Pantry Reveal: How I Cut My Storage in Half

Guess what day it is? Pantry Reveal Day! I am so honored to have my kitchen organizing solutions published on Domino. You can read the Domino article here.

ICYMI, I recently designed and styled our dream kitchen (take the full tour), but in doing so, cut my storage in half. HALF. Losing half of your storage can be challenging (a.k.a cue stress mode) so I called my dear friend and pro organizer, Shira Gill, to create practical, functional solutions designed for real-life while maintaining her editorial vibe that I obviously love. Spoiler alert: She’s a miracle worker.

Almost a year later, I’ve rounded up my top 10 kitchen essentials here.

 

 

What We Lost in Storage

 

• We removed ALL of the upper cabinets that wrapped the whole kitchen
• Our cabinets had 4 interior shelves before and we opted for just three shelves of open storage
• We also lost a lower cabinet of storage because we installed a pull-out trash can
• That left us with just 4 cabinets + under sink storage

 

 

 

 

Our Storage Solutions

 

• Pull-out racks (from The Container Store) were installed for all lower cabinets so every inch is fully accessible and visible
• I designed a custom spice rack that tucks in next to the fridge box to keep all spices handy next to the stove
• All cooking oils and vinegars were moved to a single basket immediately inside the pantry
• Shira helped us cut back on duplicates in our drawers – our kitchen gadgets had been across three drawers and are now down to one
• Shira gave every item a purpose and a place – the biggest win was putting all our water bottles and plastic cups into a single basket in a pull out drawer for easy access
• Individually labeled baskets in the walk-in pantry now corral all our paper products, barbecue tools, baking supplies, etc., while maintaining a streamlined aesthetic.

 

 

Her goal was to create functionality for real-life cooking, hosting, etc. without adding any visual clutter. Here is a quick rundown of how she approached the project:

First Shira started with a big edit so we could quickly ditch duplicates (there were a lot of those) and donate items we just don’t use. We then used the limited kitchen storage cabinets for frequent-use items such as pots and pans, cooking utensils, and water bottles. 

Everyday items such as glassware, bowls, and plates were displayed on the open shelves for easy access. Since I had invested in beautiful neutral sets, this added to the aesthetic instead of detracting from it – a form + function win! 

Next, Shira tackled the pantry, ditching plastic packaging and used matching woven baskets and clear glass jars for all storage. This created a clean and streamlined look and concealed unsightly items.

 

 

Kitchen Organization Products + Sources

 

Glass Storage Jars

Custom Labels

Pantry Baskets

Clip-On Labels

Pull-Out Racks

Knife Set + Stand

Black Matte Place Setting

Ceramic Egg Crate

White Cast Iron

Sconces

Art Lamp

Range

Fridge

Handles

Knobs

Sink

Faucet

Glasses

 

 

Tips for Smart Kitchen Organizing

 

Utilize Vertical Storage Space

We took advantage of vertical storage space, storing frequent-use items at arms’ reach and occasional-use items stowed on the highest shelves.

 

Ditch the Packaging

Make the most of precious space by ditching the packaging. All the plastic and boxes that come with paper towels, garbage bags, etc. take up more space than you realize. Plus, it looks way more clean and streamlined

 

 

Baskets, Baskets, Baskets

We utilized pretty baskets to tuck unsightly items away. Vacuum parts, appliance parts, BBQ tools, and other not so shelf worthy items were stowed away in deep, uniform, baskets. We clipped matching custom labels onto the baskets to make it easy to find what we need and maintain order.

 

Glass Jars

Transfer pantry staples like flour, sugar, pasta, rice and nuts into stylish glass jars for a simple and quick visual inventory

 

 

 

Corral the Cords

Corral loose cords with cord ties and tuck them behind appliances to keep things clutter-free and visually streamlined while also keeping cords from being a tangled mess.

 

Incorporate Natural Materials

We ditched all plastic and opted for natural materials like wood, glass, and seagrass to house utilitarian items. 

 

 

Reserve Precious Realestate

We reserved counter space for daily-use items and open shelving to display items that were both useful and beautiful – i.e neat stacks of white plates, glassware sets, etc. 

 

Get the Feel of Custom Cabinetry

We faked a custom kitchen by adjusting shelf height in cabinets and pantry to accommodate bulky or challenging items like oversized appliances.  Another affordable upgrade – pull-out racks! We installed them for all lower cabinets to maximize every square inch of space and make it easy to grab heavier items like pots and pans.

 

 

Much like design, organization is so subjective. What works for us might look totally different for you depending on how you use your space. For instance, I’m guessing most of you don’t have a husband with a water bottle hoarding problem. Shira solved this by creating a basket just for Quinn’s water bottles on a lower shelf to tuck away (genius!). In all, she helped us to create a space both functional and organized without adding any visual clutter. 

Since the remodel, I’ve literally been cooking nightly. I’ll typically take a break in the afternoon around 3:30 and prep dinner, cut the vegetables, and sauté anything I need to. I love working in the bright daylight of the kitchen, and with Shira’s organization, it makes preparing dinner after work so much faster. 

 

 

 

Shop Kitchen Storage

 

 

 

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