I moved recently and suddenly upgraded to a walk-in pantry; something I haven’t had since I was a kid! I’ve been so inspired from pouring my little ingredients into glass containers and thrifted baskets that I couldn’t help but think about the other Human Design Environments in these little food spaces we have in our homes.

To me, having a pantry is a bit of a luxury, so when writing out ideas, I wanted to include simple practical things, while also peppering the luxurious, dreamy, swoon-worthy and dramatic features in too. This article is designed to get you thinking about the spaces around you differently, helping you to see your Environment Variable coming into play everywhere in your life. Calculate your Environment Variable here.

Regularly tend and organize your pantry

Whether that means prepping ingredients for the week, filling up your bulk items or organizing your flatware, notice the way you regularly interact with the pantry space (the place where you store your food). What works for you? Wha kind of space is available? Is it a room? Only a closet or a cupboard? When you’re more aware of your natural rituals in how you use a space, you can emphasize the arrangement, decor and design of your space so it suits this flow within you. You are then able to really build things into the space that support your natural cadence. This may require you to live into a space for a bit before knowing what works for you!

Coffee and Tea bar

I love this for Valleys people because the ritual of settling in for a coffee or tea is inherently shamanic, regulating, and helps build a practice for the Valleys person. But for you, maybe it isn’t tea or coffee — maybe it’s a different beverage, snack, treat, or meal. Build in a special place for your ritualistic activities, or the items you’ve collected that you’re proud of and love using. Making breakfast everyday can be a ritual. Do you make that parfait in the pantry? Whatever your ritual is, make sure the space accommodates that ritual easily and makes it special.

Integrated trash, recycling or compost

We all create waste, unless we intentionally learn how not to. If you’re creating waste, do your best to make it easy to properly recycle, compost or trash your items, depending on your comfort level. I LOVE the Lomi to compost items like food scraps, natural plant material and other surprising things, and then turn it into compost I can add to my soil at home. It only takes up a bit of counter room (which I found to be too much out in the kitchen, but — perfect for a pantry)! This could also be as simple as laying out a spot for a recycling bin and a trash can — tucked away in a drawer for easy access while still being out of the way.

Smart technology

In Human Design, fifth colours like Sound, Valleys, Probability View or Guilt Motivation all have a special relationship with technology; some are sensitive to it and neet to limit the amount of tech they have in their lives, and others can’t get enough! With the advance of technology and your comfort level, consider how using smart technology can beef up your pantry, or even allow you to play music in the space, or set automatic lighting, or automatic heating and cooling for refrigerated or storage items. If technology was your friend — how might you use it in the space to make things easier and more convenient for you?

Statement flooring

It’s important for Valleys people to be grounded in order to feel a steady sense of connection in their life. I love paying attention to the floors in every space for Valleys people, and the pantry is no different. I love the idea of giving a small space a statement moment! I think it’s an opportunity to have fun! Consider investing in a floor moment to encourage a deeper sense of grounding and flow in the food systems around you and how you nourish yourself.

Pull out pantries

Keep things low and accessible! Get low, keep it low, find that flow. Consider how you can build in a sophisticated drawer organization system instead of overemphasizing upper cabinets and shelving. Keep items you use frequently down below, accessible, and within easy reach, and the items you use less frequently stored up in higher places. You’re someone who likes to get loooow — so accommodate that!

Enough space to walk around

It’s important all the spaces in your life have good flow in order to support the deeper undercurrents of your life. If something doesn’t work for you and you are unable to flow through the space naturally, it’s going to become a big annoyance to you and impede your ability to nourish properly through the space. That can come out sideways and affect strange areas of your life. Since your environment sets you up to feed yourself properly, if the place you store your food has an inauspicious flow, that’s going to affect everything you ingest through that space. The pantry of ALL PLACES is not a place you want to harbour inauspicious energy. Instead of overstuffing the space, ensure you have good flow and movement in a way that works for you. I always like to say, “Could this space be wheelchair accessible?” That’s how you know you have enough space and flow to accommodate the breadth of energy required for enough spaciousness.