The hardest part about living in a small space is storage and clutter. You really can’t have tons of excess belongings or visible storage solutions because it makes the house cluttered. Since we moved into this town home six years ago this pantry has been a problem. It’s more closet than pantry. It’s very deep which makes it hard to reach items in the back. The shelves are also very far apart which wastes a lot of valuable space. I have tried numerous times to reorganize it but it always ended up back in its former dismal state. And I think the reason for that is because I was using the wrong kind of storage and not thinking in terms of how a working kitchen needs to be arranged.
First I needed to purge, clean, and catalog. So that’s what I did. Then I thought about the pantry in terms of how a working kitchen would be laid out. I arranged the items on each shelf by category and put the the most used food stuffs within arms reach. Of course once I started rearranging the pantry it spilled out to other areas of the kitchen. I made a list of all my pantry staples and then I went shopping. 
I storied on Instagram over the last couple of days about my trips to the Container Store where I picked up several different storage bins–that majority of which are super affordable and perfect for this project. I picked up these Multi_Purpose Bins four medium, one large, and four extra large bins. (They are located in the office supply section) I also purchased these InterDesign Linus Pantry Bins in small and large and these InterDesign Linus Deep Drawer Bins in 4″ X 16″ or what I consider the small size. By the way all the bins I purchased are on sale right now! The Container Store has been running their Customer Favorite Sale for several weeks and will end on August 18, 2019 so you still have time to take advantage of it!
I began with the canned goods shelf. I took the medium size bins and filled them with the canned goods. What a difference! I tried the large size for the 24oz cans but it was too wide. It might look like the medium size isn’t wide enough but I assure you they are!
I wrangled the chips, crackers, and the insane amount of pasta I didn’t realize was crammed into the pantry in the extra large bins on the shelf above. I dedicated this as the gluten shelf. Chips, crackers, pasta, bread, oatmeal, instant breakfast, and snacks–those are the items that live on this shelf.
I moved the oils that where on the third shelf to the bottom shelf in the last extra large bin. I decided that this bottom shelf would be my baking shelf. I put the extra flour, and all the other baking essentials in the large woven basket and all the sprinkles, baking candy, and food coloring in the one large plastic bin. I went back the next day and bought a small, deep bin and used it to store my baking twine, soups vide cooking bags, crock-pot bags, and plastic microwave steamer bags.
On the highest shelf I stored all the zip lock, plastic wrap, and wax paper in the second woven basket that had once housed the oils. Next to it I filled another small, deep bin with our everyday napkins. I decided to keep the trash bags located on the top shelf. The boxes of coffee pods still need to be moved to the hutch.
So the shelves are as follows:
Top Shelf: Storage bags, paper goods, trash bags
Third Shelf: Pasta, Chips, Snacks
Second Shelf: Canned Goods
First Shelf: Baking Goods and Oils
Bottom Shelf: Still a Mystery
Door Storage: Condiments, Dry Goods, Seasoning, Breading, Stocks
The top and bottom shelves are still unfinished but so far I think it looks and functions so much better. In the process of rearranging things I broke one of the over the door shelves so that will have to be replaced eventually too. It still has a ways to go but I’m making good progress. I look forward to posting the full before and after when it’s done. I hope this gives you all inspiration for your own pantries. Do you have any pantry storage hacks or tips? Help a woman out! I want to hear them!
xoxo
Maegan
