Before and After: This Pantry Porn Comes Courtesy of IKEA and the Dollar Store
A pantry is always a wonderful thing to have, but this one needed a bit of help becoming its best self. With the addition of two shelves, four baskets, and $100 worth of jars, this pantry is now organized, user-friendly, and so soothing.
Here are the issues the kitchen’s owner was determined to resolve:
“The pantry was just super crowded. There was no system and it was hard to find the item I needed for cooking. Since the pantry is not that deep, there was a limited amount of space. Since I couldn’t find items easily, many cans and sauces would expire. The mess was stressing me out as well.”
This is such a highly relatable situation, and, fortunately, the solution is just as relatable, approachable, and achievable. And if dollar store jars can be inspiring, they are here.
Kamaldeep Kaur Aulakh of Get Kamfortable has created a pantry so organized that it’s calming simply to gaze upon. The glass jars—scored cheaply at IKEA and a dollar store—are classic and look beautiful all in a row. Jars of these sizes, even basic canning jars, are surprisingly expensive when bought in any sort of quantity; $4 jars add up upsettingly quickly!
The baskets, which Kamaldeep plans to label soon, are perfect for corralling boxes of tea, canned goods, dry goods in bags, leftover amounts of ingredients and other small, awkward and not-so-display-worthy items. The plastic jars, while perhaps not quite as lovely as the glass ones, are modern and clean-lined, and are perfect for holding large quantities. They’re perfect on the lowest level, thanks to their cool, commercial look.
“The process took just a couple hours and the total cost was under $100. My husband built two additional shelves using pieces of wood we already had at home and everything went smoothly.”
Adding shelves was completely the way to go; the original shelf configuration was highly impractical. Who needs that much vertical space in a pantry, unless they’re storing an entire shelf of that ultra-long fancy pasta?
The jars are cleverly labeled with a Sharpie paint pen, which Kamaldeep discovered wipes off with a damp cloth. That trick is a pantry game-changer that allows labels on dry goods to be quickly and consistently updated.
“I love how clean and organized it looks. I show my friends and family my pantry when they come and everyone is impressed and inspired to do the same with their space.”
Thank you, Kamaldeep Kaur Aulakh of Get Kamfortable!