Did you know that the kitchen pantry is one of the most used spaces in your home? Which explains why when you don’t have a process for decluttering, organizing, or maintaining it — things can go sideways + it can get out of control fast.
The good news is it’s not hard to wrangle all of that randomness + it can be done relatively quickly too. Not to mention, not only does decluttering + organizing benefit your health but I’ve never met anyone who’s snubbed their nose at enjoying an organized + functional pantry all their own.
And… after designing + organizing more kitchen pantries than I’d like to admit over the years (for both clients + myself) — I’m ecstatic about helping you discover the best way to organize a pantry in your kitchen.
One that doesn’t just look great + works well but a pantry that’s so simple even your kids (and your husband) can help keep it intact.
STEP 1: Remove Everything
If you truly want to give this space of your home a much-needed makeover, you’ll need to start with a blank slate (+ a clean one). The best way to get organized + accomplish this is to remove absolutely e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g from your pantry. Our goal is to empty every nook, cranny + shelf by temporarily moving everything onto the counter, your dining table, or heck if space is limited your floor works wonders! This way you’re able to quickly wipe things down + with a clean slate, start thinking objectively about
- what works well currently?
- how you use the space?
- and where might items fit better?
As you pull everything out keep an eye out for expiration dates, items that are stale or for anything that’s gotten crushed into a million tiny pieces. And for the sake that these items are no longer safe or usable create a throw-away pile.
(Because the last thing you want is to walk into a room only to find your toddler sitting front + center, watching Curious George while eating crushed apple chips on your sofa *wink*)
Another thing to be mindful of as you’re removing items from your pantry like an organizing expert: are there any items that can be donated to a local food bank (you go boo!)
Without fail you’re bound to stumble across things that are perfectly edible but haven’t used like applesauce, canned tuna, unopened crackers, granola bars, cooking oils or even the rice paper wrappers you bought for making sushi at home –– but never did!
Although they haven’t expired it creates a random hodge-podge of items you don’t use frequently enough to justify carving out precious space for them to live in your newly organized pantry. So, what do you do with them? Start a donation pile that can be taken to a food donation drop-off.
STEP 2: Organize It By Zone
Now that every last crumb, can + cereal box has been removed from the pantry area, start grouping everything into like categories. Again, you can do this on the floor or anywhere else you have an open space where things can be laid out + are visible. The main objective of sorting + grouping like items is to create clarity around what you have (or need).
Often this part can feel overwhelming so just think in terms of how you cook, eat, what items you’ll want to restock often — baking, canned items, small package items (like beans, pastas, etc) and large items (like chips, cereals, etc).
Psst… Here’s a quick guide on how I typically help clients categorize their pantry.
- Baking
- Large Snacks
- Small Snacks
- Grains, Pastas + Smaller Shelf Stable Foods (like condiments)
Does it make more sense for you to organize your pantry by food or cooking category (like above) or is it more efficient to consider organizing your pantry shelves by lifestyle or purpose?
- Breakfast Foods
- Lunch Foods
- Dinner Foods
- Snacks
- Quick Appetizers for entertaining
- A zone for you, your spouse, or your kids
- Specialty Cooking Appliances
TIP: carefully decide how much space in your pantry you’re going to dedicate for each area.
STEP 3: Containerize
With Tetris-like skills, at this point of the “organizing your pantry game” you understand exactly what’s currently in your pantry + what items you either want or need which means that now you get to start containerizing some of these items.
But let’s not jump the gun too quickly without addressing the elephant in the room. Because one of the biggest misconceptions about organizing is that’s it’s all about how it looks. And as an interior designer, you best believe I want a drop-dead gorgeous pantry that feels like the ultimate guilty pleasure + makes even Monica Geller jealous. But more than looks, I want an easy-to-use kitchen pantry. And visibility is key!
For most pantry items, we generally recommend clear jars, bins, trays, canisters or containers because not only can you see what’s inside but you can easily tell when you’re getting low + things need to be replenished which makes creating your grocery shopping list a whole lot more efficient. Another upside to using clear jars, canisters + airtight containers is that they keep food fresh longer.
While certain items (like chips, crackers, etc) can be containerized in an airtight canister, they are typically best suited for baskets or bins + the same goes for anything that’s an odd or irregular shape. To keep it from flopping over + causing you a headache storing it in a container maintains an easy-to-use pantry.
The trick to creating a highly functional pantry that looks great + works well starts with accurate measurements. In other, you want to measure the depth (front to the back of each shelf) as well as the height in between shelves before you go buy.
And remember, you certainly don’t have to go out + purchase containers to make your pantry function. Look around the house to see if there’s anything that you can use –– do you have baskets, bins or cardboard boxes that you could use?
STEP 4: Label
As pretty as they are...creating labels isn’t just about making your pantry l-o-o-k pretty. In fact, when it comes to getting organized we consider the process of labeling things to be one of the most integral part of maintaining functionality + order long term. Why you ask? Well, with so much activity happing in this corner of your house, even if you could remember what’s inside all these clear jars, containers, bins + baskets most likely your husband, your nutritionist who does all of your grocery shopping + comes once a week to help prep meals, or those little tykes you have running around won’t. Not to mention, it makes it super efficient in putting away groceries.
Long story short you can use a label maker, purchase decorative labels or use a chalkboard pen to create labels for your pantry items. But no matter what labels in your pantry are a MUST!
BONUS STEPS WE THINK YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
Utilize The Pantry Door: A lot of times when it comes to the kitchen we find ourselves short on pantry storage so utilizing the vertical door space for canned goods, spices, kid's snacks or even a place for baggies can make the pantry more efficient.
Create A Kid Zone: Speaking of kids, to empower + help your little humans make good decisions + develop healthy eating habits we always try to create a place designated for kid’s snacks, bowls, cups, silverware, etc. This way, when our hungry independent want a snack they’re able to access things on their own, or help set the table or assist in unloading the dishwasher or put groceries away. Kid you NOT, according to top psychologists, children need both affection + structure in order to develop into secure, happy adults
Class It Up: If you really want a drop-dead gorgeous pantry you might consider emptying everything out of your kitchen pantry + giving the walls a fresh coat of paint (including the shelves if they’re wood) You could even go as far as adding a wall covering to the back wall of your pantry or removable decals to help further organize your pantry into clearly visible + defined sections. Hands down this adds a pop of personality + a bit of elegance to an otherwise utilitarian space.
Shelf Liners: If you have wire shelves + you either don’t want to or can’t replace them we strongly recommend plastic shelf liners. These keep things from falling through the holes between the wires + they make stacking a heck of a lot easier.
Stack Front-to-Back: Consider how you’ll manage new items you bring into your pantry so you can use up all of the older items first. Perhaps, you’ll accomplish this by creating tiered storage during your containerizing or stacking items front to back on shelves. Moving older items towards the front of your pantry + stacking back up of the same items directly behind them.
HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR ORGANIZED PANTRY
Do the work. If you notice something isn’t getting put back where it’s supposed either A) put the misplaced item back where it belongs or B) reassess why it’s not getting put back. Maybe, it’s an item you use every day but where it’s located is too high + can be swapped out with something you use less frequently.
Nonetheless, maintaining an organized pantry (+ kitchen) is all about your habits + evaluating how you use your home.