When it comes to cooking at home, the kitchen's larder is large and in charge. Today's kitchen pantry not only stores food, it has also evolved into a work area that houses everything from large pots to small appliances. Now more than ever, people are relying on a well-appointed and stocked pantry to survive home isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, says Rebecca West, Seriously Happy Homes founder and CEO, based in Seattle. West is also one of the nearly 13,000 certified members of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

"Right now, people are hyper-aware of their own kitchen pantry and what's in it," she said. "These times of uncertainty see people going back to basics, and cooking is a way to connect and sustain those nearest to us."

A well-stocked pantry should be both appetizing and visually appealing by storing like items together, making foodstuffs easy to find. Modular storage racks make walk-in pantries customizable, allowing shelves to house everything from dried goods to wine.

In February, California Closets launched The Everyday System, a line of customizable organizational shelving units, in an exclusive license with Martha Stewart, lifestyle expert, teacher and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. With a modern metal and wood design, this organizational system features minimal installation and seamless adjustability to fit most pantry spaces.

"It is vital to have an organized pantry in your kitchen, otherwise cooking and baking really are not all that fun," Stewart said. "We created The Everyday System to make organizing your pantry a breeze, with multiple different storage solutions such as shelves and wire baskets that have been fully incorporated within the unit."

Today's walk-in pantry can really get cooking by housing nearly everything, including a kitchen sink. Modular organizational units allow homeowners to take stock and spruce up a new or existing pantry. As more kitchen real estate is dedicated to the pantry, this space has evolved into a multifunctional storage place in the home.

The first step to organizing a pantry is prioritizing the needs of the space, says Erin Hardy, California Closets' national manager of design, based in Boston. "What you can store in a pantry is vast -- ranging from basic overflow kitchen items to food and wine, pet food, cleaning supplies and even extra countertop prep areas to extend a kitchen," she said. "Understanding the priorities will set the tone for the final design and organization."

Whether your space is as large as a butler's pantry or as small as a bookcase, the area in which you store your extra food items should have good ventilation and air circulation. Ideal pantry conditions include low humidity and a relatively cool temperature, not unlike other storage areas in the home.

"Today's pantry is to the kitchen what the master closet is to the bedroom," West said. "Organizing these storage spaces helps keep the mess out of the living areas and makes you more efficient."

While the walk-in variety may be the most mouth-watering of all pantry options, the space needs to be organized. Before catering to the impulse to build a large pantry that incorporates the mudroom and laundry room spaces, you must first have a plan; otherwise, there is the potential for the space to become a catchall.

"The pantry should be one of the most purposefully designed spaces. There needs to be a place for everything, so everything is put back in its place," West said. "Purge anything in your pantry that is an obstacle to you cooking or living your best life, which includes expired foodstuffs or small appliances you don't use."

Rollouts are especially good to use in cabinets, while trays and containers can organize items on shelves. When replenishing the pantry, place newly purchased food behind similar items to rotate the stock, so nothing will be used past its prime. Common sense dictates putting items used most frequently in easily accessible places at eye level. Also, make your pantry kid-friendly, so little hands can grab snacks for themselves.

Flours, sugars and other dried goods, such as beans and rice, are easier to use when contents are poured into clear, airtight containers, says West. This will not only help items stay fresh longer, but will also keep your pantry from becoming infested with pests. Keep potential drips off shelves by placing nonrefrigerated liquids -- such as vinegars and oils -- on trays in your pantry.

You don't need to be a world-class chef to enjoy a top-drawer pantry with a sink, countertops, small appliances, refrigerator drawer(s) and plenty of storage space. "As the kitchen becomes more of a social area, you want to keep countertops clear of clutter," West said. "The pantry is the utilitarian space that is going to help get the cooking done, but it's also a sacred space that houses the ingredients you use to feed your family."

Pantry Picks

To find a certified kitchen professional, go to the National Kitchen and Bath Association's website: www.nkba.org and click the "Find a Professional" box at the bottom of the page.

Martha Stewart's The Everyday System: CaliforniaClosets.com/martha-stewart/ and through California Closets design consultants. Pricing begins at $999.

Seattle Designer Rebecca West: HappyStartsAtHome.com

Entertaining ideas that transform your home into a "party pad" blend both conviviality and construction. Whether you're watching the game with a big group or winding down with an intimate gathering, a home's design should accommodate eclectic entertaining, says Giles Sutton, senior vice president of industry engagement with Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), based in Indianapolis.

"People can entertain in a wide variety of spaces, as long as they are flexible and adaptable, not only in the physical space of the home, but also in the attributes of those hosting the party," Sutton said. "An open floor plan in a home is most conducive to entertaining: No one wants to be walled off during a gathering."

A progressively positive party generally has three physical places for gathering in a home: the kitchen, the media/great room and the outdoors. Ideally, these spaces flow into each other and are layered with mood lighting and the sights and/or sounds of a televised event or music. A homeowner can aspire to build a top-of-the-line "smart" home -- one in which lighting, entertainment systems/ television and stereo, heating/cooling, security alarms and/or cameras are automated and can be controlled by keypad in the house or remotely through the use of cellphones or internet-based devices.

But no matter how elaborate a home becomes with automation, Sutton says a wireless way of life isn't without its drawbacks. "With the explosion of connected devices, Wi-Fi in a home can be a blessing and a curse," he said. "No one wants to be streaming music or a movie, only to experience a disruption in service and the dreaded buffering."

While fewer wires may be needed as electronic components become more compatible with wireless equipment and controllers, the network for wireless systems still has to be hardwired into a home. "It's important to involve a certified integrator to make a technology plan before walls start going up," Sutton said. "Hardwiring a home is still the most reliable way to implement an electronic system, and with a range of technology that uses bandwidth -- from the doorbell to the home theater -- you add a group of partygoers with their own devices and your Wi-Fi can really be put through its paces."

Bring the Heat and Chill Out

A party begins and ends in the kitchen near the food and drink, says Ryan Herd, a consultant to the National Kitchen and Bath Association and entrepreneur in the audio-video industry for nearly 30 years, specializing in smart-home automation, based in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

"No matter how evolved humans have become with technology, we still like to gather around the food," Herd said. "Today's kitchen isn't only the heart of the home, it's also a tech hub."

While many homes have charging stations for their cellphones and smart devices in the kitchen, more homeowners are borrowing design details from commercial kitchens. From creating a well-run workflow in the kitchen to the use of commercial-grade appliances in homes, culinary upgrades -- such as refrigerators -- are Wi-Fi ready, with internal cameras and door-ajar alarms that can be linked to a mobile device. The use of new technology in an induction cooktop heats liquids faster and is also a more efficient way to control the temperature. Under-the-counter refrigerator drawers are also an organized way to store bottled beverages and allow people to serve themselves.

The Great Room's Lounge Act

While the kitchen remains the heart of the home, an adjoining great room extends its heartbeat of food and fun. Outfitted with sofa, stuffed chairs and television, this place to lounge is a cozy space directly connected to the kitchen, where people can simultaneously be comfortable and keep company with the cook.

Furnished as a kitchen's living area, this great room space can also house a bar or fireplace so families can chill out and "lounge" around in a comfortable atmosphere. A home's dining area is simple by nature, but the space has evolved as the kitchen-dining layout has become more open by design.

"Entertaining isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition," Sutton said. "Whether you're having a sit-down dinner or a more casual gathering, it's about using the space to its full advantage, which can also include outdoor spaces."

The Great Outdoors

The great outdoors is the next frontier for entertaining. Sutton says to extend the party outside, one needs to look to nature for design inspiration. "Lighting and music can extend into the landscape outside," he said. "Even in the 21st century, humans have a primal need to gather in nature, whether it's in the garden, by the fire or poolside."

Keep the great room's windows bare or use light and airy window treatments so outdoor views are unobstructed. Motorized or easily movable floor-to-ceiling glass walls can replace windows to provide easy access to an outside deck, patio or porch. For many who entertain, "eating out" might simply mean walking into the backyard outdoor kitchen, which can also house an entertainment center.

But while technology informs the way people relate to each other in the 21st century, a great party is still about the human touch, Sutton says. "The use of technology in a home's entertainment center, lighting, music and cooking setup is no substitute for great human interaction," he said.

Party People

To find a certified kitchen professional, go to the National Kitchen and Bath Association's website, www.nkba.org, and click the "Find a Professional" box at the bottom of the page.

Consult a local Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association professional to help install automation or smart-home technologies at

www.cedia.org; click on "Find a CEDIA Professional."

The "Smart (Technology) Guy" Ryan Herd: RyanHerd.com

A home office really works when it's designed to be both productive and pleasing. With more workers telecommuting in this digital age, home offices are workspaces that can also incorporate elements from a house's overall design, says Erin Hardy, California Closets' National Manager of Design, based in Boston.

"There is an art to working and living under the same roof," she says. "The key is to create a space that literally works for you."

In fact, more than 26 million employed persons do some work at home as part of their primary job, according to the 2018 United States Department of Labor's American Time Use Survey. Today's home offices are not only functional, they can also be fashionable, ranging from contemporary clean-lined furniture to an organized workspace in a multiuse room.

Having an in-home office cuts one's commute and affords persons the flexibility to work early or late on a project by simply walking down a hallway. But Hardy says striking a work-life balance is imperative when a home office is accessible all hours of the day.

"Every home office is highly personal, based on the layout of your living space, and how one likes to work," she says. "It's important to customize it into a space you love, but one you can also leave."

Get down to business

When selecting the space for your home office, it's important to try to keep its location separate from highly personal areas that have nothing to do with work, such as the bedroom.

"Most people find their home office is a room in their house in which they can close the door to free themselves from distractions and be able to get down to work," Hardy says. "What the room looks like depends on the space available and your personal style."

Hardy says for most people wanting a more traditional office experience at home, California Closets transforms and customizes an unused bedroom or space dedicated in a house to a library. "But, more often, a person's home office is a multifunctional space, which can also serve as a guest bedroom or a family's technology room with a printer," she says. "Because laptops don't need to be tethered to a wall and files are shared digitally, there's less need for cabinetry to accommodate papers and large computers."

Manufacturers add technology-driven functionality to home office furniture that can accommodate built-in power strips with charger cable hookups for computers and digital devices, electrical outlets and a Wi-Fi booster. These features are often hidden inside a cabinet to keep cords and cables organized, so the workspace remains uncluttered.

California Closets can customize a small office space starting around $1,200, Hardy says. "You want the space to be visually clean so you can jump right into work," she says. "No one wants to climb under the desk to deal with a tangled mess of cords. That's a productivity killer."

Work in progress

The centerpiece of any home office is its work surface or desk. The style of your home office furniture should take a cue from other furnishings found in the home. Manufacturers such as California Closets offer work surfaces that are modular, with the capability to add drawers, bookshelves and cubbies as needed.

While many manufacturers offer furniture options that reflect a modern minimalistic movement, Hardy says a table can also serve as a workspace. Investing in a sit-to-stand height-adjustable desk means that selecting a comfortable, functional chair is a decision best made when sitting down in the home office. Whether one chooses to sit in a traditional ergonomic chair or balance on a large exercise ball behind their home office desk, make sure the chair works in the space, with plenty of clearance on all sides.

A bright spot

Making light work by creating a multilayered lighting plan is something best done before constructing a home office. To illuminate the work you do in a home office, consider using a combination of light sources:

-- General -- This type of lighting addresses overall illumination, with the goal to enhance natural and overhead light fixtures so people feel comfortable and look good in the space -- especially when it comes to teleconference calls.

-- Task -- Lamps are relatively inexpensive, personalized accents that can be as stylish as they are useful when shedding light on the work surface.

-- Accent -- Indirect LED lighting installed in display shelving can serve as a cool design feature and make it easier to retrieve documents.

Enliven the space

What one hangs on home office walls can be highly personal -- such as awards and degrees -- but items or artwork shouldn't distract from the business at hand. For the ultimate enlivened accessory, decorate a space with live plants, such as an orchid, low-maintenance succulents or cut flowers.

If your home office is a multipurpose room -- such as a family technology center or guest bedroom -- organize the space with less personal items that refer to your work. A bedroom/home office can feature a fold-down bed, which is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall inside framed cabinetry. Multiple workstations in a single room can be a place for the family to do their "homework" together.

Works like a charm

Hardy says the goal of a home office is to help people lead a more integrated life between personal responsibilities and work. "It's important to customize your home office into a space you love," she says. "A home office doesn't need to be fancy; it can be simple and functional, while still getting the job done."

Work It

For more information:

-- Go to CaliforniaClosets.com, or call 1-888-336-9707, and request a free consultation.