Pantry organization can be overwhelming, it can also make your life so much easier. Take a look at my pantry redo and some tips to organize your pantry.
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A well-stocked, functional but stylish pantry is a dream and it’s been a dream of mine for a while, pretty much as soon as I started baking. I have always wanted a full pantry that I can stock up with cooking and, of course, baking essentials.
A pantry is not only a great place to store, but it is one more step towards our sustainability goals. Having a pantry with lots of room will allow me to stock up on sale items and canned goods that will keep for years. And there is just something about a styled pantry that is so heartwarming.
Like I said, functional and stylish.
Since moving into our homestead almost a year ago, we have had the opportunity to make it our own. Over this last year, we have moved from room to room, project to project designing and creating beautiful spaces.
Speaking of dreams, I think I am in one.
It has been, to say the least, an adventure, and I have loved every step of the way. One year in and we have redone the guest room, hallway, and living room wall. Phew! It’s been a lot of work, but so worth it.
After each project is done, I say that it’s my favorite. I have been nothing been happy with our redo outcomes (not always the first outcome though, but I am not the type of person to give up – check out our hallway redo for more on that), and each time I think that project is the best. Well, the pantry might actually be my favorite. Probably because there is food involved.
before
after
My first plan was to keep the border around the pantry but replace the shelves. We quickly realized that it was a built-in cabinet so to remove the shelves we had to remove the entire cabinet. Once we did that, it revealed that there was no wall on the right side, basically the cabinet as the wall. Oh, home improvement projects, they always reveal fun surprises, don’t they?
Next step, build a wall! To create a closed area for the pantry and to hide the breaker box, we had to build a small wall to meet the cabinets on the right side. And I am not kidding here, guys, it was actually a really fun experience. I was crazy proud of us for being able to put up a frickin’ wall!
Thank God for Youtube!
After the wall went up, the rest seemed pretty easy. Or maybe it just seemed easy because I was still on my high from actually putting a wall up correctly. The shelves were next, and the simplest part of this redo.
The boards are pine boards cut down to fit with about three inches from the wall on each side and doubled up to make 16 inch deep shelves. More room for stocking up!
We sanded them down until very smooth and stained them with a light-colored stain. Since the walls are white, I knew that any color stain would pop, but I wanted the pantry contents to stand out also so I went with Golden Pecan a light and warm color.
Next, came the accessories! The simple black brackets are great with the shelves because they don’t take away from anything. They are sleek and sturdy, holding up to 350 pounds. Very important to check the weight limit for shelf brackets.
When hanging the brackets, use a stud finder to find the studs in the wall. The studs are the 2×4 boards that the wall was built with and what you want to screw your brackets into. The drywall alone will not hold the shelves up.
Most walls have them every 12 inches, but you really never know without a stud finder. This will ensure your shelves stay on the wall, very important. If you do not have studs or can’t find them, you can use drywall anchors.
Then came the best part, filling the pantry! I knew I wanted it to be packed but still have flow and, of course, style!
The first two shelves are spaced 14″ apart so baskets can be placed on the floor. Three produce baskets for potatoes, onions, and garlic. I also added a wicker basket to act as a little pantry shopping basket.
The idea is that when I am ready to bake a recipe, I can use that basket to gather the things I need. Flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, in the basket, and off to the kitchen.
For any baking ingredient, grains, bulk snacks, or seasoning I put them in airtight jars. These Bormioli Rocco Fido jars are the best and they come in so many different sizes. I used these pasta containers and Ball also has great canning jars that can be used for storage.
Lastly, I styled it up a little bit. I added a vase for flowers, a little bowl of mints, and a few old cookbooks. I hope my pantry has inspired you to revamp or redo your pantry. If you are just in need of a little reorganization, check out my tips below.
- Clean it out. The first and most important part of the pantry organization is cleaning everything out. Removing everything from the pantry first makes it so much easier to re-organize. Toss old items and donate anything that you know you won’t use.
- Organize for you. You have probably read before that you should group like items together. Makes sense. But keep your family routine in mind. Put the most used items eye level and organize by cuisine; pasta next to the canned tomatoes and the snacks grouped together.
- Don’t over container. Containers are the best, for someone like me who loves things organized, containers are my life. When it comes to a pantry, containers are go-to but don’t overdo it. If it can stand without a container (cereal boxes, pasta boxes, canned goods) may not need to be contained. As my husband says, that’s just another thing to hold a thing. It can make the pantry look cluttered and is just more stuff you have to clean.
- To label or not to label. Just like containers, labels are great. They can make things look uniform and cohesive, but not always needed. After all, you can probably spot what most things are through the clear containers. What about baking powder vs. baking soda? Touche. If you like the bare container look, put small labels on the bottom.
- Use airtight containers. A pantry full of matching jars lined up is a beautiful sight but jars are a great choice not just because they are aesthetically pleasing. Jars have an airtight seal that will keep your dried goods safe from any outside critters; have you ever heard of flour beetles!? No thank you!
What’s in my pantry
- Metal Storage Bins
- Woven Wicker Basket
- Pasta Canister
- Bormioli Rocco Glass Fido Jars Large
- Bormioli Rocco Fido Jar 1.5 L
- Bormioli Rocco Glass Fido Jars .75 L
- Bormioli Rocco Glass Fido Jars 2 L
- Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jar
- Glass Mason Jar with Wire Bail Lid
- Ball Mini Quilted Crystal Jelly Jars
- Wide Mouth Mason Jars 22 oz
