When I moved into our house after our wedding last June, (and also after our complete kitchen renovation), organizing the pantry was definitely pushed to the back burner. It seemed like there was so much to do that it only made sense to focus on the things that were visible, instead of things that were easily hidden behind closed doors ?
When we bought our house in 2019 to begin renovations, (click here to see the “before” photos) there was not a pantry in the original kitchen! I opted to add these cabinets on a spare wall to use as our pantry, and they’ve worked out so well – they provide so much more storage than I thought they would!
I will admit that I still have some more work to do, and need to get more clear containers and labels for my bulk items, but it’s SO much better than it was. Progress is key, and I already feel so much less stressed when I open my pantry cabinet doors.
I’m truly so embarrassed of the “before” picture – the “after” isn’t as dramatic as I would like, but as much as I cook and use my kitchen every single day, it truly FEELS so much better for everything to have it’s own little spot! The main things I used to organize were this set of clear bins, this set of baskets, this turntable, this acrylic spice rack, and my OXO bulk containers.
A quick rundown with my organizational tips, from top to bottom:
At the very top, I like to store extra glassware that doesn’t fit in our other cabinets, water bottles, and any small appliances that I don’t use very often. For the next shelf down, I have things like baking mixes, rice, grits, etc. that I don’t necessarily use everyday (this shelf still needs help!) The next 3 shelves are the main “zones” of the pantry that we use most often. I have my bulk baking ingredients, oils, vinegars, etc. on the next shelf, then spices, Fern’s treats, baking supplies, and vitamins on the shelf below. Next: the basket shelf! These contain all of our snacks, candy, peanut butter/jam, and then the basket on the far right holds potatoes + onions for cooking. The final 2 shelves house extra baking ingredients, small appliances, and Rudd’s protein.
I really wanted an acrylic spice shelf so that I could see everything very clearly! I miscalculated and definitely need to get one more of these shelves, because this one is definitely maxed out at the moment. Other than that, I highly recommend this one! I did a lot of searching and measuring, and this one ended up being perfect.
Fern’s little section of the pantry! Do you think she has enough treats and snacks? These clear bins were the perfect depth for our pantry shelves, and I really like being able to see what’s inside of them. They also helped me categorize everything from dog treats to baking supplies! I think these would also work really well for refrigerator organization.
Next: my OXO containers and this fantastic turntable! I keep flour, sugar, oats, chocolate chips, etc. in my bulk containers, which I would still like to label. I’ve been using the turntable for various cooking oils, vinegars, honey and syrup! I will admit that I was skeptical about the functionality of the turntable, but I’m definitely a believer. It makes accessing everything so easy!
I think these baskets almost made the biggest difference in the pantry. They come in this set of 3 different sizes which let me have some flexibility with how to use them. I use them to contain snacks, candy, and potatoes + onions for easy access when I’m cooking! I like that they’re shallow enough to be able to see what is in them, but the actual basket really makes the organization look pretty.
I’m sharing a little video tour on my Instagram stories today, and will save it to a “pantry” highlight – here’s to being more organized in 2021!
