I have a love/hate relationship with all those cooking and DIY shows. I love watching the creations and getting ideas on projects. I also enjoy seeing how organized everything always looks, but the reality is that I struggle personally with taking what I see and making it work in my own home. I have especially been day dreaming about having a pretty, well put together pantry. Mine always felt so full and things tended to get shoved in with no rhyme or reason making it very difficult to retrieve. I know that half the battle is a well-stocked pantry, which I’ve accomplished, but the other half is a well thought out, organized pantry. This is where the problem lied for me until this last weekend. I finally got serious about what kind of pantry I wanted and I have to say, I’m pretty thrilled with the outcome. I have put together 5 expert tips on constructing an organized, eye candy pantry without remodeling the whole entire kitchen. Here is what I came up with.
Let There Be Light – My house was built in the 50’s and our pantry has zero electricity which means zero visibility. Not wanting to reroute electrical wiring, I went for battery operated touch lights instead. They can be positioned where ever you most need them and all I have to do is tap them on and off. I’m now able to see in all the nooks and crannies that would have normally been dark.
Everything Has It’s Place – Creating zones in your pantry works two-fold. You can find things easier and know what you need to purchase during your next shopping trip and you also create an aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye. Zones can be broken up into whatever order that makes sense for you. I like putting items that I use most often in the easiest to reach places (ie canned goods, spices & pasta) or shelving right in front.
Canisters & Jars – This tip probably qualifies more as a preference then a tip. However, if you’re looking for a pantry with some design and flair, canisters are a great way to break up the monotonous look of cans and boxes. My preference are glass canisters that you can see through. This makes supply checks super-fast and the glass look is appealing to the eye.
Crates & Baskets – You can use whatever crate you like. I found some very cute, inexpensive, square baskets from IKEA that look really nice and fit the shelves perfectly. Make sure you measure the depth of the shelf first before making a purchase and find a style that works for your preference and taste. I use the baskets for boxed goods, nutrition bars, peanut butter etc. Anything that can be bundled together. This helps to keep the pantry from looking cluttered and it also is a great way to keep certain items in one spot. For instance, my kids have a basket in our pantry that is just for them with kid friendly snacks inside. They know right where to go and what their snack options are…..easy!
Labels are our friends – As I’ve said in previous articles, I love to label. I feel like it helps highlight when a space is thought out and organized. Anyone could now open up my pantry and put groceries away with-out me telling them where they go (huh hmm…kids). I have labeled the canisters, baskets and crates with helpful titles or categories making the overall look more streamlined and efficient.
Putting some of these systems into place really does make a huge difference. I am no longer spending a half hour looking for something that I know I just purchased and I actually have more space to work with now that it’s super organized. I also have to say that it was a lot of fun finding the specific pieces for items to go into. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Get creative and make it your own!
