Recently I walked into my pantry and knew it was time for a change. Maybe it was because we have all spent more time at home this past two years. Maybe it was because I am a school mum now and spend more time in there. Or maybe it was because I was tired of the dis-organisation and clutter in my life. Whatever the reason, I knew there was a better way!
I would like to say this was a quick and easy job, but I am an honest woman and I will tell you that it took me a lot longer then I thought it would to get our pantry perfect. I learnt quite a bit along the way so have put together some tips for you to make your life easier.
Top tips for organising your pantry –
1. Make a plan before you start. Draw and write down a plan of how you want the pantry to look. Use a measuring tape to measure out your shelves and spaces so you can fill them neatly, with as much as you can. Use the measurements when searching forstorage products.
2. Pinterest is your friend – It is full of incredibly organised spaces.
3. Start with a clean slate – Remove all items from our pantry and clean them before placing anything new on your shelves.
4. Group items together – I put similar items on the same shelf. I also grouped things in buckets and but things like sauces on a lazy susan.
5. Put existing items back first – This way you can see what is missing.
6. Write an inventory – Once your existing things are on the shelves and you can see what you need. Start to write up a list of what is missing. Then do some research online. I searched ‘pantry’ in the search bar of my favourite shops like Kmart, Big W and Target.
7. Use stack-able containers – Pick boxes and containers that can be stacked to create more storage space.
8. Choose quality – Good quality containers will last for years.
9. Make a child friendly spot – If your children are old enough to be trusted with snacks, make a spot which they can help themselves to when they are hungry.
Products and links –
White baskets – Kmart
Orange baskets – H & G Designs
Various jars – IKEA
Spice rack – House
White and pepper mill – House
Oil bottle – House
Large glass jars – House
Plant pots – Sill and Sage
Bamboo tired shelves – Kmart
Bamboo bread Bin – Kmart
Bamboo turntable- Kmart
Large bamboo buckets – Kmart
Mini glass canisters – Kmart
Paper towel stand – Kmart
Vegetable bags – Howard’s Storage World
Chopping board – House
Honey pot and dipper – House
Salt keeper – House
Egg tray – Bliss Gifts and Homewares
Labels –
I ordered all of my pantry labels from Blush Label Co. Here I was able to custom create a list of labels that I needed, specific to my pantry. They were really easy to deal with from order to delivery, and I found the labels simple to apply. There was a label to suit every kind of jar, I put them on everything from my small spice jars to large jars containing my flour. You can find and connect with Blush Label Co on Instagram.
Staying organised –
I wanted our pantry to be an organisational hub not just somewhere that food is stored. For this I looked to Siisti and their wall calendars and planners. I wanted something where I could note down all of the important dates/events that my husband and I both needed to know. I chose the Perpetual Wall Calendar because I am able to use it to diarise each month. I opted for the clear (there are a few colours) because I liked the chic look. You are able to chose the colour of the hardware and I decided on gold as it suits the style of our home. The calendar has a Monday to Sunday layout, which I prefer over Sunday to Saturday. Each month I wipe the calendar clean with a damp cloth, circle the correct month, number the days and fill out our month with everything we both need to know.
Also from Siisti I got a Landscape Weekly Wall Planner, also in clear and with the gold hardware. I use this to meal plan for the week. Every Sunday before I order our food shopping I write down the food we will eat for the week, then I order what we need. During the week I use the blank space down the bottom right to create a shopping list. When someone notices we are out of something they write it there for me to buy.
Lastly, from Siisti, I have a Magnetic Key Organiser to keep our keys on. This is great for busy mornings when we are flying out the door to school in a rush.
You can also find Siisti on Instagram.
Styling –
Our house was designed in a way that you can walk through the pantry from the laundry and it is quite common for people to do so. Therefore I really wanted to make sure that the pantry wasn’t just organsied but looking well present too. I added it a Grid Mood Board from H & G Designs, in the moss with nude leather straps. I used this to display photographs from one of y favorite family photo shoots. Though you could also use it to store important notes you need to remember. Under the grid I added a shelf called The Ledge, also from H & G Designs. I popped some of my favourite colourful cookbooks on it and a framed family photograph.
You can also find them on Instagram.
Appliances –
We have had all of our appliances for a few years now, other then our K- Fee coffee machine which is only six months old and we highly recommend it.
Discount codes –
H & G Designs – sweetlife – 20% off
Siisti – NATALIE10 – 10% off until 7th September (excludes custom orders and sale items)
Blush Labels – sweetlife – 10% off
I am so pleased with how our pantry came together. Not only is it organised but it looks well presented and stylish too.
Enjoy!
