Everyone needs a kitchen pantry, and there are plenty of ways to create one without adding square footage. As a professional organizer, I come across this all the time.

The first choice is to take over a kitchen cabinet. People always put dishes in them, but guess what, they hold food, too! The way to make this work best is to adjust the shelves so all tall items can go together, and shorter items share the same shelf, You can actually add as much as 20-30% more space in a cabinet by adjusting the shelves properly. Note: if you are putting an upper cabinet into service as a pantry, put shorter items on the lowest shelf, and adjust the higher shelves to hold tall items that can be grabbed from the bottom, still accessible.

Turn a hall closet into a pantry, especially if there is also a nearby mudroom.

There is also plenty of dead space in stairwells, often leading to the basement near the kitchen. This article shows toys and games, but it could just as easily be cereal boxes.

If all you have is one door, you can attach a wire shelf system to it. These systems are perfect for one single can or box. Having all of your food visible means no food waste.

Last but not least, if you have the room for an armoire, add one in or near your kitchen for sturdy, deep shelves for a real estate bonanza.

Will any of these ideas help you add more pantry storage to your kitchen?