Give Your Pantry a Sleek Update With These 3 Tips
Almost 3 years ago I wrote a blog post where I showcased my Organized Farmhouse Pantry. That system of mostly using baskets to house items in the pantry, worked well until my Mom moved in with us last year. My husband and I thought it was only right that she get an entire shelf to herself for her items.
That meant we needed to eliminate the baskets to afford us the extra space and I have to say, chaos ensued. The beauty of my former streamlined pantry system took a back seat to a hodgepodge of items, scattered about.
A few weeks ago my Mom moved down to her newly renovated basement apartment in our home and I was able to reclaim all of my coveted pantry space, so I knew it was the perfect opportunity to not only organize but update my pantry area.
Though my pantry, does not have a door, it is private and still unseen when someone is in my house. However, since we have our guests enter our home through the garage, so they can comfortably remove their shoes on the mud bench, the pantry is the first thing you see when you enter from the door off the kitchen, so not only did I do a refresh but I also added a little flair.
If you follow these 3 steps, I guarantee you’ll be well on your way to stepping your pantry up a notch.
1. Clear it Out
Yes you will have to literally clear it out and start over to regroup but I meant get your stuff into actual clear containers. I can’t tell you how much easier life has been since I have become the cliche clear container pantry lady.
I fill the clear containers with our essentials. As they get low, I refill them with the back stock, that I’ve stored behind the containers. When I make a shopping list, I simply stand in front of the pantry and see what’s low. That’s what we need. Freaking easy! Not to mention they look nice. So there it is. I am cliche clear container lady and she is me and I’m proud of it. I purchased both a ten piece and five piece OXO set from JCPENNEY. They were 30% off and I had a 35% off coupon. Needless to say, the final price was phenomenal but I have also seen these containers sold individually, in TJ Maxx. I purchased the cereal containers and scoops and labels on Amazon and they can be purchased here and here, respectively.
The clear trays, were purchased at Dollar Tree but I’ve also seen them in Ross and TJ Maxx.
2. Don’t Contact Me
Au contraire my dear! Let me contact you. So I added contact paper to the back wall of my pantry and I love it! It just adds a new layer of dimension to an otherwise vanilla space. The application process wasn’t too horrible either. With the help of scissors and an Exacto knife, I was done in about an hour. I initially brought contact paper from Target but the pattern clashed with an adjacent countertop, so I returned it and got this shiplap-esque pattern from Amazon. You can purchase it here. I used 3 17×7”x 78.7” rolls but it would’ve been better if I had a 4th so I wouldn’t have had to use scraps for the bottom shelf. It really doesn’t matter though because once you put your pantry items back in, it’s really just a nice backdrop. No one will notice the imperfections.
3. Don’t Put all Your Eggs in one Basket
Instead, use them for storage, snacks and extras! Everything can’t fit in the clear containers, I mean it can but not at my house, so I had to spread the wealth via wicker and wire baskets. For me, it was a better solution to use baskets to house paper towels and toilet tissue instead of them sitting on the floor. They also do a great job at hiding water and other unopened boxed goods. I use the wire baskets for individual bags of chips and cookies and snacks, which makes it easy to grab and go as we exit. I also put those items within my son’s reach so he can grab a snack on his own. They were higher before and he always needed us to get it for him. The wire baskets at the top have now been repurposed for back-stock items but because everything is so streamlined and organized, we have plenty of room for those items behind the containers. I also purchased the large and medium wicker baskets At JCPENNEY for 70% off and they can be found here and here, respectively. If you’re not shopping at JCPENNEY, you should be. The deals there are insane sometimes. As for the wicker baskets, those were purchased years ago from Home Goods.
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Here’s the finished look.
With Spring right around the corner, I know we are all looking for ways to spruce up our homes. I hope these tips help you to get started on your pantry!
