Not only does an organised pantry look great, it can help prevent food wastage. Unwanted visitors cannot get into foods that are stored in airtight containers, helping to prevent food from spoiling. And, when you can actually see the food in your pantry, you’ll be more likely to use it before it expires.
Gina Ciancio from Style Curator shares her top tips to achieve a Pinterest-worthy pantry:
Stock up on jars, baskets and containers: You don’t have to spend a lot but you will need a range of jars or containers to put your foods into. If you opt for plastic, look for containers that are BPA-free and airtight to help keep your food fresher for longer.
Discard expired items: You’ll be surprised to find just what foods you’ve been storing all these years. Before transferring foods into jars or containers, be sure to check the use by date.
Group ‘like’ items: Rather than placing foods back where they have always been, take this opportunity to create a more functional pantry.
Make a plan: To maximise the available space and create the most usable pantry, the most frequently used items should be placed in shelves or drawers at shoulder height. Least used items should be placed up high and infrequently used foods or appliances can be stored down low. You can also make better use of the space you have with clever storage solutions, such as tier shelves, pull-out drawers and behind door hooks.
Stock your pantry: Everyday foods should be near the front and overflow items can be placed behind. As you begin to fill your pantry, you might find additional opportunities to maximise space, such as tapping into free vertical space with simple fold-out wire shelves or stackable storage bins.
Beautification: Vinyl labels or blackboard labels are an easy way to instantly make your pantry look fab and more organised. Alternatively, some people love the look of using bold wallpaper to line the back of shelves – it adds a big pop of colour and is an affordable way to update older pantries.
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