Organising a narrow and deep pantry can be challenging. Get some ideas to keep your pantry organised and maximise the space of your narrow and deep shelves.
You all know I love organising, cleaning and decluttering my own house, however not long ago I had my very first in-home consult and to make it even more fun, it was for someone quite well known. I had so much fun working on Sally’s pantry.
The kitchen is the heart of my home and I’m sure in so many other homes too. It can be challenging when pantry space is limited and this case I was working with a narrow pantry with deep shelves, which for Sally struggled to know what products to use to help maximise the space at the front and back.
BEFORE: This pantry is very narrow. Sally had trouble seeing what was at the back and didn’t have zoned categories.
The challenges with Sally’s pantry were:
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Packets of biscuits and snacks were left open, which have the potential to go stale.
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Sally didn’t know where to start to organise her narrow and deep pantry. She was thrilled when I said I would come and do an entire pantry makeover for her!
For deep shelves, it’s best to use storage containers that can fit through to the back of the deep shelf which you can pull in and out, rather than having to reach your arm through.
I’m always up for a challenge!! I wanted to optimise the space with storage and organisation and set Sally up with a system she could maintain.
Steps to organise the pantry:
- Cleared out all the food from the pantry.
- As items were removed from shelf, we checked use by dates and placed them into categories.
- Cleaned the shelves removing all sticky labels and food stains. The Pink Stuff is amazing.
- Placed food packaged food items into canisters.
- Added storage boxes, tubs, drawers and containers into the empty pantry. This is the steps that I pulled items in and out and changed my mind to find the best solution.
- Added food back into pantry.
The clear containers in this pantry also help to lighten up the space to ensure nothing hides away.
I like to use cereal containers in the pantry to help prevent the cereal from going stale.
I used Oxo pantry containers for the pasta. The containers at the back are slightly taller so it’s easy to see and find what’s back there.
The pull out drawer holds all packet pasta’s and rice.
As this family doesn’t use spices often, I placed them on a double teir turntable at the back with enough room to reach through to twist the turntable to easily find what is needed.
Again using the clear drawers to easily pull in and out.
I used clear stackable drawers to maximise the depth of the shelves. They didn’t fit the full depth of the shelves, which is okay as this leaves space for any back stock that can be placed there if ever needed.
Kitchen cling film and foil storage makes great use of space at the top of the shelf, allowing the rolls of cling wrap, foil, baking paper and garbage bags film to easily be pulled in and out.
The clear drawers are fantastic for adding go-to snacks and muesli bars into, so all members of the family – including kids, can see what is in the containers grab something.
The bottom of the pantry is being used for back stock to replenish items as they are used.
I found unused space in a few other cupboards in the kitchen which I used to create a little tea station area.
I found another area of unused space which I used to put all Sallys flour and baking ingredients into.
The total cost of this pantry makeover was $663.83. Sally was thrilled with her pantry makeover. The new system I implemented in the pantry has allowed Sally to easily see what is in the pantry for when she wants to snack or cook, and when she needs to replenish her groceries.
AFTER: This pantry is now more organised and functional with the pull out storage which helps to categories each shelf.
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HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR PANTRY
A step by step guide on how to organise your pantry so that you can optimise your space, find items that you need and prevent food wastage. Continue Reading
