A kitchen pantry is an essential part of the home kitchen and has been for centuries. It provides the extra storage space we all need to keep our food prep surfaces clutter-free and cooking a more harmonious experience.

When choosing the perfect kitchen pantry for your Lafayette or West Lafayette home, you might find yourself wondering which style is best – a walk-in pantry or a built-in cabinet pantry. In this article, we explore both options, delving into their features, benefits, and drawbacks, to help you make the best decision for your next kitchen remodel.

How Will You Use the Pantry?

Before designing your new kitchen pantry, it’s crucial to understand how you will use this essential storage feature. In fact, it’s more than just a simple storage area. As an integral part of your kitchen, it also needs to suit your lifestyle, cooking habits, and aesthetic tastes.

Start by determining what you want to store in your pantry. Apart from food items, this might include appliances, dishes, glassware, and other kitchen essentials.

Think about your usual cooking habits and shopping patterns. For example, do you collect a lot of spices and other speciality ingredients and condiments? Do you shop in bulk? What appliances require specialist storage requirements?

Beyond storage, consider whether you need extra prep space. A kitchen pantry can offer additional food preparation surfaces, which can be particularly beneficial when hosting a big dinner party.

The more specific you can be about your pantry usage, the easier it will be for your professional design partner to help you realize your perfect kitchen.

How Much Space is Available for Your Pantry?

Space is everything when it comes to choosing your pantry style. Walk-in pantries usually require more room than built-in pantries. The layout and size of your kitchen will play a part in what is feasible.

The first thing to do is to measure the available space. Consider whether there’s enough room for a walk-in pantry, which is essentially a room in itself. If not, you may be better served with a cabinet pantry. However, it’s important to bear in mind that walk-in pantries come in all sizes and with intelligent storage options.

If you have a small kitchen, you can customize a built-in pantry to fit into available gaps. Alternatively, there may be ways to enlarge the kitchen as a whole. For example, this can be achieved by knocking down a non-essential wall and expanding the available space into an adjoining room.

Your trusted team of design-build remodeling experts will be able to provide creative solutions that work within your spatial constraints.

Built-In or Cabinet Pantries

Built-in or cabinet pantries, as highlighted already, are an excellent choice for smaller kitchens, or if adjoining space is unavailable. They feature a cabinet – or a set of cabinets – integrated directly into your kitchen design and offer excellent storage options without occupying a lot of room.

There are a variety of cabinet pantry designs to suit every need and taste. Many are large and tall, and can be used to store anything from food and chinaware to appliances and cleaning supplies. The vertical design allows you to place everyday essentials at arm level, with less frequently used items placed higher up or lower down.

You can also customize built-in cabinet pantries with additional features and inserts, such as pull-out shelves, Lazy Susans, and various organizers. And overall, cabinet pantries are a more affordable option than walk-in pantries.

Pros:

• Storage is more centralized
• Storage is more accessible
• They don’t take up a lot of space
• Often less expensive than a full walk-in pantry

Cons:

• Less storage space than in a walk-in
• They’re an added cabinet expense
• They can take away counter space

Walk-In Pantries

As the name suggests, walk-in pantries are little rooms you can walk into that are adjacent to your kitchen. They are a highly desired option for many homeowners, offering abundant storage space and extra prep surfaces. Walk-ins also look great and are an eye-catching feature in the kitchen as a whole.

Given the extra space inside walk-in pantries, there’s a lot of potential to add specialist features. These can include coffee stations, room for bulk items, beverage dispensers, baking stations, and even a sink unit.

Among the many benefits of a walk-in pantry, there are several considerations to bear in mind. First, their location can be challenging to get right, depending on your home’s layout and your desired requirements. While having a dedicated room for storage is appealing, it can also lead to inefficiencies if the pantry is far from the main kitchen area.

Given the extra storage features, space, and surface area, larger pantries also require more upkeep.

Plus, walk-in pantries are usually more expensive than built-in pantries.

Pros:

• More storage capacity
• Can offer better organization
• Can easily store larger appliances

Cons:

• Storage is more spread out
• They require more space and upkeep
• They are often more expensive than a built-in pantry

Despite the drawbacks, walk-in pantries are a great option for medium or large homes. With good planning and design, a walk-in pantry can be a game-changer for how you use and enjoy your kitchen. It provides ample storage and organization opportunities that can streamline your cooking, meal prep, and dining experiences.

Which Pantry Will Work Best for You?

The best pantry for you depends on a blend of factors: your lifestyle, kitchen size and layout, budget, and personal preference. It’s ultimately about striking a balance between functionality, aesthetics, and practicality.

If your kitchen has limited space, or you prefer a more streamlined design, then a built-in cabinet can fulfill all your requirements. They can be fully customized to fit seamlessly in your kitchen and according to your storage needs.

However, if your kitchen has the luxury of space and you require a lot of storage and preparation space, then a walk-in pantry will be a perfect fit.

When planning your new kitchen, working with a qualified design-build remodeling firm is always advisable. Their professional designers will guide you through the renovation process, ensuring you choose a pantry that aligns with your needs and enhances your kitchen’s overall design and usability.

Work with a Design-Build Firm Like Riverside Construction

Riverside Construction, founded in 2008, is the go-to professional design-build team that has earned the respect and confidence of discerning homeowners in the Lafayette and West Lafayette areas.

With a professional team of highly skilled and experienced professionals in various fields, we excel at listening to client ideas and translating those dreams into reality. We can help you decide on a direction, provide guidance on remodeling issues, and be with you every step of the way to ensure your dream kitchen pantry and home is achieved.

Contact us now to schedule an initial conversation about your upcoming remodel. We’ll happily answer your questions, listen to your ideas, soothe your worries, and work with you to finalize your plans.