Walk-In Pantries Are The Latest Must-Have in Home Design
Stunning pantries take center stage.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a new, albeit unsurprising, leading trend in home design: walk-in kitchen pantries. Even before the pandemic, in 2019, 85% of new large homes featured a walk-in pantry, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Instagram and Pinterest both overflow with walk-in pantry ideas, from organization hacks to color-coded inspiration.
The events of the last few years make it easy to understand why walk-in pantries are outperforming designer shoe closets on builders’ priority lists nowadays: who hasn’t at least considered a big trip to Costco to stock up on food? But this pantry trend was gaining steam even before COVID was a household term. There are a few major drivers at play.
Opens Up Kitchen Space
Open living space and seamless layouts have dominated new floor plans in the last few years. Entertaining friends and hosting events like dinner parties call for continuity between kitchen, living, and dining spaces. Fortunately, this trend means a more efficient use of square footage in the living area of the home and it invites more creative and multifunctional spaces.
On the other hand, fewer walls around the kitchen space means less space for cabinets. At most, an open concept leaves one or two walls with overhead spaces available for cabinet storage. Plus, cabinets encroach on the desired open feel too much for some tastes.
So, to preserve storage space while keeping the kitchen layout open and uninterrupted, many builders and buyers are turning to walk-in pantries. By adding a pantry, custom builders allow for walls to stay open and clear without storage taking a hit.
Prevents Clutter
Even with built-in cabinets, storage often runs out between appliances, dishes, and food. Counters quickly become overrun with cooking tools, utensils, and miscellaneous items that would ideally be stored out of sight.
With a walk-in pantry, finding a spot for everything is a much simpler task. Spacious pantries aren’t only great for keeping food (and lots of it) out of sight and accessible, but they also offer enough shelving to house appliances galore.
Easy to Organize
Some storage solutions do plenty of hiding but in turn make items difficult to access and keep organized. Who hasn’t had a cabinet or drawer full of pots (or worse, pot lids) that gets rustled around so much you can never find what you actually want?
Walk-in pantries are easy to organize because they leave everything out in the open and visible. Many homeowners opt for multi-tiered shelves or create organizational systems with baskets and crates. No matter the technique, organizing a walk-in pantry is straightforward and leaves everything on display and simple to access. Organizing is a breeze when there’s enough space and a few strategic dividers.
Ready to build a custom home with the walk-in pantry you’ve been dreaming of? No matter which features you’re excited to incorporate in your new kitchen, Atmos can help you bring them to life in your new build. From design to construction, the Atmos team is here to help you build the home of your dreams. Get started today.
