Day 29 - A Clutter Free Pantry

Day 29 of the 31 Days to a Clutter Free Home Series revolves around pantries.

Even if you don't have a large walk-in pantry, this post can still apply to you. I have a tall cabinet in my kitchen that I call the "pantry" and I use it to store all our food and paper products.

I have various baskets and containers inside our pantry to help keep small items in one place. One basket is for tea bags and hot chocolate. Another is for rice and dried beans.

And if you are lacking in cabinet space (like I once was...), you could easily re-purpose a free-standing armoire/hutch for food storage like I did in our kitchen before the remodel.

You could even build one using plans from ana-white.com (just click on the source of the following photo).

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If your cabinet has glass doors (like mine used to) you could even frost them or cover them with fabric or something. That way you don't have to look at cans of baked beans and boxes of macaroni noodles all the time (like I used to). . .

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Here's an example of a free-standing cabinet that was really used wisely. I love how they maximized the inside of the doors using other materials...cork, tin, chalkboard, etc.

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And if you're one of the "lucky ones" with a walk in pantry or large pantry closet...here are a few ideas. In fact, several of these would work even with a cabinet. . .

• Install an adjustable shelving system so you can move your shelves to accommodate large items like a stand mixer. 
• Paint the inside an attractive color (or stencil, etc.) to make the space more fun.
• Use an over-the-door rack for extra storage.
• Use clear canisters for items like pretzels, cereal, etc.
• Label EVERYTHING. Try to use cute labels if possible.
• Use baskets to corral like items (snacks, baking, etc.)

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Here, Jen from IHeart Organizing covered her pantry closet with decorative tin panels and used colorful, labeled baskets. This pantry was featured on a Nate Berkus House Proud segment.

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Here Dina, from Honey & Fitz, used stick-on chalkboard labels (which I've found on etsy.com) to label glass canisters. How cute!! 

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And I love how Dina used a cart for all her baking supplies and the stand mixer. No lifting that heavy mixer out when it's time to bake...just wheel the entire cart out to the kitchen! How fun! Dina's home was also featured on Nate Berkus...no wonder. It's gorgeous!

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I'm also a huge fan of the House of Smith's pantry which I continually see on Pinterest. The vinyl quatrefoil makes the space. And I love how they have a snack basket and a baking supplies basket. You can even buy the vinyl and canister labels from their shop, along with a ton of other cool stuff. I'm seriously thinking about getting those labels once I move.

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Some other fabulous ideas involve buying a couple little items as shown below, to have 2 levels of cans on one shelf or to slide items in under a shelf.

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And this pantry has a basket for each meal. All ingredients needed to prepare 1 meal are in 1 basket.

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 This person keeps their menu and grocery list on chalkboards inside the pantry doors. How handy!

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And these baskets on the wall inside the pantry are super handy for corralling small items like oatmeal packets.

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Only 2 more days left in this series. Can you even believe it? I know I'm looking forward to November. I have a ton of fun posts in the pipeline for you all!