Next to the garage, your pantry is the most unloved room in your house. Give it a little life and make it more friendly with just a few simple changes.

If you have a pantry you know it can be one of the most unattractive places in your home, next to the garage. After all, it is one of the few places in your home that has always been labeled as functional over fun.

However, a walk-in pantry doesn't have to be bland or remind you of those B-grade black and white horror movies you watch on Friday nights when you're trying to avoid raiding that same pantry for chocolate and other weight gain inducing snacks.

But your pantry, especially if it's a walk-in or a Benjamin pantry-virtually an entire room, with counters, shelves and cupboards-you can create a lovable, livable space that looks and feels as friendly and as bright as the rest of your room.

Not saying that you should run out and buy everything you need to create a personalized theme for your pantry-you can if you want to though!-but there are things that you can do that will just make it seem a little less like a trip to the deepest cells of the Shawshank prison and a little more like a place you store food-snacks, drinks, and the pile up of all your favorite foods (spaghetti!) that were on sale at the local grocery store's 10 for $10 blow out.

The first thing you can do to spruce up your pantry is make sure that it's painted. If you have a pantry in your basement or you just never bothered to add a fresh coat of paint, do it now! A fresh coat of light or white colored paint is the best way to add light and life to any space and a pantry is a good place to have both.

Next, you have to make sure that you've got proper lighting. Without proper lighting, you may feel unwelcome in your own pantry, not be able to see the foods you're pulling off the shelves and be scared away by the eerie shadows on the shelves.

Don't forget to give it a little life. Seriously...when I think about my pantry, the first thing that comes to mind is my area rug. Yes, and area rug in the pantry. My cute little blue braided area rug makes my pantry look like it actually belongs in the rest of my friendly, comfortable home.

The other thing about my area rug in my pantry is that it keeps the floor warm, which is a huge problem in pantries. Since you're not in your pantry very often and most likely do not have a heating vent in the non-lived in area it can get very cold and leave you wishing you have socks, gloves and all the rest of your winter gear every time you walk in.

Remember, having a pantry isn't just about storing food. It's about having a comfortable place in your home to store that food. No part of your home should be anomalous with the rest, so take a hint.