I moved recently and suddenly upgraded to a walk-in pantry; something I haven’t had since I was a kid! I’ve been so inspired from pouring my little ingredients into glass containers and thrifted baskets that I couldn’t help but think about the other Human Design Environments in these little food spaces we have in our homes.

To me, having a pantry is a bit of a luxury, so when writing out ideas, I wanted to include simple practical things, while also peppering the luxurious, dreamy, swoon-worthy and dramatic features in too. This article is designed to get you thinking about the spaces around you differently, helping you to see your Environment Variable coming into play everywhere in your life. Calculate your Environment Variable here.

Glass front doors or open shelving

When things are visible or easily within reach and not buried away, they promote effortless creativity in the Kitchen. When you have easy access to something (and it looks pretty!) it can help stimulate and facilitate even more creation. Kitchens People are very creative people, and the pantry is like a little place that houses all your cool supplies. When you organize your food ingredients in a visually pleasing way, it can make the cooking or the grocery shopping experience more fun!

Wine fridge

Stack and organize all your favourite drinks, giving them their own designated little space. Whether you’re a wine drinker, or prefer kombucha, sparkling waters, or fun soda pops, consider a special little fridge for those fun treats. Bonus points if its interior lights glow a fun colour like blue or pink.

Pantry island

Having a center hub is always great practice for a Kitchens Person. Don’t overlook this in the pantry! The amount of space you have available in your pantry will matter here, but if the space can hold it, consider creating a center island to be used for storage or as another work surface. This can be built-in or moveable depending on your preference.

Snack station

Just like a bunch of art supplies stacked and stored, consider building a snack station in a creative way. Whether you use baskets to store the chips and cookies, or invest in clear jars that reveal all your colourful candies, chocolate chips, and other ingredients, get creative with organizing your favourite snacks.

Fun light fixtures

A Kitchens Person is attuned to the latest trends. Investing in a cool light fixture is a great way to capture the era you’re in! It’s OK to be in the moment! In fact — it’s good for you. Whether you have task lighting, pendants, or a flush mount overhead, consider how you can bring a little sparkle to make the space POP in an unexpected way.

Custom feature pantry door

If your pantry has a door, consider making this the special moment. Whether you thrift a cool old shop door with a window, or paint your builder-grade door a vibrant colour, this brings fun, playful energy into the space you store your food. I love that for a Kitchens Person! If doing something wild to the exterior feels too intense, consider having fun on the inside of the door.

Herb garden to make your own creations

Bring your garden into the pantry! If your pantry is graced with a window, this is a great space to grow your fresh ingredients, like basil or rosemary. If your space is windowless, how can you get creative with storing and drying your herbs or garden ingredients in this space? Is there a basket for the backyard potatoes, or a clear mason jar for your homegrown dried mint? As a Kitchens Person, you’re a creator, and growing and storing your own ingredients — even if they’re basic — might be very stimulating for you!