Feeling inspired by all those cheery baking shows streaming into our homes at this time of year? If you’re like us, you can nearly smell the aromas getting piped into our spaces, fueling dreams of future creations and cozy gatherings on the horizon. And with the holidays just around the corner, there seems no better time to prep our homes for all the holiday cooking, baking, hosting, and merriment soon to come.

The good news: The holidays are still far enough away that we can take a moment to organize and refresh our spaces, at this time of year when arguably most of us are eating at home more often than before. There's no time like the present to focus on making our spaces efficient and enjoyable.

It turns out that pantries play a central role in our culinary lives, and they’re about so much more than merely the food they hold. They’re about the ingredients — and the accouterments. This entails everything from essential supplies like parchment paper for baking, to seasonal necessities like string and trussers, needed for that turkey you may just be cooking in a few weeks time.

These spaces also hold and organize other important life elements like our serving pieces, precious cookbook collections, specialty linens, and more. Vertical slat sections can hold trays, cookie sheets, and books/recipe binders, while elegant wine "X" buildouts can beautifully display tasty bottles ready to pop open on a moment's notice. Your pantry doesn’t need to be a frustrating, tucked-away corner that sounds off your inner organizational alarm each time you enter. Instead, it can be a soothing and even creativity-invoking sanctuary in which to prepare for festive and delicious times ahead.

So now that we’ve agreed it’s time to pull down those seasonal baking pans and turkey platters — and move that lobster pot and summertime grilling spices up top till next year — where do we begin?

The key to planning a good pantry starts with pausing to truly consider what your household consumes. Ponder questions like: What’s purchased fresh, what’s bought in bulk, and what’s bought as needed? Also, what do you need to change out seasonally? This includes not only food ingredients but also specialty cookware or serveware that fits with the season and vibe.

As you plot out your ideal pantry, consider how often you entertain, and how many you typically serve at once. This will dictate the dishware and serving platters and utensils you need. And if you’re someone who’s into meal prepping to start off each week right, you’ll also want individual containers to store your overnight oats, or whatever it is you’re in the habit of keeping around.

Next, check all your cans and specialty spices for expiration dates, tossing anything that's past its prime. Stock your pantry with supplies for guests you know are coming — and also for those unexpected visitors who pop by unannounced. Perhaps you want to have the goods on hand (think mixed nuts, olives, artichokes, tinned fish, fancy crackers) to whip up a charcuterie spread to impress all your visitors, whether planned or "Surprise!"

Organize like items near one another, much like they’d be found in your favorite grocery store; this makes it easier to create a practical and strategic list to zip through the store when shopping day arrives. Get down on eye-level to make sure the things you regularly need are within reach. If youngsters are around, consider what "anytime" snacks will be easy for them to grab on their own, and which “permission-required” items should be set up out of sight. Keep lighter-weight items way up top that wouldn’t hurt if they happen to tumble down from above (like paper towels, for example).

A few other pantry hacks: Use baskets to gather like items, and also to hold individually wrapped food like granola bars or bags of chips that won't stand well on their own. Consider hanging an empty tray-style basket in the pantry, ready to be filled with the appropriate spices and ingredients needed to try out a new recipe on your kitchen counter. Lazy Susans tucked into the corner can be great for regulating specific-use items that don’t come out as often — like an ice cream maker you may fire up soon to complement generous helpings of pecan or pumpkin pie.

Consider what you might also need from this space that your kitchen isn't handling. Perhaps you keep an area in the pantry for dirtied cloth napkins and dish towels, or a basket for return-for-deposit cans. Plastic shoe cubbies hanging on the back of the door can be ideal for storing items that come in small packets, such as electrolytes or snack bars that might otherwise get lost in the shuffle.

Your panty is about utility, but also presentation. Group together aesthetically pleasing possessions that will help set the scene — vessels for flower arrangements, candle holders for mood lighting, and table-setting items from serving trays to specialty linens, whether cloth or paper.

The location of your pantry can be inside a closet or its own closed room, or simply placed on an empty wall available in your home. A beautiful, bespoke pantry can always be created regardless of the space, and it can realistically fit into any kitchen, dining, or family room, too. There’s no set rule for your where pantry resides.

When building out the perfect space, adjustability in shelving is key, so that you can maximize your storage in a way that makes sense for you (and perhaps this will shift over time). Drawers with negative space at the top can help you see what’s inside without fully opening, and vertical slats save room since you don't need to have negative space between layers.

Before you plan out your dream pantry, also inquire: What else do you want this part of your home to represent? Perhaps you can brainstorm on how this space — which one often views as an afterthought — can reflect you and the things that bring you joy. For example, maybe you want to frame an old, handwritten recipe from a favorite relative, a reminder of passed-down traditions and the potency of cooking or baking as a language of love.

Should you need their assistance as you head into this festive and cozy season, experts in the field from California Closets are ready to help create the perfect pantry — prime for prepping your favorite foods and serving all your favorite people. These pros will get to work after learning about your current spatial options and what types of storage and prep space will suit you best.

Call 503.885.8211 to set up a complimentary in-home consultation. You can also either visit us at www.calclosets.com or stop into one of our local showrooms located in the Pearl in Portland, West Linn (exit 8 off of 205) and down in Bend on Newport Ave.