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A Pantry Where Everything Is In Plain Sight
House Beautiful

2009_06_01-pantry.jpgMost of us need a flashlight, not a ladder, to find what we want in our pantries and cupboards. But one couple in Georgia built a wall full of 4-inch shelves, just wide enough for a single jar, so that everything is out in the open...

 
 

This pantry is part of a sprawling kitchen that's big and open but still feels very cozy, thanks to old pieces of furniture and warm, well-used accessories. The room looks like it was put together over time—almost as if the space weren't a kitchen at all to begin with.

2009_06_01-hbkitchen.jpgA big reason it feels so eclectic is that much of the couple's belongings are hanging from the ceiling or on top of the counters. Very little is tucked into tidy, uniform cabinets. As one of the owners says, "I think the biggest mistake people make in doing a kitchen is going to someone who sells cabinets, because you wind up with every square inch covered in cabinets, and of course you fill them."

Few of us have the kind of real estate along a wall to create the kind of pantry above, but it is fun to look at. Everything out and accounted for, nothing lost in the dark shadows. And it could certainly be adapted to a smaller collection—say, spices or grains (kind of like this or this).

See the rest of the room: A New Kitchen with Old-Fashioned Heart, from House Beautiful

Related: Ina Garten's New Kitchen and Pantry

(Images: Gridley & Graves for House Beautiful)

Comments (30)

I worked in a place that had a walk in pantry like this. Best pantry EVER.

posted by mlleErica on June 1st 2009 at 3:47pm
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oh, if I only had space for that.
My mother has something like that in her house. The stairs to the basement are in the kitchen, and along the wall of the stairs are narrow shelves where she keeps non-perishables. The draw back to her's is a certain lack of lighting in the stairway, the one above looks so airy and bright.

posted by mdevans on June 1st 2009 at 3:49pm
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Wow, I can totally tell this ain't in earthquake country. I would LOVE this, but all those shelves would have some kind of stop on them in case the ground decided to shrug.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on June 1st 2009 at 4:28pm
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OH. MY. GOSH. I love this! I adore that old ladder, but it seems so natural to install a library ladder there instead. I'm jealous!

http://www.abreadaday.com

posted by eprewitt on June 1st 2009 at 4:32pm
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So pretty, but so many, many dustcatchers. When I see a place like this I assume they have someone who cleans for them -- who takes everything down once a month and washes or dusts it and puts it back. For me, covered shelves are better.

posted by mdorothy on June 1st 2009 at 4:34pm
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Nice ceiling but I think that open wall of shelving would drive me crazy after awhile.

posted by Dana McCauley on June 1st 2009 at 7:48pm
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I've got a smaller, not-nearly-as-nice version of this in my kitchen, and it is a nightmare to keep tidy and dust-free.

posted by frances_meghan on June 1st 2009 at 8:48pm
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This is the kitchen I see in my dreams...someday...someday...

posted by FlyLittleBird! on June 1st 2009 at 9:10pm
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Looks good there, but I agree that things will get dusty quickly.

I also wonder whether the owners have pets or small children? I can totally imagine my cat attempting to climb the shelves in order to chase a fly (or just because) and then: disaster.

posted by slowdown on June 1st 2009 at 9:52pm
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When my grandparents built their home in the 60's they had a temporary kitchen on the first floor. It was somewhat like a hallway and all the way down the length of it they had one of these. They finished the nice kitchen upstairs, but they only used the one downstairs. Some of my favorite memories are playing with canned goods on those shelves and watching grandma cook. It survived five grandkids, although none of us would have thought to damage any of it.

posted by doodlebugboodles on June 1st 2009 at 10:08pm
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I would be worried about light affecting things like oils and vinegars on those shelves.

posted by RosieGreenie on June 1st 2009 at 10:09pm
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My first thought, and earthquake would just make a mess of that. My poor LA mind.

posted by Jose A on June 1st 2009 at 10:12pm
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this is totally amazing! i need more space.

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com

posted by Tonya @ What's On My Plate on June 1st 2009 at 10:12pm
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I'm not really into it. It's tidy, but not tidy enough.

posted by buda on June 1st 2009 at 11:12pm
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I love this idea. I already have one ceiling height shelf running the length of my tiny kitchen for spices but I may have to steal this idea to gain more storage.

posted by Madame Is on June 2nd 2009 at 6:40am
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I love this pantry and kitchen!

I have a huge pantry with wire shelving. It's a nightmare because I tend to store everything in there with no rhyme or reason. I can never find anything.

posted by fastkat on June 2nd 2009 at 7:23am
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I'd like something like that for dry goods, but I would pour it all into matching glass containers. The boxes and cans for most of my baking basics start looking nasty after a short while as I grab them with flour or bit of cooking oil on my hands.

posted by Brandyjane on June 2nd 2009 at 8:31am
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I don't know... I think all that stuff out in the open would bother me. I prefer cans and such to be behind closed doors. Not to mention, I don't keep nearly that much stuff on hand.

posted by jamiealyse on June 2nd 2009 at 8:33am
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Not a kid in that home I presume.

posted by SeanG on June 2nd 2009 at 9:25am
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i love that fridge. as for the plates and glasses out in the open...eehhh, not my style. i love the "feel" of the kitchen though...it's lovely!

posted by joyfulgirl on June 2nd 2009 at 9:26am
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For those of us with kids/animals/clumsy sig others/earthquake prone areas, you could do a rail across each shelf, an inch or so (or more, for the lower, taller shelves) above the shelf. That way, things wouldn't fall out, but it would still look nice and clean. only about 3/4", or an inch wide, it would do the trick. In a more modern home, one in chrome/aluminum would look great.

posted by strongodares on June 2nd 2009 at 10:32am
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Does anyone know a source for that red bin in the second photo. It looks interesting

posted by klacko on June 2nd 2009 at 6:47pm
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love it. but i suspect there aren't any small ones about.

posted by jenmolo on June 2nd 2009 at 6:56pm
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I'd do this but on a much smaller scale.....not an entire wall.

posted by ohjodi on June 2nd 2009 at 8:08pm
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When my family built our house 20 years ago, my mom designed what we all call our 'bake center' - a recessed 2.5' x 4' space with a slightly lowered counter (we're all short!) to work on baking projects.
There are two levels of shelves around the inside. Both are 2-3" to store spice jars and work wonderfully!! The stand mixer, and all the other baking gear & projects are stored in there and the whole mess can be hidden behind big folding cabinet-style doors when needs be. It's the best space ever and i would think that pantry is probably just as fantastic and user-friendly.
But, oh, the grief that builders gave us when we first built those tiny 3" shelves in the first place!!! Ha!

posted by brighteyes on June 3rd 2009 at 8:32am
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This is the perfect kitchen for my Hubby, and most men. Everything is in the front row. Because we all know it doesn't exist if it isn't in the front row. Hubby dreams of a fridge like that pantry wall.

posted by Mama Ark on June 3rd 2009 at 2:36pm
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Nice. I love the whole kitchen.

posted by pennycarnival on June 3rd 2009 at 11:37pm
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I love this kitchen I love when everything is out and you just get inspired to prepare a delicious feast big or small. ahhh that is my vacation!

posted by Oneformybaby on June 4th 2009 at 1:03pm
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i'm so inspired!

posted by Oneformybaby on June 4th 2009 at 1:04pm
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This kitchen is gorgeous and certainly inspirational, but all I can think about is the DUST . . .

posted by achefsdaughter on June 8th 2009 at 12:31pm
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