5 No-Fail Tips To A Pinterest Worthy Pantry

By Jen Martin, founder of Reset Your Nest

Have you ever wondered if it is realistic for a normal family to have a pantry that looks like it came out of a magazine? Or have you ever thought that picture-worthy pantries look picture worthy but impractical and that there is no way that the pantry could function for you and be easily maintained?

You need to know that not only is a beautifully designed pantry realistic, practical, and functional for you, but you can do it yourself with just a few tips! Once systems are set up in a way that caters to you and your needs, it is easy to maintain, and oh-so-pretty. Even if you don’t have a pantry, you don’t need one to effectively and beautifully store your food. So, pantry or no pantry, these tips will take your food storage from “meh” to the heart-eyed emoji in a matter of a few hours.

Tip #1– Take everything out. Yes, everything! Throw out anything that’s
expired and make piles of like items. You might be surprised about that
hidden jar of Nutella that was hiding behind the spaghetti sauce or that there
are three half-eaten boxes of the SAME cereal in your food cupboard.

Tip #2 – Once you are working with a clean slate you can see your space in a
new way. Pull ideas from Pinterest or your favorite organizers and decide
what look and feel you want to create. Yes, food cupboards can have style!

Tip #3– Measure your space and buy products to better serve you. The more
packaging you have the more cluttered and less efficient your space. We love
clear, airtight containers for bulk items. The Container Store and Target have
some of our favorite plastic airtight containers, but glass containers can be
found almost anywhere and are also beautiful.

Another pantry essential is open bins or baskets. This is where you can put
everything that can’t be easily emptied into a clear container. As you analyze
the things you have pulled out, decide if you need tiered shelving for cans,
lazy susans for hard-to-reach corners, big baskets for Costco-sized packages,
etc. Because you need your pantry space to not only be functional, but
beautiful as well, try to keep the looks of your products consistent. For
example: if using clear acrylic, pair it with natural woven baskets and perhaps
some black wire baskets. If using glass containers, match the lids of the jars
to other materials in the pantry. Too many looks will make the space feel
cluttered and not as custom.

Tip #4– Put everything back in. Empty packaged items into your new bins and
containers. Keep things together. Do you have a way to keep spreads and
bread by your toaster? Can you keep teas by your mugs and tea kettle? What
do you use the most? Make sure it gets the prime real estate and put less
used items up high or down low. More unsightly packaged items that don’t
make sense to empty into their own container can go into solid bins or baskets.
(Did you buy lots of different chips for the Superbowl? Or leftover candy from
movie night?)

Tip #5– Label! Label! Label! You can write directly on the container with chalk
markers, use a label maker, order custom vinyl, or print labels off your
computer…but labels will help you (and more importantly, all those less
invested in your beautiful new space) to keep things where they belong.

Following these 5 tips will set you and your home up for success! Not only will your pantry be Pinterest-worthy, but it will be functional and make your life easier. Operation pantry/food cupboard begins!

Edited by the GNL Editorial Staff