The Organizing of a Walk-In Pantry

My dearest friend, Wanda, (whom I have known for 14 years) has one of the coolest pantries in town.

Not only is it a walk-in room with a regular door, she had it designed so that the side that faces her kitchen (which normally would be a wall) opens with two more sets of bifold doors so she and her family can access those every day items they need while cooking or heading out the door for another adventure.

She desired a system to maximize the storage she was already blessed with.

 In the course of an afternoon, we implemented several organizing solutions:

• Minimize items by elimination. Keep the best of the best of something and donate the others.
• Group ingredients. Store items of similar type, size and shape together to make them easy to locate.
• Categorize for for efficiency. Items were arranged by size and frequency of use. Large items in bins on the floor and daily use items at arm's reach.
• Store transparently. Most every staple that is commonly used was removed from the manufacturer's and store packaging and put into the clear Tupperware containers. Loose packets, bags of nuts/chips (etc.), and individual snacks are easily accessed without rummaging through all the food.
• Rethink location. Are there things in your pantry taking up prime real estate space that could go in the garage or another closet (mop/broom/vacuum) or under the sink (trashcan/extra bags)? Move them.
• Utilize hooks. Hang store shopping bags, aprons, potholders.
• Anticipate restocking. Keep a shopping list on the refrigerator door to immediately add items as you need them. This is what I use (from Target):

(I apologize if the pictures are grainy. There was only incandescent lighting in this room.)

So, let's get going, y'all!

Here is a view of the before pantry from the regular door entrance.

(Wanda told me to apologize to y'all for the mess, but that she needed my help
and so she left it like this just so I could spend time with her! Isn't she sweet?)

The first thing I made Wanda do Wanda and I did was clear this room!

Then, I wiped the shelves and mopped the floor
(while SHE chatted on the phone! Perfect timing for a phone call, wouldn't you say)?

Then I did a happy dance for the cleared out space!

(Where'd my face go? It's just as well, no makeup.)

I can hear an echo...echo...echo...

"Hey! Guess what, Wanda? Go take a look at the rest of your house!"

Stop crying.

Start sorting and tossing.

And re-containerizing all this stuff.

Uh...I can't cope.

I am going to go get a pedicure. I'll be back after a while, Wanda.

And, I told you to stop crying.

"Why aren't you using all these loverly Tupperware Modular Mates?"

Let's put them to use, shall we?

Wanda's and my time together wouldn't be complete without a run to Wal-Mart.

We picked up 8 of these.

(Can you see the basket? Couldn't find a bigger picture, sorry!)

and 5 of these.

Put them to use and about 4 hours later...remember the before?

here's the AFTER.

Before.

After.

Before.

After.

My goal for her was to get things off the floor, and/or into bins so her house cleaner could mop thoroughly.

Accomplished!

On the left, in the bin: party goods, the right bin holds disposable containers and foil bakeware 

she uses to take meals to people.

Beverages before and after.

Extra spices shelf before and after.

Big ol' honkin' pans that don't fit in her kitchen cupboards,
that are used infrequently are stored behind the door.
On the floor, in a bin, are candles and candle holders.

This is Dimitri. 

"Hi, D!" {Pat pat.}

He gets a spot for all his stuff in the pantry, too.

"Here is your basket of Pampered Pooch products, D."

(Do you see that he gets his own JAR of Skippy peanut butter?)

His dog food is in the hinge-lidded bin under the basket.

Here's how we used some of the other baskets. 

I am a mean organizer friend.
I told Wanda that she could only keep the amount of cookbooks that would fit in one basket.

And she did it!

Group hug!

What we put in some of the other baskets.

The left side has the daily-use items: cereal, snacks, spreads, drinks.

The right side stores baking and cooking supplies.

Snack bin with bamboo clothes pin bag clips.

Her glorious collection of Modular Mates.

All done!

And don't my toesies look nice?

I had fun with you, Wanda!

The next space at your home?

Your teenage son's bedroom/hangout/game room.

This calls for a trip to Ikea, girl.

Speaking of Ikea, my next post is a guest review by my very own sister on Ikea cookware...

Stay tuned!!

I am at Gina's adorable cottage for

Transformation Thursday!

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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