[misscox]

I need opinions on this. I live in a small one bedroom in manhattan. I have a separate kitchen with full-sized appliances -- it's actually a pretty great kitchen by nyc standards. Right now there's broom closet that goes floor to ceiling. In there, I keep my granny cart for grocery shopping, Swiffer, mop, ironing board, and vaccum cleaner. On the one shelf at the top, I keep cleaning supplies.

I'm thinking of turning this into a pantry for extra storage. (Currently, I have adequate space for storage, but it's not fabulous for someone who likes to cook).

Friends and family seem divided on this. Converting to a pantry would be super nice and probably great for resale value. But then, where does the ironing board, vaccum, granny carts, mops, go? (I MIGHT be able to extend a coat closet and fit these things in there, but i don't plan on doing closets until after the kitchen is done.

Leaving it as a broom closet (but adding in extra shelving, or those slide-outs that Ikea has) will give more space for cleaning products, maybe some canned goods, etc. ANd I'll have a definite home for the vaccum, etc.

Any thoughts/opinions on this? I'd love to hear them!

Thanks!

[Gloria]

I don't think you can move those things out until you have another place for them. Maybe adding shelving, etc. so you can keep some pantry items there also would do the trick. Then later you can move the larger things to another closet and expand the pantry storage. What are the dimensions of the closet?
Gloria

[Harpy]

Here's another idea that may or may not be feasible for you if you want to keep the broom closet and have a pantry, too. Some of the units where I live have incredibly tiny kitchens with only room for a couple of cabinets--enough for pots and pans, but none left over for food. Several of my neighbors have sunk a pantry into the wall itself between the studs. It's only about one can deep, but it can hold an incredible amount of stuff. Here's an out of focus picture of the inside, and a pic of the bifold door they put over the hole.

	PIC PIC = Partner In Crime

[misscox]

I love that can-depth closet idea, but i don't think i will work in my kitchen.

I'm trying to get my plans together so I can post them, I have a Mac and have been having trouble with Sketch Up and went to Ikea to use their planner this past weekend, but my measurements were off.

The closet dimensions are: 25 3/4" deep by 20" wide and it's about 8 feet high.

I think that keeping the bottom a broom closet and then adding in slide out shelves at the top will be the best idea. That way i'll have both broom closet and pantry. Perhaps I can also get something long and narrow to put to one side of it...so the brooms, etc can go to the right and some long slide out can go to the left.

thanks for the input!

[kisaacs]

Or maybe you can set the slide out shelves back a bit from the door. Then you could mount some hooks or brackets on the inside of the door and hang your brooms/tall stuff.

Kristen