From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise, part two.

Part TWO of a SIX part series revealing this pantry one shelf at a time. Click on photos to enlarge!

Sharyn in her Kitchen, what lies behind closed doors is about to be revealed

Sharyn loves her home, loves cooking but hates her pantry more than anything else in her kitchen. She has a husband, two small children and a busy life. Unable to do it alone, she called in the big guns and prepared for an overhaul.

Her biggest frustrations were not knowing what was in her pantry and when she did know it was in there ‘somewhere’ she had difficulty finding, removing, using and replacing items on a day to day basis. She was ready to totally update her kitchen because she believed the fault was in the SIZE of her kitchen.

Here is a BEFORE photos of Sharyn’s Pantry for you to review.

Photo of cluttered pantry before any work was done on it.

This is a typical household pantry

Let’s examine the TOP shelf!

photo of top shelf of a pantry showing stacks of items about to topple

The contents of the top shelf were about to topple on the unwary

BEFORE Sharyn used a range of different sized containers and simply filled the shelf to almost capacity. It was difficult to remove items and even more difficult replacing them after use. Items at the back of the deep shelf simply went missing in action, hidden from view and often repurchased during the next shopping expedition, creating the need for even more, unnecessary, storage.

DURING When reviewing Sharyn’s pantry we looked at where things would be best stored. The items that were currently stored on this shelf were not working at all. It was decided to move these items elsewhere and open up this space for items that were light weight or unopened.

AFTER Top shelves often pose a storage problem simply because items spread out and get lost. The easiest and least expensive solution is to install tubs to contain unopened and lighter weight items like napkins, paper towels, packets of biscuits, cereal and cake mixes. Choose tube to suit the width and depth of your cupboard. Take measurements of your cupboard and then shop for containers that will fit your specific circumstances. Every cupboard will have different needs. This cupboard has recesses on both sides of the door so only the middle container comes out in one movement. To remove the left or right hand containers the middle one has to move first. So it’s best to place items most frequently used in the middle container. Regardless accessing, removing and replacing items on this top shelf will be a breeze from now on and Sharyn is delighted with the very cost effective solution.

photo of top shelf of pantry showing three tubs containing unopened and light items

Now the top shelf is the holder of lighter weight and unopened items.

Now that the top shelf is organised we will move down to the second shelf. The series of 6 blog posts will show you how we reorganised and maximised each shelf so you can replicate it at home. Be sure to see all 6 posts:

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part One – overview of the pantry

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part Two– top shelf solution

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part Three– second shelf, cans, jars

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part Four – third shelf, oils, baking

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part Five – dry goods, cereals

From Pantry Pack Rat to Pantry Paradise Part Six- pasta and legumes, potatoes and onions

For more information about how to organise your home read From Stuffed to Sorted or call us for a consultation 0418 597 297.

Psst: If your paperwork is out of control book into our Melbourne Paper Flow workshop on 8 Sept 2014. You’ll be glad you did!

MaryAnne Bennie is an expert professional organiser, trainer, speaker and author. Her best selling books From Stuffed to Sorted and Paper Flow may be purchased on her website.