Hello everyone,
It’s Labor Day today, and our local weather forecasters predicted thunderstorms. We didn’t get them–just threatening clouds. So much for taking the time to enjoy the great outdoors. I stayed inside because of the predictions and decided to take a look at my “to-do” list of home design projects. One item was particularly high on the list: the pantry. Why? Because over the last couple of weekends we were replacing portions of our ceiling in the hallway next to the kitchen and in the process drywall dust was EVERYWHERE around the kitchen! This forced me to think about the pantry sooner rather than later.
We did a major home interior design renovation about 6 years ago. Among other things, all our closets (including the pantry) were updated or installed with the Elfa shelving units from the Container Store (one of my favorite places for home goods). Our pantry is small, and the beauty of having the Elfa system is that you can easily adjust the shelves to whatever height and size you need at any time. It was the major selling point for us.
One home interior project that is requiring an immediate action is to re-design our kitchen pantry.
See what I mean? There’s really no rhythm to the now dust-free pantry. There are bottles, appliances and boxes all over, and it’s in desperate need of a re-design.
When re-organizing a kitchen pantry there are some very simple and easy steps to follow:
- If you have food items older than a year ( such as spices), its time to toss them
- Assign each food group their own shelf or zones, for example, make specific areas for pasta, rice, snacks, oils and vinegars
- Think about what kind of storage system you want, such as glass or stainless steel jars
- Add some texture to the pantry by including baskets for snacks, favorite recipes and cookbooks
- Store cans and bottles in see through bins
- Consider using erasable labels for each container with the date of the food item purchased. Don’t put it in front but instead on the back or side
- If your pantry is small like mine, store items that you use every day (sweeteners, spices, cereals, etc.) in nearby kitchen cabinets within easy reach.
- Consider putting a checklist on the inside door of the pantry. This will definitely help you when it’s time to grocery shop.
I’ve always been partial to an open kitchen interior design plan. The only problem will be keeping it looking neat at all times.
Alas, our pantry is just a few feet too short to have this one. It’s beautiful.
If I ever get a walk-in pantry, it will look like this.
After looking at pantries and seeing all the various design styles out there, I’m really ready to start working on mine. Since this my new pantry will assist me in keeping a better grocery list, I see myself with extra cash in my pocket at the end of month to spend on Moi! Perhaps on a cashmere sweater for the winter. I have a mission and I’ve got this covered!
So how about you? Have you recently done a make over on your pantry? If not, I hope this post has inspired you!
Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day!
Simone
