The inside of a pantry is truly considered one of the "high traffic areas" of a home.
Over a period of decades, pantries have evolved and now vary widely in size, location in the home and shelving unit styles.
A pantry has become more personal with many choices on usage of space.
Because of these variables, space planning and solutions will also vary.
Nonetheless, if you feel overwhelmed and dread the thought of this specific area of your home, there are some simple solutions to make it more efficient.
Your pantry can even be pleasing to the eye, if you really want it to be.
In terms of organizing, your pantry may not be your priority but...
why not? In newer homes pantries are more exposed allowing this once hidden area to be seen more openly, usually via the garage entry or laundry area.
Also, you are in the pantry as much as you are in your fridge.
If you are planning to sell your home, your pantry needs to become an organizational priority.
Clearing out unnecessary items, minimizing grocery goods and staging your pantry will help buyers see a roomy space, which often influences a buying decision.
They say that investing in your kitchen offers high impact for resale.
On that note, don't forget that your pantry is part of your kitchen.
Because your pantry is in a visible location, and you use and need this space often, it is important to make it an area that is pleasantly useful and efficient.
A well-organized pantry will ultimately: 1.
Save you time in searching for things you need.
2.
Save money, as you will not be purchasing multiple or duplicate items, which ultimately becomes a waste.
3.
Increase the salability of your home.
A couple of common issues with pantries is that they are overstocked and look chaotic.
Like any other area that needs revamping, my suggestion in the pantry is the same as always.
The first thing that needs to be done is to eliminate all items from this zone.
Once you begin removing food, you'll likely start seeing duplicate items.
How often is something hidden away in the back or top of the shelf and you don't even realize you have two or three packages of the same thing? It's likely something you don't use regularly but purchase more often than needed.
Use your counter area to spread out and categorize products.
Once you see that you have several of the same items, discard the dated or stale foods.
If it is salvageable, combine these like products in one container.
Use caution by being cognizant of combining products with varying expiration dates.
Now that you have an empty pantry and fewer items to put back, plan on how you will utilize your shelves.
Examples of some of the categories might be: baking items, oils, vinegars, crackers, cereals, sauces, cans, spices and seasonings, etc.
You will need to know how many items you have within each group to determine how much space is needed when putting items back into the pantry.
As you manage this task of designating food items to specific spots, make sure to store groups of things used less often on the higher shelves.
This suggestion could mean all your baking goods are housed on the top shelf if you bake infrequently.
Grouping items as described above has multiple benefits.
The first is that it helps to locate needed ingredients quickly which will save you time when preparing meals.
The second benefit relates to grocery shopping.
If items have a specific home you immediately recognize when there is a gap on your shelf.
For example, keep all of your spaghetti sauce on the bottom shelf combined with all of the other tomato based cans and jars.
If things are lined up well and systems are in place to keep things organized then, with a quick glance, you can tell what you have and what you don't based on the void in that space.
Make a habit of immediately writing grocery items on an ongoing grocery list when you use the last of any product.
This saves even more time when shopping day arrives.
You may even choose to keep this list in the pantry.
If the list is not your choice, a back up for an efficient shop is to simply scan the shelves on the way out the door.
Again, if there is a sparse area on the bottom shelf, you know to buy more tomato sauce.
For items that are in liquid form such as oils and vinegars, it's better to categorize and store in plastic containers, which offer a clear view of what's inside.
Also, baskets that are shallow or have holes are good to keep liquid containers in.
This will keep shelves clean and free of sticky residue over time.
This same style of basket will also work to organize your herb and seasoning supplies.
It is much easier removing a small plastic container to wash vs.
the shelving itself.
Although wicker is pretty, it does not wipe clean easily, so plastic is the key here.
Unless you have a large pantry or little stock, you may need to be creative with your space.
This respectively smaller area of your home is also considered, 'hot property', which is a term I used in previous articles.
There are many unique storage shelving units now available that encourage wise use of space.
An example is the inside of your pantry door.
You may be able to screw in a narrow storage unit offering multiple shelves, which is great for canned or jarred foods.
In the event that you have no extra wall space, there are other types of stacking units, which sit well on flat wooden shelves.
Essentially, this stacking unit offers another shelf which otherwise would not exists.
For walk-in pantries, keeping items off the floor gives the perception of more space.
In pantries that are not walk-ins, the floor usually becomes another "shelf".
In this case, a plastic drawer or bins are a good option for additional safekeeping and storing of items.
I am a supporter of keeping things sealed well to avoid the possibility of small, unwanted creatures hunting for food.
Matching stackable containers will offer a uniform appeal and are excellent for utilizing space well.
Finally, if you are considering painting the inside of a pantry, go with light color paint.
Walls and paint get easily damaged in this area.
Scratches and dents are common; therefore lighter colors hide imperfections better.
Over a period of decades, pantries have evolved and now vary widely in size, location in the home and shelving unit styles.
A pantry has become more personal with many choices on usage of space.
Because of these variables, space planning and solutions will also vary.
Nonetheless, if you feel overwhelmed and dread the thought of this specific area of your home, there are some simple solutions to make it more efficient.
Your pantry can even be pleasing to the eye, if you really want it to be.
In terms of organizing, your pantry may not be your priority but...
why not? In newer homes pantries are more exposed allowing this once hidden area to be seen more openly, usually via the garage entry or laundry area.
Also, you are in the pantry as much as you are in your fridge.
If you are planning to sell your home, your pantry needs to become an organizational priority.
Clearing out unnecessary items, minimizing grocery goods and staging your pantry will help buyers see a roomy space, which often influences a buying decision.
They say that investing in your kitchen offers high impact for resale.
On that note, don't forget that your pantry is part of your kitchen.
Because your pantry is in a visible location, and you use and need this space often, it is important to make it an area that is pleasantly useful and efficient.
A well-organized pantry will ultimately: 1.
Save you time in searching for things you need.
2.
Save money, as you will not be purchasing multiple or duplicate items, which ultimately becomes a waste.
3.
Increase the salability of your home.
A couple of common issues with pantries is that they are overstocked and look chaotic.
Like any other area that needs revamping, my suggestion in the pantry is the same as always.
The first thing that needs to be done is to eliminate all items from this zone.
Once you begin removing food, you'll likely start seeing duplicate items.
How often is something hidden away in the back or top of the shelf and you don't even realize you have two or three packages of the same thing? It's likely something you don't use regularly but purchase more often than needed.
Use your counter area to spread out and categorize products.
Once you see that you have several of the same items, discard the dated or stale foods.
If it is salvageable, combine these like products in one container.
Use caution by being cognizant of combining products with varying expiration dates.
Now that you have an empty pantry and fewer items to put back, plan on how you will utilize your shelves.
Examples of some of the categories might be: baking items, oils, vinegars, crackers, cereals, sauces, cans, spices and seasonings, etc.
You will need to know how many items you have within each group to determine how much space is needed when putting items back into the pantry.
As you manage this task of designating food items to specific spots, make sure to store groups of things used less often on the higher shelves.
This suggestion could mean all your baking goods are housed on the top shelf if you bake infrequently.
Grouping items as described above has multiple benefits.
The first is that it helps to locate needed ingredients quickly which will save you time when preparing meals.
The second benefit relates to grocery shopping.
If items have a specific home you immediately recognize when there is a gap on your shelf.
For example, keep all of your spaghetti sauce on the bottom shelf combined with all of the other tomato based cans and jars.
If things are lined up well and systems are in place to keep things organized then, with a quick glance, you can tell what you have and what you don't based on the void in that space.
Make a habit of immediately writing grocery items on an ongoing grocery list when you use the last of any product.
This saves even more time when shopping day arrives.
You may even choose to keep this list in the pantry.
If the list is not your choice, a back up for an efficient shop is to simply scan the shelves on the way out the door.
Again, if there is a sparse area on the bottom shelf, you know to buy more tomato sauce.
For items that are in liquid form such as oils and vinegars, it's better to categorize and store in plastic containers, which offer a clear view of what's inside.
Also, baskets that are shallow or have holes are good to keep liquid containers in.
This will keep shelves clean and free of sticky residue over time.
This same style of basket will also work to organize your herb and seasoning supplies.
It is much easier removing a small plastic container to wash vs.
the shelving itself.
Although wicker is pretty, it does not wipe clean easily, so plastic is the key here.
Unless you have a large pantry or little stock, you may need to be creative with your space.
This respectively smaller area of your home is also considered, 'hot property', which is a term I used in previous articles.
There are many unique storage shelving units now available that encourage wise use of space.
An example is the inside of your pantry door.
You may be able to screw in a narrow storage unit offering multiple shelves, which is great for canned or jarred foods.
In the event that you have no extra wall space, there are other types of stacking units, which sit well on flat wooden shelves.
Essentially, this stacking unit offers another shelf which otherwise would not exists.
For walk-in pantries, keeping items off the floor gives the perception of more space.
In pantries that are not walk-ins, the floor usually becomes another "shelf".
In this case, a plastic drawer or bins are a good option for additional safekeeping and storing of items.
I am a supporter of keeping things sealed well to avoid the possibility of small, unwanted creatures hunting for food.
Matching stackable containers will offer a uniform appeal and are excellent for utilizing space well.
Finally, if you are considering painting the inside of a pantry, go with light color paint.
Walls and paint get easily damaged in this area.
Scratches and dents are common; therefore lighter colors hide imperfections better.
SHARE
