My husband and I just bought a house. It is pretty re-done, but has a couple features we are looking to change.

1.) Converting existing carport to 1 car garage - this is underway

2.) moving washing machine and dryer from existing closet behind the refrigerator to the garage - this is underway

3.) Convert current laundry closet to reach in pantry - planning stage

My questions revolve around step 3. I've attached a rough layout of the kitchen area. We have lots of cabinets but due to the open layout and one "kitchen" wall, not a lot of top cabinets for dishes and the like (just three). One has plates and bowls, one has glasses, wine glasses and mugs, and one has oils, vinegars and some other commonly used ingredients. Spices are in a drawer. Canned and baking goods are in lower cabinets. It's not ideal and we're looking forward to having a pantry again.

I'm planning to move all our pet food, treats and accessories that are currently housed in an unsightly open cabinet to the pantry. I'd like to move the wine collection off the buffet in the dining room, into the pantry, and also move the keurig to the pantry counter. then I want to have a cabinet (or open shelves) with mugs, wine glasses and glasses. Bottled drinks will be in the pantry as opposed to in the corner on the floor in front of the dryer. Baking items and canned goods will move, freeing up two lower cabinets to better organize serving dishes and pots/pans. The mugs that moved will allow us to separate plates and bowls into separate upper cabinets. The kitchen aid will move off the counter, into the pantry. The pantry will have a counter, lower shelves/drawers, upper shelves, upper wine rack, potentially upper cabinet. There will be an electrical outlet.

I'd love suggestions or ideas. Additionally, I initially planned to have bypass barn doors covering the pantry area. However, with just 17" between the pantry and the side of the refrigerator, I decided I'd rather leave it open. I would rather be able to access the whole pantry at once as opposed to just the open side. Now my husband is concerned it will be messy and not look good to have guests able to see into our pantry. I think there are ways to keep it organized and I'm planning to have it go with the kitchen, but I do understand his concerns. Thoughts around this would be appreciated as well.

Edit: We are also considering moving the refrigerator into the left corner of what we are currently calling the pantry, then adding cabinets and counter for the rest. Issues there are potentially expense/time/scope (this is a pantry addition, not a kitchen remodel), we then still wouldn't have a pantry and that the side door may conflict. We also considered knocking down the wall behind the pantry and taking over the storage area behind it to make a mud room. We'd need to move the side door. That seemed like a lot for us, given the garage addition currently going on and all the walls that would need to go as well as door and window moves.