A while back I received this question from a reader of mine, about her “problem pantry”. I’ll let her explain:
“I’ve hated this pantry since we moved into our home 6 years ago. It’s always been a problem and I just don’t know what to do with it. If I had it my way, I’d tear the whole darn thing out and put in open shelving. But my husband is very much against that idea.
The pantry is fairly deep and quite wide. However, the door to the pantry is very narrow. So about half of the pantry is pretty inaccessible and unusable. To make matters worse, the part of the pantry that I can’t get to easily, has an odd-angled wall, so the pantry isn’t even rectangular. AND there is a lot of wasted space above the top shelf – again, space I can’t really get to. The space is, of course, much taller than the door.
I would like to use containers to organize everything, because it helps keep things from falling all over the place. But I’m still looking at all that wasted space – space I desperately need! Can you give me some ideas on how to deal with this? Thank you so much for your thoughts!”
This definitely sounds like a big problem. I would hate it if I had lots of wasted space that I knew I could be using.
Let me start by saying what I think this pantry has going for it. I love the baskets on the door, they are perfect storage baskets for the spices and other smaller items, it’s a great use of space! Well done!
And then there’s the rest of the pantry…
Solution #1
First I’d like to address the wasted space that’s at the top of this pantry.
Fortunately there’s a really easy solution to this problem: stacking shelves.
These ones from IKEA are my favorites because they are cute and super inexpensive {only $5.99}.
Using shelves like this one will give you an extra shelf and help you maximize wasted space. Because this is such a tall pantry I recommend purchasing an inexpensive step stool, like this one from Amazon.com. I have one in my kitchen and it helps me reach all kinds of things!
Solution #2
Now that we have given you a little extra space on the top shelf let’s talk about maximizing space in the rest of the pantry. I recommend purchasing multiple, matching glass jars, in different sizes. IKEA has awesome glass canisters that are very inexpensive {$2.99-$4.99}. They are also very good quality, I have a bunch of them in my pantry.
Use them to store:
*Cereals
*Oatmeal
*Snacks
*Flour
*Sugar
*Pancake mixes
*Pastas
*Treats, etc.
By using canisters {that are all uniform in shape} you will find that there is more space on your pantry shelves! They are the perfect solution for this particular pantry especially because of the awkward corners on each shelf. By eliminating the bulky, odd shaped boxes {that are in every different size} you will find that your pantry will have more space, be more organized and it will be easier to access items! Talk about a win-win-win solution!
Next let’s organize all the odd-shaped items that won’t fit in the canisters:
*Chips
*Crackers
*Peanut butter
*Cans, etc.
For these items purchase a few baskets. I like these ones from IKEA because they have a scoop front {so you can see what’s in it} and handles on the sides {easy to take out of the pantry when you need it}. Most dollar stores also have a good selection of baskets.
Now that I’ve shown you how to organize the products in your pantry, let’s talk general organization.
Categorizing the items in your pantry will really help make the pantry efficient and it will be easier to find things.
After deciding which categories you need for your pantry take everything out, then place food items in the canisters and baskets. Before putting items back in wipe down all the shelves and make sure the pantry is really clean. When you put the canisters and baskets back in the pantry make sure to put them back in the categories listed above: put all dinner items on the same shelf, breakfast items together, etc.
If you’d like to fall in love with your pantry all over again consider giving is a little makeover while it’s empty. Most pantries are dark and dingy but a little paint can really spruce it up! Here are a couple examples from Pinterest.
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Even though most of our pantries are {much} smaller then the ones above, I guarantee if you add some paint, and even a stencil pattern, it will make your pantry feel so much bigger and you’ll fall in love with it all over again!
Good luck and happy organizing!
Oh, boy! This has motivated me. Thanks!
If you notice in the 2 pictures that refer to painting to lighten things up, there is a 1 x 2 or a 1 x 1 board under each shelf used for support. You could do that to your pantry and thus eliminate those vertical boards that are separating the shelves. This might allow more or bigger sized shelf boxes. It is a fairly easy renovation that will create an open shelf appearance. Anna, I just found your website and really love all your helpful tips for organization.
Thank you Patti!!! 🙂
I know this is an old post but these are Great Suggestions!! I love Patti’s comment about the support boards too. Another couple of solutions I thought of – 1) add lighting to the closet as it looks very dark in there. You can get the battery operated LED lights for a reasonable price and since the lights would not need to be on for long periods they should last for a very long time. Sam’s has a 2 pack of under the counter LED lights with a remote for about $30. This is a great option when electrical is not nearby.
2) Paint the shelves white or cover in light colored contact paper to help brighten up the space.
This makes me want to go organize my pantry now!