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.

Big enough to sit/stand in

Being able to step into your pantry rather than opening a door or cabinet creates the feeling of stepping into another world. Seeing into one room from another room can have a cool effect on a Shores Person. Designing a pantry that is big enough for you to comfortably stand in is a great Shores touch — it doesn’t need to be a huge space!

Butler pantry

A Butler Pantry is a little room between the cooking and dining areas where small appliances are often stored. It’s a great bonus space to do some of the messy cooking that you may not want guests to see while over for a dinner party. This is also a great space to set up a caterer to come in and cook in the space. Like the point above, it’s a space that’s big enough to work in comfortably, but it’s usually tucked into the heart of the home and not very visible to the rest of the house.

Personalized touches

Sometimes we overlook the pantry and don’t do anything special in the space since it’s really just a place to store our food. But if you love to collect cute baskets or bins, you can personalize your ingredients by giving them little storage containers with personality. Maybe you’re a bright and sunny person and want to line the walls with a cool wallpaper or paint the shelves a bright colour. Whatever your style is, have fun with it in your pantry. Don’t overlook it! This little nooks are the perfect places to bring some personality.

Temperature-controlled storage areas

If you’re interested in extending the shelf life of your ingredients, temperature-controlled storage areas are great to install and also have a nostalgic, simpler feeling. Also known as a cold pantry, this storage is typically cooler than the average room temperature to preserve and prevent spoilage. Growing up, my aunty had one in her basement, and that’s where she kept all her canning from her garden. This helped her extend the ingredients she grew during growing season since the winter season is so long in the prairies where I grew up. Cold pantries are often used for items that need to be kept cool but don't require refrigeration.

Zoned organization

The way you organize your pantry can be a lot of fun. Whether you find cute bins, baskets and mason jars to store your food and bulk ingredients, or colour-coordinate your ingredients in a rainbow on the shelves, the way you organize your food will influence the way you prep and cook. It can be helpful for Shores People to have space between them and the thing they’re experiencing or observing, so by organizing your pantry in creative ways that work for you, like a dried goods section or a canned section — you create little worlds within your pantry.

Smart technology

Shores People are the sixth Environment in Human Design, making them attuned to one of the most evolved habitats — they’re the final habitat! They’re going somewhere NEW. They often have an interest in the supernatural, aliens, or anything out-there — like AI! How can you incorporate smart technology into the space in creative ways, or use artificial intelligence in a way that supports you? Do your appliances talk to you? Are you using an app like Recime that pulls all your favourite recipes and ingredients from Pinterest and other websites? (I tried it, it’s v cool.) Does the lighting come on when it senses motion within the space? Or are there house speakers incorporated into the room so your music plays no matter where you flow in your home? Consider how you can use some out-there elements in your pantry.

Pantry island

If you have the space, consider an island in the middle for added storage and an extra surface to cook on. Creating this feature in the middle allows you a circular path around the island within the pantry. You just might find you pace around that spot and then step out of the pantry into a new world! This could have a very soothing and regulating effect on you, even though that isn’t what this space is for. But when you’re home is set up in a way that matches the way you flow, even the pantry can become a holy site.

A Window is ideal!

Not every pantry has space for a window in it, but if you’re able to accommodate one in your space, whether it’s a great picture window over a sink or a tasteful skylight, there is nothing better for a Shores Person than looking into another world and that world is outside!