3 Tips to Help You Organize Your Pantry and Make the Most Use of Space

3 Tips to Help You Organize Your Pantry and Make the Most Use of Space

June 17, 2022

– Written by Britnee Tanner, SLC Professional Organizer

This month I had the pleasure of collaborating with Visionary Homes to organize and stage their Woodland model home pantry in the Utah Valley Parade of Homes. And let me just say, The Woodland’s pantry is both spacious and beautiful without a single container in it. Having said that, not all pantries are the same size and certainly, not all pantries are walk-ins. So, what do you do to maximize space regardless of your pantry size and shelf space?

ONE: Create labeled zones

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Unfortunately, pantries can be one of the most cluttered spaces in a home. With food coming in and going out and all the members of your household using the space, it’s easy for it to become cluttered. Be sure to utilize containers and label them so that those in your household have a visual queue as to where to put things. A unified bin system looks good and acts as a way to contain items like pasta, baking essentials, etc. so they don’t float around on shelves. Remember that containment is key. Adding a label to the container makes it extra clear as to what goes where for anyone else using your pantry. While there isn’t a magic wand you can wave, you can set up smart solutions to help keep the food clutter to a minimum and help guide your family members to put things back in a specific spot.

TWO: Remove bulky packaging

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Create an easy-to-reach snack zone for everyone in your household by removing packaging like plastic wrap and boxes that snacks come inside of. Storing snacks in sealable containers helps keep food fresh and helps you see exactly how much you have on hand, which helps with future grocery runs. Make sure the snacks are easy to reach so that your family members want to put them back where they came from!

THREE: Use vertical space to your advantage

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Oftentimes I see pantry shelves loaded with cans that no one can see behind. In order to see how many cans of tomato sauce you have, you have to take them all out just to find that most of the cans were green beans. Avoid this problem by using a can riser - it allows you to take advantage of vertical space and helps you see exactly what cans or spices you have on hand depending on what you use them for. Another way to utilize vertical space is by storing less frequently used appliances on the top shelf. Top shelves usually have a lot of height above them and they’re cumbersome to grab from - so put those tall items on top! Lastly, avoid knocking over tall bottles by placing items like oils and sprays on a turntable. Instead of having to reach inside of a shelf you can simply spin the turntable and grab what you need. There are so many options and they really do make grabbing taller items a breeze. I do believe that anyone can create an organized pantry with these simple tips and keep it that way with regular, minimum maintenance. Do you have a pantry you love? Do you already use any of these methods? 

Visit her website at britneetanner.com. Find Britnee Tanner on Instagram here

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