I just recently took on a project I had been dreaming about for years, renovating my pantry. Not only did I want to rip out the ugly wire shelves, I wanted to create a space that was beautiful and functional for my family. With a little bit of help, that’s exactly what I did. I had my friend Lex, a professional organizer, not only help me design the space but show me how to keep it that way throughout the year. I am so happy to have Lex guest post today to share some of her incredible expertise with you. Organizing a pantry is one thing, but creating a system that is functional and easy to maintain is a whole different story. She does just that and more…
5 Tips for Organizing A Pantry from a Professional Organizer
I am so thankful for Lex to share these tips with you:
Hi! My name is Lex Mahe, I am the owner of the Coastal Luxe Design. We specialize in home organization and home styling for any space in your home. Since I was young I have always had a love for design and making spaces feel comfortable. I love looking at spaces that may be cluttered, disheveled or out of sorts and see their potential.
I am so happy I was able to team up with Diana and help to make her pantry more functional. The pantry is one of those spaces that can easily become disheveled as it is one of the most used spaces in a home. These 5 tips will help you get started on organizing your pantry with ease.
1.Take everything out, yes everything.
The first step in organizing your pantry is taking everything out. It may seem like a lot but it’s an important step for organizing so you can see everything you have. This step ties into all of the other steps, so yes take everything out!
2. Reduce and Purge
As you take everything out you will find things that you may have not used in a while. Plan to throw out things and purge unnecessary items. If you have a small pantry space do not over stuff the area. Reduce to things you use regularly and store less used items higher up or somewhere else in your kitchen.
3. Sort into categories
I call this putting “like with like”. Now that everything is out of the pantry you can see what you have and categorize these into the most common categories for your family. Examples of these are kids snacks, dinner, breakfast foods, baking, granola. The list can go on and on and looking at what you have will help guide what your categories should be.
4. Plan out where you will put things with your lifestyle in mind
Not all pantries are created equal, the idea is to create a pantry that works for your life. When I work with families with small children we always make sure to put kid accessible items on a lower level. If you are a big coffee drinker perhaps one area of your pantry will be designated for your coffee pods and accessories. The idea of doing this is to make your day to day life easier so you aren’t searching everywhere in your pantry for the things you need daily.
5. Label
You can go as specific or general as you want for labels. I like to put at least a few labels into pantries because then you and your family know where everything should be. It creates accountability for everyone as it’s easy to see where things go.
Organizing a pantry can be overwhelming but following these steps will help you to get started. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your pantry space look great. Should you decide to get containers for your pantry on a budget look at ikea, target and homegoods(most homegoods have a lot of oxo containers on sale regularly). Organizing a pantry doesn’t have to be some over the top project but should be set up in an instinctive way that works for you and your family.
Here are some popular pantry items
Thank you Lex for these amazing tips!
The beautiful custom tags are from the very talented ChalkDesignsByMe. Find her on Instagram at @chalkdesignsbyme or on Etsy
Photographs by one of my favs Bianca Merrell Photography. If you are in the Tampa Bay area you need to hire her, her work is incredible.
Want to see the full pantry reveal? CLICK HERE
and find my favorite pantry organization items HERE
See more of our home HERE
