitchens. It’s such a smart design choice.
Wall shelves come in all sorts of shapes and forms. One of the best ways to save on space is to go with wall niche shelves that create a sleek, minimalist look.
If your kitchen doesn’t have any built-in niches and you’d rather not create them, look for spots like the area under stairs that naturally form nooks. You can outfit those for storage instead.
2. Stylish Cabinet Pantries
If your house doesn’t have a kitchen room closet, then a kitchen pantry cabinet or organizer is exactly what you need. It can be stylish and designed with a specific purpose, fitting in nicely with your existing cabinetry without standing out too much.
Designer cabinet pantries often come with a pre-organized system inside, so all you have to do is fill them up and put things in their place to keep everything clear.
A pantry doesn’t have to be just for food. This sleek and attractive closet makes a perfect home bar, and its double-fold doors give a little hint of what’s inside.
Also, why not borrow the mirror idea from a home bar? It can brighten up a small pantry and make the space feel bigger.
Since they have different interiors, you can decide just how strict your organization needs to be.
Here, smaller weaved storage baskets create a bunch of categories to divide your food. And unlike the previous example, this one really makes the most of the interior space.
3. Ideas for Small Spaces
Even if you only have a little bit of space, you’re better off creating a pantry there. It will keep all your food out of the way, which frees up more room for your tableware and utensils.
Organize it well, and it will look picture-perfect, even with the door left open. Mark Williams used decorative storage baskets under the organized shelves to keep the floor clear, and his secret pantry looks absolutely incredible.
Another way to decorate a small pantry is to add some lighting. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, although metallic pendants have never hurt any interior.
This is especially helpful if your pantry has no windows, making it impossible to tell a sriracha bottle from a ketchup bottle.
A butler’s pantry is typically smaller than the closet type. If you’re short on space, it can be a fantastic compromise between a dinnerware cabinet and a snack bar.
Jaime House elevated this butler’s pantry with some cool chevron wood tiles and a marble countertop. The final result is amazingly luxurious with a hint of rustic modern design.
Kristianne Watts makes great use of a sliding barn door in a white kitchen, which can instantly turn a regular kitchen into a design dream.
It doesn’t matter how cluttered or jammed your pantry gets; an ornamental door will always save the day.
4. Freestanding Pantry Rooms
Because large industrial spaces often have a plain, open layout, they can frequently benefit from adding a freestanding pantry structure.
Blank and Cables chose to use tempered glass to build this contemporary glass and metal pantry in a modern San Francisco home. They kept the inside just as light as the structure itself. And the glass wall that the pantry stands by provides all the light it could possibly need.
Design Platform showcases another example of a loft-style home with a freestanding pantry that not only offers storage space but also helps divide different areas of the room.
Separated from the rest of the kitchen by smoked glass sliding doors, the cubic structure has a modern and stylish look.
5. Glass Pantry Designs
Talk about drama. This contemporary kitchen, finished with black wood planks, puts its pantry on full display with sliding solid glass doors.
Overhead lighting adds an alluring accent, almost as if the sun itself is shining down to illuminate the green, juicy melons and savory pickles.
Another pantry design partly conceals its contents using corrugated glass panes and familiar rustic drawers.
A similar wooden finish is echoed in the kitchen island, while the pantry extends above the upper cabinets to provide even more storage space.
This is the kind of design we talked about at the start. A stylish pantry that’s worthy of being displayed, separated by nothing more than glass. Although this particular design does offer a more discreet option too.
The tiled feature wall creates a restaurant-style atmosphere, while the pull-out wooden drawers bring a touch of rustic design to the smart black and white kitchen.
6. Open Shelving Ideas
When you don’t have a lot of floor space to spare, you can really make the most of your kitchen island. Storage-friendly designs are getting more and more popular these days.
Of course, it might not be the most convenient thing to bend over every time you need to find something, but it definitely gets the job done.
Let’s start with the most straightforward example. This open shelving looks just perfect in a modern farmhouse style kitchen that has concrete floors and sleek furnishings.
Copper pots and weaved storage baskets add a rustic modern touch, and the display shelves encourage order and neatness.
Another concept that is pretty similar features wooden wall-mounted shelves that contrast perfectly with the subway tiled walls.
There isn’t a strict separation between tableware, spices, and utensils, but everything is impeccably organized, creating a decorative, cafe-like display.
7. Simple & Modern Setups
While a closet, whether it’s a room or a piece of furniture, needs some floor space and a kitchen island might have already been bought without drawers, an overhead stainless steel pantry could solve your space problem. It could also become a decorative display.
As you can see, modern pantry ideas are very different and don’t seem to follow any specific design rules. You can create them wherever you have space, and you don’t always have to hide them behind closed doors.
Modern manufacturers offer all kinds of different pantry designs. This one from Elan Kitchens looks like the perfect spot for things like pots, pans, and other utensils that usually clutter up cabinets and backsplashes in kitchens.
Take note of the built-in wine storage on the side, which allows you to store a lot of wine and display it at the same time. Such a perfect modern design.
8. Adjoining Galley Pantries
When space is tight, a galley kitchen with a pantry on one side might be just what you need to get a kitchen that looks sophisticated and can hold everything.
Cubby shelving is a perfect option here because it’s affordable and has a lot of capacity. It can stretch from one wall to the other, giving every food type and piece of tableware its own dedicated spot.
A.D.D. Concept + Design solved the claustrophobic feeling of a galley kitchen by using an atrium and an entire wall of windows.
Even with a narrow walkway between the sink and the pantry, the kitchen still feels airy and open because of them.
