I'm one of those who needs a visual, so if you have a drawing, I think that would help.

But I'm wondering, if the pantry has a door that can be closed, why would dog hair be a problem?

I also can't fully picture what you're seeing in your head.

Lighting the bottom cabinets? Putting dishes away? Are you planning on using this for a food pantry or dishes storage?

And yes, pet hair can get under pantry doors. We had a walk in food pantry in our last design and there was a normal small gap at the bottom and pet hair got in. You just have to vacuum the floor in there when you vacuum the room.

I was doing ok until I got to the dw!

I'd think about a coupla things because I'd want the area to fulfill all of its potential.

With the back door + dogs in the pantry area, I'd want cabinets.

Both sides don't have to be the same size - you can do one side in 12" deep, tall utility cabinets and the other side in 24" cabinets. For that matter, all of the cabinets on the same side don't need to be the same depth. And they all don't have to be the same type or all $pantry cabinets$ with interior pullouts or fittings.

If you could extend the side walls just enough to define "the pantry" as a separate place, maybe you could use a less expensive door style too.

Having a little counter in or near the pantry for loading and unloading is really helpful. You might want to keep small appliances there too. Even tho ours is microscopic, we dumped the microwave there.

Same thing about some counter or a resting spot for a back door - particularly if an outdoor cooking exists beyond the door. I find it hard to carrying a plate full of marinated stuff while opening up the door.

There can be other considerations for a back door. In our climate, also outerwear and occasionally the snow shovel. With my hobby garden, a parking spot for garden gloves and the hand held clippers. The occasional trowel or tray of plants has also shown up there. Boots, dog leash or brush, food and water bowls? Just some thing to think about.

Weird? I'm usually the one who needs the picture, but in this case I think I followed exactly. How dear is the money? Is it a matter of you could save some, or is it a matter of you're at the end of your money and really need to trim?

You had me at dog hair. I grew up with a cat and a dog. They were clean. The house was clean. They weren't big shedders. When I visited a friend who hung her mugs, decoratively, on a wall, but then blew out the cat hair and offered them to guests, I decided that I like Starbucks! I get having a hairy dog. I don't mind if your hairy dog transfers some dog hair to my skirt, but keep the danged dog/cat hair out of the dishes and food!

You had me again at sunlight. Don't put a door in front of the sun!! Who wants a dark passageway? Why would you build one into your house when you have a choice?

I wonder how well curtains over the shelves would do against the dog hair? Maybe an acceptable compromise? Have them on a roller like a shade, but also put tieback hooks on each upright so that you can just pull them aside to get the dishes in and out? Or won't that really work against dog hair?

How about sliding doors over the shelves? Small ones on overlapping tracks so that they're not that hard to move back and forth? There are really cool glass ones, but those probably would be too expensive and put you back to cabinetry.

If you have the money, I'd say cabinetry. I just spent a lot of money on my kitchen as a whole, including storage for stemware and mugs. The stemware cabinets cost oodles and scads more than the contents. But so worth it for quality of life. I love 'em.

Interesting thread, because I was just thinking about taking the door off my walk in pantry, opening it up with a nice archway...and putting in cabinetry, instead of open shelves!

I guess it all depends on what you want to store, how you want to store it and whether you want the added protection of cabinetry. In my case, it's cats, rather than dogs, but I've noticed that at my mom's house, her cats are always following me into the walk in closet. Then I have to make sure they're not still in there, when I'm done. (She has the best big closet for storing Christmas gifts!)

Since I have cats, too, I can just see them helping me in my planned 6' x 10' pantry...and then getting shut up in there. So, the big archway will bring in more light (since now I have an excuse to add another big window and a small sink in the more open pantry area) more visual appeal and less lost kitties!

Good luck with your pantry :)

Lavender, your plan for the pantry sounds nice, though you could solve the lost kitty problem just by putting in a cat opening. :)

Another good reason for cabinetry, however, if you're storing food, is that food and sunlight, even canned food, aren't pals, especially if it's direct sunlight.

Plllog- That's funny that you say that, because one of the reasons I thought about opening up the pantry, is that I could put a cat opening from the dining room (by the hutch) into the pantry. Then they could get into the laundry area, where their food and kitty boxes will be. Since I want to be able to close off the dining area from the laundry...a little kitty door would be a good solution (and cute, too)! :)