Before takingΒ on this month-long project, I didn’t realize how much stress would be involved. I mean, it’s a pantry – how could this possibly stress me out? heh heh heh. Famous last words, Sam. I’m the worst at second guessing myself. Every decision made from choosing a stencil design to purchasing baskets – all was questioned. If that wasn’t bad enough, ask friends how stressed I was putting everything back inΒ the pantry!
I’ll admit, putting this project out there on my blog, and giving myself the month-end deadline, really helped stayΒ on track.
Sure, I’m always going to find “better baskets” or a “prettier paint color”. Yup, may end up on pinterest later today and find the pantry I’ve been dreaming of. The truth is, it’s that kind of thinking that keeps us from tackling projects in the first place. You worry about making the wrong choice…and in the end, it turns out great. Or even better than great!
Before starting, I spent quite a bit of time looking for inspiration. I wanted to not only organize the pantry, but make it look pretty. The organization part was all me and knew exactly what I wanted to do in this space with the baskets. But the painting/stenciling? Needed some help there! My ultimate inspiration was found on pinterest – here’s Shelley’s awesome pantry that inspired me!
And here is where that inspiration took me…
Love it!
IΒ started filling, sorting and organizing – the fun part of the process. It was great to get rid of allΒ the packaging cluttering the shelves! At the beginning of this project, I took a hard look inside the pantry to see what themes were going on in there. That helped determine categories I was going to break down items into. That is also how I determined the number of baskets and canistersΒ required.
* Aside from the wine containers (see more below), there’s nothing on the floor. I collected a lot of random items on the pantry floor, including paper shopping bags. With all of the shelving in the pantry and other areas in our home, there was no reason for anything to be on the floor. Now the floor is wide open and easy to clean.
* Β Lots of baskets for similar items. IΒ had like items floating around on various shelves – some opened, some not. The baskets are my way of keeping similar items together. Hopefully we will use up one container/box before opening a new one.
* Sizeable baskets that fit all of those similar items. For example, we had a small treat basket up high, but it was always overflowing and difficult to get down. I needed something larger to keep items from pouring over the sides.
* Β The plastic, metal, and acrylic canisters hold food items that should be stored in air-tight containers. I had many of these items (flour, brown sugar, marshmallows, etc) simply folded over in their original packaging. The brown sugar and marshmallows were usually hard when IΒ needed them. So pleased everything is contained, will stay fresher longer, and reduce the risk of bugs.
* I love the way the canned good shelf turned out. Who knew 2 little shelf risers could make a shelf look so good!
* Everything is organized which means it’s not only easy to find items, it’s easy to put away groceries!
* A pretty backdrop/wall color.
* You may be wondering where all of the food is – it’s there, trust me! Amazing when you organize, get rid of the packaging, and combine like items = you find you have more space than ever. We were left with so much new space we moved our paper towel inventory to the pantry as well!
* You might also be wondering why I didn’t put baskets on the left side of the pantry. I didn’t see the point in putting those particular items into baskets because they’re easy to grab from the shelves. Things like salad dressings and pasta boxes – they create their own natural organization by simply lining up along the shelves. And you guys know I tend to stockpile when I do my coupon shopping. I worried I would end up with a lot of items sitting outside a basket and that would annoy me. So I organized them on the shelves….and it helps they’re hidden behind the door!
* Wine organization. The wine had been standingΒ like this on the top shelf of the pantry…
IΒ don’t have a good spot in the kitchen or laundry room for wine. So I decided to find a better solution for keeping it in the pantry. One thing IΒ knew for sure was the wine needed to be removed from the top shelf. Why? The weight of the bottles was causing the shelf to bow in the middle – not sure if you can see that in the photo above. But I wasΒ growing very concerned about the weight up top.
IΒ found these containers in December. These fit perfectly along the bottom left of the pantry, behind the door. I love wine and these 8 hold up to 48 bottles – more than enough to have on hand at any given time…
Wall stencil = $10.32 (purchased with a 40% off coupon)
Stencil roller = $4.99
Stencil wall tape = $2.99
Paint: FREE
Wire stacking shelfΒ = $9.46 each
2-pack stacking basketsΒ =Β $8.97
3-tier expandable canned goods shelf = $12.39 each
Baskets = $66.95 total (purchased on sale and with store coupons)
Snapware set = $20.99
Snapware 23 cup containerΒ = $17.98 total (purchased 1 with a 20% off coupon)
whole wheat flour
flour
brown sugar
white sugar
powdered sugar
white rice
brown rice
pancake mix
milk chocolate chips
semi-sweet chocolate chips
marshmallows
ground coffee
coffee beans
goldfish
whole wheat crackers
long pasta noodles
seasonings/cooking packets
opened bags of chips (which will hopefully be eaten first before a new bag is opened)
Could not be happier with myΒ new pantry!!! It was not only a much-needed organization project, but fun for theΒ whole family. We started and finished the project over President’s Day weekend. MyΒ 7 year old was a BIG help and couldn’t wait to put everything away in those nice baskets and containers.
Again, big smiles each time I open this door…
You did a wonderful job, I love the steps that the cans sit on, I need some of those:) Great organizing!
Hi Latoya! Thank you! I love those shelf risers for the cans too – can you believe the difference!? At first, I thought it would be a waste of money b/c I could fit more cans by simply stacking them on top of each other. But, wow! What a great improvement. Thank you again!!
wow!!!!! great job!!
http://lacasitadmaria.blogspot.com/
MarΓa from Spain
Thank you, Maria!!!
Great job, Sam!! I love the stencil and all the baskets!! Looks great.
thank you, darlin!!! π
Looks Great! I love your baskets. They really corral everything together nicely. We just cleaned up our pantry, but I still have some more organizing I'd like to do. It's seems like it's never ending. π
oh yes – there is always something to be organized! it's a never-ending job, but fun for me! thank you so much for the nice comment!!
Great job, it looks great and so organized. I love how you put everything in the baskets specially the kids snacks. Your wall came out beautiful I may have to find a wall in my house to try and stencil. Never done that before but it looks like it turned out really nice. I really like the steps organizer you used for your cans. And I am a wine lover so the way you guys organized the wines I love it.
I would constantly be opening the door of my pantry if it looked this organized.
hey friend! thank you so much for ALL of your nice comments! means so much to me! i'll be checking out your blog too to see the playroom reveal. can't wait to see yours and all of the other projects from the challenge! π
thank you again!!
You're pantry looks awesome…the stenciled wall completes it perfectly! I just did the same thing with my pantry, a complete organizing overhaul and it feels so good to be organized! I am now your newest loyal follower and I look forward to reading all your future posts! If you have a chance, swing by and visit me at my blog (and make sure to say hi!) π Cath
Blog: Home is Where my Heart is
http://cathhasablog.blogspot.com/
Hi Cath! Thank you so much for coming by and thank you for all of the kind comments about our pantry! We love it! Thank you also for following me and, yes, I'll be heading your way next. Thank you again!
Gorgeous! My favorite part would have to be the steps for the cans! Those are great! And of course the baskets and wine organizers are pretty awesome too! I just finished our playroom/schoolroom and am anxiously awaiting the linkup to see everyone's finished projects. I know what you mean by the greatest moment was when you could just stand back and look at a job well done! Last night after I had done the finishing touches my 6 year old was so excited that she showed my husband the room before I even got a chance to. π
hi michelle! thank you so much for the sweet compliments! they are very appreciated! i saw your link up and it looks awesome! i can't believe how much stuff everyone was able to toss. it feels so good on my end, so i am sure everyone else is feeling the same way. the story about your 6 year old is precious! π
Bravo Sam! Lovely as always! You always explain wonderfully and provide lots of great pics! I am a loyal follower as well!
hi nadia! thank you!!!! you are so kind!
Great job! I like how you put the pretty baskets in the space you see right when you open the door and stored more cans and boxes on the sides. Storing the snacks and lunch items separately in baskets is great! Looks wonderful!
i know! – those baskets are front and center along with the wall and i love looking at that. thank you for noticing too! and thank you so much for the sweet compliments! thank you for coming by – it's so appreciated!
Job well done! I got some ideas on how to "tweak" my pantry. Absolutely LOVE the way that you stored the wine bottles!
hi heidi! thank you so much for the sweet compliment! yes, i love the wine storage too – that was all my husband, so he deserves the credit there. haha! π thank you so much again for stopping by!
fabulous redo great inspiration for me!
hi! thank you for much and i am so glad to have inspired you! π
OMG your before is 5000 times better than my pantry! I'm slowly organizing mine. (I almost left the auto correct of organizing at agonizing – ha!) See mine here:
http://favoritelittleprincess.blogspot.com/2012/02/organizing-pantry-part-i.html
hi deedra! i'm sure that is totally NOT true! and to prove it i'm going to swim by your blog to see how awesome your pantry looks! it does take a while to get a pantry just right, so don't put too much pressure on yourself to get it done. i really find that i have to live in a space and then the new ideas pop into mind as i find what would work in different situations. take your time! i'm heading your way now!
my organizational self just jumped for joy at your work great job!! i wish i had a pantry to organize lol!!
hi eschelle! awe, you're so cute! i love how you jumped for joy – my heart does the same thing every time i open the pantry door now. yesterday our sitter was here and she opened the door for the first time – i loved seeing her reaction. she couldn't believe how much more space was in the pantry. it was fun to see her reaction…and makes me feel like the work i put in was all worth it. thank you so much for stopping by!!!
Fabulous Redo! (Although your before pictures still look better than my house)! Jealous!
hi steph! thank you so much for the sweet compliment! it is so appreciated! π
I envy your pantry. You did a great job organizing. Thank you for posting how much you spent and how much each item costs that was helpful.
awe, thank you! i'm glad some of the details were helpful for you. many times when i see projects online i wish i knew exactly how much they cost – so i did that to help my readers. thanks again!!!
I LOVE it! I am reorganizing my whole kitchen in a week and am going to go get some baskets like yours. π
When I reorganized my daughter's closet, I painted it to match her room. What a difference it made! I LOVE the stenciling!
Our closets and pantrys really are "mini rooms" I love how you treated yours as such!
π
Lisa
hi lisa – thank you so much for the sweet compliments! yes, even though closets and pantries are behind a door or cabinet, doesn't mean it can't look nice when you open it. π we are loving the end result and can't wait to get started on our next project!
thank you again!
WOW I Love the new Pantry I just wish I had one. Our apartment is so tiny there is just no room for one. Although I may buy one of the pantry's in a store and work on setting it up like you did as it would fit in my closet and look much better than items sitting out everywhere.
hi glenda! thank you so much for the nice compliments. you have a great idea! you can pretty much turn any cabinet into a great little pantry. i have found wonderful inspiration photos online and am sure you can do the same. let me know if you do anything – and come back to share some photos!
The new pantry is so cute! I love the baskets!
hi erin! thank you so much!
the stencil and uniform baskets and containers make it a really lovely spot (even if it IS just the pantry!) I love how it is a fully stocked pantry, but still so much space left.
Terrific job!
thank you so much!
Love it… wish I could justify $200 for organizing my pantry. I LOVE it. How long did the stenciling take anyhow?
hi julie! surprisingly the stencil didn't take much time after i measured out the wall and made sure i was starting in the middle. it was pretty easy! it took just a few hours!
If you ever get bored and are in the Poland area, you are more than welcome to redo my pantry!
hi kelley! haha, you're funny! i would love to just end up in the Poland area. have never been there! and would definitely help you out!
Wow, you did a great job!! I love, love it. I am shocked at the price tag. I thought it would have been a lot more–baskets and those types of things can add up quickly. I would open the door just look in there too if it were mine. π
hi emily! thank you so much! it's nice to hear you think i spent much more on it….i was really hoping to spend way less than $100, but that was really wishful thinking. the baskets were the expensive item, which is why i opted for baskets i could buy on sale and with coupons. π
Love the pantry. I'm working on fixing a 3×3 area right now.
thank you so much!
I have to admit that your Before picture is more organized than my pantry is at the moment. π I love repackaging food items into those see-through containers as opposed to leaving them in their boxes. So much more convenient!
hi angie! thank you so much!
Wow you have done a fab job. It looks great I wish I had the same! I think I will take your prompt and tidy mine lol
thank you so much!!!
You did an amazing job, and I love the paint and stencil you used! I have to say though, your original pantry was pretty well organized compared to mine! I don't have a walk-in one though, it's just a tall cabinet with very deep shelves. Everything gets lost in it. I really need to work on that!
hi nikki! thank you so much!
WOW!! really good job!!
thank you so much, andrea!!!
Love the stenciling. Organizing the pantry is so useful. I love the food risers too!
thank you so much!!!
Wow! What a lot of work! Love the stenciling and the little stair step things to raise the cans behind a little higher. I have a pantry area that I want to redecorate and you've given me some great ideas. Thanks for sharing with us.
thank you for the sweet compliments! it wasn't that much work, actually – b.c i spread it out over the entire month. other than the actual painting and putting everything away, which happened over the course of a 3-day weekend. it was the planning that took a while. i am crazy and second guess every step of the process. haha! thank you so much and i was more than happy to share!
Ohhh my dream!! I would love a large pantry. Instead I have a galley style kitchen where you cannot have the frig open when the dishwasher is open, where two people cannot be in the kitchen at once and where there is absolutely no pantry! So I use part of the storage room in the basement for extras. The only upside– I can hide things down there that no one will ever find!
hi kerry! thank you so much!!!!
Wow! That's beautiful! I wish I could do that (or be that organized)
hi shannon! thank you so much!
Wow…. I love your pantry! I have been blessed with a huge kitchen and nice cupboards instead. I need a lot of help with organizing!
hi michelle! thank you so much! the pantry is great, but we had the same issue you have in our previous home. it's tough! let me know if you end up doing anything – i'd love to see it!
Wow! Great tips! Our pantry is somewhat organized but you've given me inspiration to take it to the next level π
hi britni! thank you for stopping by and for the sweet comment π
Holy cow! Fantastic job. Although, your before shot needed to be much messier to make my pantry seem cleaner. LOL!
Wendy
Around My Family Table
hi wendy! you're too funny!!! so many nice people that have commented have all said the same thing. trust me, our before wasn't so hot if you took a closer look. it was just spread out nice and even…but when you looked closely = disaster!!!
Your 'before' shot is my 'after' shot! It was lovely to begin with, but I agree, the stencils are great!
hi! thank you for the nice comment! thank you, we do love the stencil too!
I couldn't agree more- your before shots are what I would hope I can get my pantry to. π Maybe I should set the bar a little higher. You did a great job with this.
-Viva recently posted Homemade Pizza Dough
Your before shots looked good to me. Your after shots are amazing. Great post!
thank you so much!
Looks great! I love love love baskets. I don't know how you can keep so much food without overeating though!! I know pretty much everyone does it, but anything pre-made is gone within a day around here! We can't even keep fruit without it disappearing in 24 hours! The only thing keeping us from eating ourselves into our graves is that when I open the cabinet, everything would take at least 30 minutes to prepare. haha! I suppose we could use some self-control, 'eh? π
awe, thank you!!! we're not a big overeating type of family. i mean, don't get me wrong – my kids eat like crazy. and then they have phases when they don't eat enough. π i'm at the market 1-2 times a week for sure, sometimes more often. thank you again for stopping by!
Wow, you did a great job, I love for my kitchen to be organized it's just getting it that way. I would have never thought to use the baskets in the pantry that was as excellent idea.
thank you so much!!!
Phenomenal job! I love the stencil too. I would love it if you shared this at my first link party going to now.
http://unclutteredlifestyle.blogspot.com/2012/02/un-clutter-it-thursday-10-welcome-to.html
hi there! thank you for the sweet comment! i'd love to share with your link party and will head over in just a second! π
I like the baskets and canisters idea. Especially the idea of marking the canisters. Very organized!
hi becca! thank you so much!!!!
I love it! I'm jealous of the size! i wish mine was bigger! Love the baskets and can risers!
awe, thank you so much!!! π
Very well done! I love a good pantry update and REALLY love how you broke everything down from your shopping list and your categories. I also admire anyone who decides to stencil…it looks so great and I would love to hear your learnings about stenciling. Again, job well done!
~ Ferly
Gifts We Use {to grow, love and serve}
GiftsWeUse.blogspot.com
awe, thank you so much for the sweet comment! i will definitely post about some stencil tips very soon. it was fun but i did have a few ideas to share. thank you again for stopping by!
Love it! Very elegant looking pantry. Now I wish I had a pantry so I could make it all pretty!
hi katie! thank you so much!
Great job! I'm in the middle of a pantry re-do myself. By the way, by the amount of wine you keep on hand, I can tell we'd be good friends! LOL. Found you via IHeart Organizing. http://www.justhadabrightidea.blogspot.com
morgan – you made me laugh so hard! yes, friend – we would be good buddies. we love wine!!!! π you are too funny! thank you so much for stopping by!
First of all, I just want to say I'm jealous you have a pantry! Our home doesn't have one, and I find it difficult to work with limited cabinet space. Now to the point of the post, you have done a wonderful job with your organization! I love the basket idea…it makes it easy to walk in and grab what you need. Plus, there's no empty boxes left behind to take up room on the shelf!
i can totally relate! our previous home didn't have a pantry. i turned an old closet that was under the staircase into a pantry – will be posting photos here soon on the blog. but i do know exactly what you're talking about. we are definitely spoiled in this house, but it won't last forever…we will likely move out of state again in the coming year or so. but i'll enjoy while i have it at least! π thank you so much for coming by!
What a great transformation!! It looks great!! My pantry looks somewhat like your before pics lol. I think I need to do something about that.
haha – you are so funny! and very sweet – thank you so much for the comment!
Okay, is it wrong to say I have major pantry envy right now? Seriously, what a great job, and thanks for sharing!
awe – thank you SO much, Jen!!!!
you did a fantastic jog! i especially like the wall stencil. maybe one day i'll be motivated enough to take on the task of organizing too.
thank you so much for the kind comment!
Wow what a great job. I wish I had a pantry in our house that size.
thank you SO much!
Very nice! My favorite part is the stenciled wall and the neat potato and onion bins! Thanks so much for sharing!
suzy
hi Suzy! thank you so much!!
Goodness! I hate to admit it, but honestly I thought the "before" pictures were perfectly organized! You must have a "Martha Stewart" clean house.
haha! thank you SO much!!!
It looks great, I'm impressed! I think my favorite is your can stairs. Genius!
hi jeanette! thank you so much!
Fantastic! It looks so appealing. You must be really have a great feeling of accomplishment! Well done.
hi corinne! thank you so much! yes, i do feel accomplished – everything is so much more organized and easy to locate. π
Samantha, will you come to my pantry please? I love the quatrefoil stencil. Great job, and fantastic post. Thanks for sharing with us.
hi johnnie! would love to help you with your pantry. π thank you so much!
You did a great job Samantha. I love your choice of color as well as the stencil.
I love organizing. And this projects of yours give e ideas on organizing my craft supplies
thank you SO much!
I am a very organized person, but my pantry doesnt even come close to looking like this. I am inspired to make mine look better. Mine is not as large as yours by far, but it could really use a face lift. Thanks for sharing. Have a beautiful day.
awe, thank you so much!
after i get over the jealousy of your pantry size, i'll give you mad props!! you have great ideas and i LOVE the stencil!
i need more organizing ideas for SMALL spaces. your pantry is the size of our half bath. our pantry isnt half the size of yours LOL
awe, thank you very much!!!
oh, and come back soon because i will be sharing the pantry from our previous home….which was much smaller than this. i actually turned a closet under our staircase into a pantry. and i'll share all about it very soon!
I am so JEALOUS! I don't have a pantry, so I have to make do with using some of our kitchen cupboard space, space above our refrigerator, and baskets on our counters. My fiance laughs at me because I'm always buying new storage bins and baskets. But I NEED them so badly to keep organized! Great job on the pantry!!!
hi krissy! thank you so much!!! and yes, i'm the same way – i'm always buying little organization tools for various spots around the house. and my husband thinks i'm off the charts too. π
Ugh my pantry is a disaster. Inspiration please drip into my blood so I'll get off my butt and have a horrible before and amamzin after pic to share as well!
hi there! thank you very much for coming by! you can do it!!!!
Wow, what a great job!!! It really helps to be organized π
thank you SO much!!
Wow! What a huge difference. I love the look of things that are organized, yet I can never bring myself to do it for myself. Everything is always so cluttered (but I always know where everything is!)
thank you SO much!!! there are a few areas of my home like that too – not the most organized, but i know what's there and where to find it. π
Wow. What a huge difference. I hate tackling big jobs like this, but the result is always worth it. I like the risers your cans are on. Just because I think they look cool. LOL
thank you SO much! it was a big job, but spread out over the month made it really easy and not as time consuming as i thought it would. the painting went really fast too. π thank you again!
This looks great!! Our pantry is a giant mess lol. You are inspiring me to fix it. I love the baskets as well!! Great job.
Clarissa D
hi clarissa! thank you SO much!
WOW, that is amazing! I love the basket ideas, I just need to find some affordable baskets that will fit our shelf size! this is giving me lots of ideas of what I can do to make my own pantry a bit more organized and not so crazy!
thank you SO much! yes, finding those affordable baskets is key – they can get very costly! try michael's or hobby lobby with their great coupons – that really worked for me!
Okay, your pantry turned out amazing! Beautiful. I am cringing to think about my pantry right now. It is a mess. I need to do this for sure. Thanks for sharing with us. I can't wait to get some containers and baskets now!
awe, thank you so much!!!
Great Job! Looks nice and clean.
thank you SO much!
Very nice post! I was trying to find the link to the 29 day challenge you mentioned, by OrgJunkie, but couldn't find it:( Could you post the link?
Thaanks!
sure thing – here is the link! i am hoping she will do one again because it really kept me on my toes. π
http://orgjunkie.com/2012/02/29-day-organizing-challenge-final-link-up.html
I love your pantry. You did a great job and it looks so organized and tidy, but most of all it looks like part of a home. Who says pantries have to be dull, boring and ugly. Great job.
hi dianna! thank you so much!!!!
this is so awesome! you put great dedication into this blog and i love how organized you are!
thank you so much!!
I wish my pantry were as organized as your "before" pictures, let alone your "after" ones! Very inspiring. I've been meaning to buy some of those canisters. I'm buying more and more food in bulk and those would be great for storage.
thank you SO much!
If only I had a large pantry! My recent pantry organization project doesn't look anything like your's. I will not be jealous. I will not be jealous! π
thank you SO much!
Your pantry looks amazing! I thought it looked really organized before you started, but the after is like a page in a magazine! I really love the detail stencils on the walls! Very cute!
http://www.busymomonthego.com
awe, thank you so much!
Samantha, what a gorgeous job you did on your pantry! The stencil design is so beautiful. I would love to have a pantry like this and you did a good job with keeping the costs down!
thank you so much!
That looks amazing! I love it! It makes me want to run out and organize my much smaller but still crowded pantry.
thank you so much!
Funspiration. Thanks!
thank you so much!!
Wow! You did such an amazing job, and I love the stencil! I organized my pantry a year ago, but it doesn't look nearly this nice!
thank you so much, april!
All I can say is WOW!!!! My pantry definitely needs a makeover, and I'm going to start with your ideas. I especially like all the containers, the snack basket, and shelf risers. Great job!!!
I liked your Facebook page so I can keep following!
thank you so much and thank you for joining me on Facebook too!
I just started organizing mine this weekend. My pantry is much smaller but it's so great to have an organized pantry because you can fit so much more into it! love the pics by the way π
thank you so much! good luck with your pantry – come back and share the details when you're done. π
Fabulous! I wish we could do something like this – we need more space/better organized spcae badly in our pantry. I love the can step thingies. I may have to see about getting some of those.
thank you so much!
Wow! That is so nice! I appreciate when folks break things down like that. It helps me when I know it doesn't take forever and/or how much it costs! Again, very nice!
thank you! i do too – i like to know how much it cost…all the way down to the penny. and an estimate of how much time was involved. glad i could help with that. thank you!
Great pantry makeover! What a difference! I love the stenciling work!
thank you so much!
Your pantry looks wonderful! I'm an organization junkie, and absolutely love baskets and containers and the whole process. The house we recently bought has great pantry cupboards, which we love! Thanks for sharing your inspiring project.
thank you so much!!!
Wow! That is one heck of a pantry! It's so huge! Great job!
thank you!!!
I love it! I think the baskets are so chic! I also like the variety of canisters. It makes it very aesthetically appealing. I want to live at your house because as soon as the pantry door opened and the first "guest" was received…well, it wouldn't look like yours anymore. So jealous!
haha! thank you so much!!!
Your pantry reminds me of the last two I've had. How I so miss them now. We moved to a home built in the '20's. I'm pretty sure the pantry was an after thought. It is very narrow – at the far end it is one can deep, and at the closer send it can hold about 3 cans deep. I would love to repaint it, though I think the wallpaper is holding up the plaster, so I haven't touched it yet.
I gained several ideas from your redo that I will see if they will work in my pantry, or in the extra (stockpile) area in the basement. It looks great.
stephanie, thank you SO much!!!
Wow, although I must say your before pictures are not bad at all either π I link up at org junkie on mondays for my menu planning, I so need to check out her challenge! fantastic job
thank you so much! yes, check out the challenge. the february one ended already…but i encouraged her to host one again. it was fun!
Great post! I love it how you improved the looks of your pantry.
Mine is smaller but I will steal the idea of using wire baskets for potatoes and onions. That is really nice – mine are in pastic bags which isn't really very good and it looks messy.
Judith of http://leeswammes.wordpress.com
hi judith! thank you very much! yes, previously our onions and potatoes were sitting in their plastic bags. i found they went bad quickly when they lived that way…i am hoping the baskets will help with that. π
I love the baskets but I absolutely adore the stencil! I never thought to do something like that in my pantry. My new house has a much smaller pantry than my old house but these ideas could definitely help me get more organized!
Mariah, Formula Mom
thank you so much!!!!
I didn't think your "before" looked all that bad! But the "After" was well worth it.
thank you so much, katy!
Oh my gosh your pantry looks so nice! Ok now I have another project to add to my list. Thanks for sharing.
thank you so much victoria!
Great job! I have those same Snapware canisters, and I use them for my sugar/flour/etc too!
thank you so much!
I like the brown baskets. They help give everything a place, and if things get a little messy within each basket, that's okay!
-Melanie from Melanie's Musings
thank you very much!
Very nice!!
thank you, janet!
will you please, please, please come do mine next?? See, I am the one who thought that your BEFORE pics were the organized ones!! So I need some serious help here! π loved the inspiration!
heather! – i would love to help you out! this was a very fun project. i really did enjoy doing it and it didn't feel like a chore. π
I am so inspired! I too thought your BEFORE were your AFTER pics.
thank you so much!
Hi Samantha, I love the finished goal my goodness it looks great, all the baskets are nifty. Thanks for all the great pics. I'm enjoying your blog and wont stop, I have come from Blogelinas 100 comment hop, I have added myself to your blog and now continue to hop!! Now that we met come follow me…… on my….. GFC….Oh! My Heartsie
@Oh! My Heartsie
Karren
hi karren! thank you so much! off to check out your blog in just a bit π
Great job. My pantry is my biggest organization weakness!! This has given me inspiration…I laughed when I saw you had gingerbread house in your pantry, we have one in ours and I keep wondering if I should keep it or toss it : ) We were thinking of making an Easter House instead.
haha!!! such a GREAT idea!!!! oh my, thank you! we may very well turn that gingerbread house into an easter house. thank you for the wonderful idea!!!
OMG bless your heart, you are a dream come true. I NEED this in my life!! LOL> When I win the lotto I MUST hire you to come organize my LIFE!!!! I am such a neat freak that this is my dream! lol
hi jen! thank you so much!!! i would love to come help you out! π
So beautiful! Want to come and help me in my kitchen? I've lived here for almost 7 years and have yet to find a way to organize my kitchen that I like!
hi! thank you so much and yes, i would love to help you out!!! i totally enjoy this stuff. it's 100% me. π
Wow! great job!! I JUST got a full size pantry for Christmas (yay!). So it's fairly organized, but I want to get some cute baskets for it.
thank you so much!
That looks awesome. I just reorganized our pantry but it doesn't look nearly as well as yours.
thank you so much!
Wow, it's beautiful. I wish I knew what a pantry was, never had one and probably won't since we live in crowded and expensive San Francisco, CA! But I loved the containers you used to organize, they're awesome and love the stenciling, very pretty!
i know exactly what you are talking about. i was born and raised in SF, so i know all too well about how cramped the bay area can be. unless you make millions and can afford a huge home with tons of land. π if you have some space you may be able to improvise with a stand-alone pantry. or if you have a few cabinets in your kitchen, maybe those could be turned into a mini-version – with a wall stencil on the back of the cabinet wall. ?? i know we are totally spoiled in this house, but it won't last forever – soon enough we will be back home! π
Oh my goodness! Love the stencil and all of the fantastic storage gained. You must be smiling day after day! LOVE IT!
So happy you shared!
xoxo,
Jen
thank you so much, jen! we love the stencil too. just made it look so much prettier than just a plain old pantry with boring white walls. and i was shocked with how little time it took. we are smiling with the end result. thank you again!
Great job! It reminds me of the pantry in Dana's first house at House*Tweaking. Don't we all love an organized, beautiful pantry? π Thanks for linking up with the Winter Pinterest Challenge!
Erin @ The Great Indoors
hi erin! thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. i haven't seen the house tweaking blog/pantry – just house of smith's – so i am going to head over and see their pantry now. i love looking inside pretty pantries. π
and yes, i do love a well organized pantry! it truly makes life simpler.
thanks again,
samantha
Very nice job!! Super organized and cool!! I've used that same stencil for other projects and love it too π
hi kristal!
thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. thank you for the sweet pantry compliments, too!
samantha π
I just organized my pantry, too! Yours is prettier, but mine's so stuffed you can't really see the back wall at all! I love the snapware–I spent a year buying it with BBB 20% off coupons.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweethomerichlife/sets/72157629326633302/
hi jenny!
great! i am going to head your way next to see your newly organized pantry. i love to look at organized pantry photos – never gets old! π
i love using BBB coupons over and over again as well! sort of a pain, but worth it on the pocketbook!
thanks again for stopping by!
Samantha π
i was just over on flikr checking out your pantry photos = amazing! thank you for sharing!!
Just came across your blog.. and am loving it so far! Your pantry is awesome! We just moved into a new home about a month ago and for the first time in forever I have a large pantry.. which to me is harder to organize (I know how crazy is that!) but yours has gave me hope and direction!
hi sarah beth! thank you so much for the sweet comments and for joining me as a follower. i appreciate it so much!
thank you also for coming by to see our pantry. i was not used to having a large pantry as well. at some point in the near future i'll be sharing all of the organization projects i completed in our previous home – and you will laugh out loud when you see how tiny our pantry was in that house. we finally gave up and built out a very small area under our stairway and it worked out so well! but i am loving the pantry in this home – it's a luxury for sure!
and i am so glad i was able to inspire you to work on your pantry. i would love to know more about the progress and see photos – so be sure to come back and share them with me. maybe i can feature you here on the blog. π
all the best,
samantha π
What time should I be over to plan my meals for the week? I suddenly want to shop in your pantry. So well done. Thanks for adding it to the party.
Courtney, I just realized I never replied to your sweet comment! Sorry!
Thank you so much for the pantry compliments! I appreciate it so much!
All the best,
Sam
Omg is the first thing that comes to mind. I currently have a bunch of the Tupperware brand storage containers. However, I don't like them as well as I did when I initially bought them.. Part of it is since I bought them at different times, and they change lid colors too often, the lids don't all match…and I am a matchy matchy person!!
We are in the process of buying a new house. We have been renting a condo for 2 1/2 years after selling our home. We were going to build and opted not to. Anyway, I want to wait to do anything drastic with my containers until I am in our forever place.
But would love to here your opinion on keeping them vs. switching to something else…
Hummmmm, good question! I know what you mean about the matchy-matchy thing. I like to have my spaces somewhat matching, but also still have some character. In our pantry, you can see some of that. All of the baskets are brown but they aren't all matching in size or texture. And I did use some older containers that we had, but added to my supply with something close enough in color/lids, etc. I get that.
Since you are going to move, my suggestion would be to wait. You have no idea what your new pantry or kitchen may look like. And that will dictate what you end up buying or supplementing to what you currently have. Maybe once you move and have surveyed everything, you can sell your old set and then not feel so badly about buying new. You won't be wasting – someone else will be benefiting from your old sets. Just my thoughts! π hope this is helpful to you! π
Sam
Such an inspiring blog with real pretty ideas in regards to organizing. Love the way the entire room very well organized. NYC professional organizing services
[…] Now, what I will say is that the system I set up in my Arkansas house has been the truest answer to what a pantry needs – containers and baskets. They worked in that pantryβ¦ […]
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That turned out great, Sam! I love that you’re sharing ideas and techniques of areas in your own home. It makes organization not seem so scary to our clients! And it shows that things don’t have to be perfect…..just done!