What a joy to have a space that allows you to declutter the kitchen ! This usually narrow and dark room can easily be transformed into an aesthetic and hyper functional. Our tips for setting up a cellar with efficiency and style.
What is a cellar?
This room, also called the scullery, generally juxtaposes the kitchen. The cellar – which takes the place of storage and preservation of provisions – has its origins in mansions or bourgeois buildings. Although space has lost surface area over the decades, it has retained its usefulness by welcoming everything that is not used on a daily basis. Depending on your needs and the volume available, the place can also be transformed into a wine cellar or laundry room. As such, it must always be well ventilated.
What do you store in a pantry?
The pantry offers storage additional to your kitchen cupboards. In this space, you can store what you don’t use every day:
- household appliances (mixer, ice cream maker, deep fryer, steamer, raclette or fondue set, food processor, crepe maker, waffle maker, etc.);
- household products (mop, bucket, broom, vacuum cleaner, paper towel, toilet paper, etc.);
- Food which give off a strong smell (melon, onion, banana…);
- Food which do not keep light (potatoes) ;
- Provisions and reserves bulky food such as water packs, milk packs, tin cans…
Where to install the cellar?
The cellar is traditionally located in a room adjacent to the kitchen in response to frequent trips. If you do not have this possibility, you can reserve a space at basement in which you can also install larger appliances such as the freezer, the washing machine or the dryer. In the absence of a basement, the cellar can be nestled under the stairs or in the garage (this location makes it easier to store groceries when you return from the store). If none of these solutions is possible, the kitchen can house the cellar thanks to a visual demarcation of the glass type.
What type of furniture to arrange in the cellar?
Shelves, cupboards, open or closed? Each solution has advantages. The ideal being to arrange various kinds of furniture to meet all your needs.
- The shelves are the key element in the layout of the scullery. Fixed to the wall, they will generate a significant space saving and will be at the height that suits you. To benefit from a maximum of volume, do not hesitate to occupy the walls in their totality, from the ground to the ceiling. It will therefore suffice to bring a small step to access all levels. The shelves open offer a direct view of stocks and thus save time when searching for the desired product and establishing the shopping list.
- Closed cabinets are a good option for keeping food and utensils dust-free. This type of furniture also represents security by hiding household products dangerous for kids. Note that, if this solution is possible in your home, the doors sliding are more functional than hinged doors.
- The separation between the cellar and the kitchen is to be studied closely with regard to the round trips that you will make each day. It is recommended to provide a type of opening practice like a sliding door. If you are short of space, a classic door will also be effective. Station at the gates swing which may pose a risk to children. If the volume is very small, drapes will do just fine.
Which containers and accessories to choose?
To obtain an impeccably tidy cellar while being pleasant to look at, a trick consists in alternate different types of storage. Thus, each object will have a specific place!
- hooks allow you to hang wire baskets or fabric bags in which to store a host of small objects that you do not know where to put.
- Bindings on the wall will allow you to hang pans, saucepans and other utensils that clutter your kitchen.
- The pegboard is a board pierced with holes into which hooks, shelves and other super practical storage can be slipped to accommodate kitchen utensils. Its sleek design makes it an object decorative very trendy.
- Baskets, boxes, crates will be welcome to store perishable or long-life foodstuffs. Then paste a label on each container to facilitate your search.
- A blackboard fixed to the wall will allow you to note the menus of the week or to draw up a shopping list while waiting to copy it on paper.
- Bottle racks will transform part of the cellar into a wine cellar. Check the temperature and humidity of your room before storing your best wines.
How to decorate your cellar with taste?
To give style in your scullery, use jars of different sizes and stick cute labels on them. Multiply the baskets and crates by bois or in metal that you have found to give a retro atmosphere to the room. Dress your walls with light colors to create an impression of volume. Subway tiles on the wall will give character to the cellar and large tiles on the floor will facilitate maintenance. The place should be beautiful and convenient to clean, so as to preserve thehygiene in this space receiving food.