Before and After: This Packed Pantry Is Remade into a Calm, Organized Space
Organizing is not only a matter of making spaces as functional as possible, but also creating order and allowing a sense of calm into the home. Something practical and necessary has a real impact on the emotional well-being of the home’s inhabitants.
Take this pantry transformed by Courtney Wilson of Simpli Sort. What was once a completely disorganized space is now a clean and orderly one for the client and her family to enjoy.
“This pantry didn’t have an overall system so food items would get put wherever,” shares Courtney of the before. “There were also some items stored in here that would make more sense to be relocated to other areas of the home. The amount of shelf space in this walk-in pantry was great so I knew the transformation would be amazing.”
Inspired by the client’s desire to take the best care of her family, Courtney set out to make sure the pantry worked as efficiently as possible for them. “My client has an eye for design so upgrading the overall design was also an equally important goal,” she adds.
Courtney began the project with a clear picture of the end product in mind. “My goal was to map out the categories so that this pantry would be easy to maintain. My client is a busy mom of young children,” she says. “I also wanted my client to have a sense of calm and peace when she walked into this pantry. Making sure every item was easy to locate was a must so that meal-making and grocery-planning would be as easy and quick as possible.”
To make this happen, Courtney went through each item in the pantry with her client to decide what would stay, be relocated, tossed, or donated. Next, Courtney measured and planned how the pantry space would be used. “Space planning is an important part of the process and can be difficult because every item needs a home location that makes ‘real time’ sense,” she shares. For example, she included a kids’ snack section on a side wall, low enough for the kids to grab things.
The pantry is filled with organizational finds that fit the client’s style. They chose plastic bins with handles in white, small water hyacinth bins in natural, and small water hyacinth baskets with handles in natural/black from The Container Store; mDesign Plastic Stackable Storage Organizer Container Bin with Handles, mDesign Metal Wire Storage Organizer Basket with Bamboo Wood Handles, and an OXO Good Grips Lazy Susan Turntable from Amazon; and OXO 7-piece Clip Set from Target.
Courtney says that adding the turntables to the corner of the pantry was a real “game-changer.” Each one is categorized, making it easy to know where to grab and put away items.
The client’s reaction to the completed pantry was the best part of this whole project for Courtney. “I was happy that every category of food and kitchen item had a new home space. For example, I used a pretty bin with a bamboo lid for all of the birthday celebration stuff. It is gratifying to know that when the kids’ birthdays are celebrated my client and her husband know exactly where to find the colorful birthday candles.”
When asked for words of advice for those who are taking on a similar project, Courtney suggests that you “edit through every single item in the pantry before organizing. You don’t want to create a new system with items that you no longer use, are expired, or items that don’t belong in this space. Take the time to carefully measure before buying any new containers.”
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