A custom pantry could be the perfect storage solution for the busy parents of Reston, VA.

Whether you’ve just returned from a big Harris Teeter trip or you’ve gone to pick up paper towels at the local Safeway, you’re probably going to return to the same place: the pantry. It’s the oft-overlooked central space in the kitchens of hundreds of Reston families, and it’s time that the pantry gets a little more love. We can’t all eat at the outdoor restaurants next to Lake Anne for every single meal. And especially with school starting for most Fairfax County kids, the pantry has become snack- and lunch-making central.

If your busy suburban family is looking for a way to revitalize, streamline, and improve the functionality of this most important room in the home, you could start with installing a custom pantry. With the experienced eye of a design expert and the strength of high-quality cabinetry, you’ll be able to bring organization back into your kitchen in a big way. You may be surprised at just how much you can accomplish with a custom pantry.

Free Up Your Counter Space

There’s nothing like a clean, sparkling countertop to make you feel like a domestic god or goddess—and that effect is lessened exponentially by the number of miscellaneous appliances you have lying around. Are you keeping your stand mixer handy in the naive hope that you’ll find time in between picking up your freshman from Herndon Highschool and taking the family to an outdoor concert at Kalypso’s to bake two dozen cookies? As evidenced by the light dusting of—well, dust—we can pretty much guarantee it’s safe to give up that notion for the present. When your custom pantry expands your storage space, you’ll be able to store the blender, waffle iron, and crock pot in their own designated spaces out of sight and off of the counter.

One of my favorite custom accessories that we incorporate into pantries are the floor-to-ceiling lazy susans that we install in the corners. They’re perfect resting places for those decorative flour and sugar canisters you rarely have the time to use. Or, if you’re feeling like doing your own Cooper’s Hawk style wine tasting at home, you can install a custom bottle rack to store all your vino out of the way. You’ll have cleaner countertops in no time—no scrubbing required.

Save Your Grocery Routine

Personally, I absolutely abhor grocery shopping. I don’t enjoy the crowds, the cold of the produce section, or the struggle to carry everything inside. What I dislike most, however, is putting every item away. Before I had a custom pantry in my own home, I had to shove items aside and stack cans wildly, hoping that my haul would fit. Sometimes it did, and sometimes I ended up with bags of chips falling on my face.

With custom design, you can finally have a place for everything in the pantry—which makes it much easier to put everything in its place. Even in a reach-in pantry, we can include a shelving space that’s designed to fit the cereal boxes your kids go through daily. We can include chrome baskets that will help you wrangle snack bags or root vegetables. You’ll be able to quickly see what you’re missing before you head out to Trader Joe’s, and you’ll have a much easier time putting everything away when you get back. You’re welcome.

Streamline Your Meal-Time Process

Busy families are the busiest around meal time, and that’s a fact. The kitchen becomes a war zone of crying toddlers and picky elementary kids all clamoring for nourishment at once, and busy parents need meal prep to be as simple as possible in order to stay sane. There’s no time for delicate hints of sage in that chicken bake. You’re not making pancakes and bacon in the wee hours before school starts. Instead, what you need is to improve organization and flow.

This is where a custom pantry really comes in handy. You can work with your designer to designate special areas for baking goods, canned goods, pasta, and any other staples your family depends on. With perfectly sized shelves, no ingredients are hiding behind a huge stack of chicken broth cans. You can easily peruse your entire spice collection with a pull-out spice rack and grab what you need with greater efficiency.

The breakfast rush also becomes easier to deal with when your kids can easily access what they need from the chrome baskets that are intentionally placed at their eye level—without needing to call Mom or Dad for help every single time. With that kind of kitchen success under your belt, you’ll be definitely justified in taking the fam for a treat at Red Velvet Cupcakery (while you still can!).

Your Own Reston, VA Custom Pantry

Reston may be the best-planned community in the USA—and with these tips, your pantry can be just as organized and beautiful. A successful design strategy will help you to clear your counter space, ease the weekly grocery grind, and master mealtime, all with custom cabinetry. It’s the perfect solution for Reston’s busiest families. I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to get started immediately on the pantry of your domestic dreams.

When you work with the right local closet company, a custom pantry can be right at your fingertips with very little effort on your part—the perfect solution for the busy parents of Reston, VA. Reach out to Closet America today to get the ball rolling! We’ll schedule a free design consultation to discuss your pantry vision, and quicker than you can locate your marjoram, you’ll have the most organized pantry in the state.

Lead image source: Flickr user Wall Boat

Third image source: Flickr user Nicole Abalde