It is the area of the home that can be forgotten but is a space we frequent daily; can you guess what it is? It is the pantry! The space within the home where we store everything from canned goods, crockpots, cereal and basically anything you could think of. Now this could be a space that could drive you nuts, but you just do not have the time, or energy or creativeness to make this space a little more pretty!
We asked organizing guru Maria of The Baer Minimalist for some advice she has on keeping this space organized and styled!
Tips
Discard Expired Goods and all Packaging – It’s amazing how many items are hidden inside the pantry that expired one, two, sometimes eight years ago. Toss anything expired and consider donating items to a local food pantry that won’t be consumed in time. From there, pull all beverages from their cardboard containers, toss the bulk packaging that eats up valuable space and give those shelves a good wipe down.
Create Zones – Think of your grocery shopping experience and create similar zones that fit your family’s lifestyle, such as breakfast, baking, grab and go snacks, and canned goods. Keep items that your family reaches for daily on the most accessible shelves.
Don’t forget the space available on the inside of your pantry door! Check out the ELFA system from Container Store for a door-mounted unit that will give you a ton of extra storage without taking up much space.
Utilize Baskets + Bins – If you like seeing quantities of ingredients on hand, opt for clear containers or bins to house your pantry staples. If you opt to use plastic canisters to store cereal or snacks, make sure to add an expiration date to the bottom of the container (for pastas, we’ll often cut out the cooking instructions and tape them to the back of the canister too). If your preference is out of sight, out of mind, woven baskets look incredibly streamlined on pantry shelves.
Label, Label, Label – Pantries are also the space in your home that gets replenished most often, so labeling is ultra-important. My favorite markers for labeling are these chalk markers that come in such vibrant colors and work on tons of different surfaces. This also allows you to hold everyone in your house accountable for keeping up a system.
The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis, Indiana. To keep up to date with all of the tips, tricks and inspiration doled out, subscribe to their newsletter, The Minimal-List and follow along on social, @thebaerminimalist.
Ideas for pantries when building a new home
When building a new home the pantry can sometimes be a space that can get overlooked. There are so many different options when building that you may not even realize can be nice little add-ons to this space to make your life more organized and less cramped.
Depending on what floor plan you decide on there are different options for pantries, as well as ways to modify what is offered as a pantry within that floor plan. Everything from shelving options like standard wire shelving or custom shelving or even custom cabinetry within your pantry. Think about how you want to utilize this space.
Another unique add on to make things easier is including a small door that you can access from your garage to your pantry in order to quickly load your groceries and boxes through can be a game changer.
