Adding a pantry

If there’s one thing many of us gained a newfound respect for during the pandemic, it is the value of stocking up. There’s a big difference between hoarding and having backups, of course, but many people resolved after 2020 that they’d forevermore stock some extra food, cleaning supplies — and yes, toilet paper.

Pantries had already been gaining in popularity, but last year undoubtedly sealed the deal for many. If you’re considering putting in a pantry, you’ve got plenty of options. You can DIY extra shelving, hire a contractor to build a walk-in space or settle on something in between.

Here are some ideas:

* Convert a closet into a pantry space. A nearby broom closet or coat closet can be perfect, or the space under a set of stairs that winds up being too awkward a shape for coats but could be great for storage.

* Use a freestanding wardrobe or armoire. You can install shelves in place of the hanging space and stand your new freestanding pantry along a wall near the kitchen or breakfast nook.

* Use the garage. This hearkens back to the method our grandparents and great-grandparents used. Remember all the home-canned sauces and jams that were stored in the basement and elsewhere? Grandma was a pro at pantries!

* Repurpose a bookshelf. You can do as little or as much as you want with this piece, which can provide an inexpensive solution.

* Build shallow cabinets between the studs.

* Put a skinny rollout cabinet between the fridge and the nearby wall. Bonus: you won’t have to attempt to clean crumbs out of that space anymore.