In the 1980s, 1990s, and even into the early 2000s, builders seemed oddly smitten with corner pantry closets, those bulky, boxy storage voids that somehow managed to take up more space than they offered.
Corners, by nature, are awkward little real-estate traps, often overlooked or underutilized which may explain why so many builders eagerly adopted this ill-fated “solution.” Anyone who’s ever owned one will tell you: corner pantries are organization nightmares. Their one redeeming quality? The door, because it hides the chaos inside.
We recently faced this very dilemma in a renovation and cracked the code on how to transform a corner pantry into a thing of beauty and function.
Step one: remove the wire shelving. It is a flimsy, grunge-catching grid system, seemingly designed by someone with a vendetta against cereal boxes. That single act alone solves half your problems.
Next, introduce low storage with a mix of open shelves and drawers, topped with a functional counter surface. Above that, install adjustable wall shelving to accommodate everything from oversized appliances to petite spice jars.
And finally, because practicality shouldn’t be joyless, add a playful wallpaper accent to bring a bit of personality into the space.
Now, instead of a dark little dumping ground, you have a bright, functional pantry that might double as a breakfast bar or extra prep station.
Even better? You can ditch that door entirely; there’s nothing left to hide.
This is one corner (pantry) you’ll actually look forward to spending time in.
