Decorating & Design
7 Design Tips To Get The Pantry Of Your Dreams
Updated on March 13, 2026
We’ve noticed an uptick in the popularity of butler’s pantries: homeowners love the convenience (fewer grocery trips, easier entertaining!). But it’s designers who have really ratcheted up the design quotient, lavishing these spaces with rich colour, tiles, and wallpaper. Scroll through to see some key considerations and advice on how to plan a pantry.
Vary Shelf Depth
Shallow shelves (12″-16″) prevent items from getting lost while deeper bottom shelves are handy for bulky items like small appliances, cleaning supplies, and bags of flour, rice or dog food.
Maximize Vertical Space
This Halifax pantry serves as a spot to pour a morning espresso or do party prep. The cabinets run from floor-to-ceiling to optimize storage, and the microwave is built-in to keep the counters clear.
Style Your Shelves
The charming butler’s pantry is packed with open and closed storage, but designers from TOM Collective made it a design moment by curating serveware on open shelves. Place more frequently used items in arm’s reach, and place less-used items on higher or lower shelves.
Go Bold
The pantry, like powder rooms, can represent a spot to experiment with punchy pattern and rich colour. In this Toronto pantry, the Kelly Wearstler wallpaper is matched to the roman blind for a cohesive look while teal paint on the millwork and walls is cocooning and dynamic.
Add A Ladder
Maxing out vertical storage is smart, but it can be tricky to access high shelves. A folding ladder like this version has a farmhouse vibe, or invest in a rolling library ladder to help access things stored high up.
Consider The Lighting
In this West Vancouver home, a window floods the space with natural light during the day to make items easier to find, while at night it’s illuminated by two pendants.
Use Glass Containers
Clear bins and baskets allow for quick identification. Designer Vania Pechia designed open shelving in this pantry so the clients could showcase everyday dishes and cherished pieces, and stored grains in clear glass jars.