Archive for the ‘organization ideas and tips’ Category

« Older Entries

project nursery: the closet

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

I mentioned on Monday that we were on a bit of a roll with the nursery – maybe it’s because I’m officially now into my third trimester (28 weeks!) and feeling a major urge to get the house ready? I’m kind of a “nester” by nature, but I think it has started to kick into overdrive a little bit. Over the weekend I was waking up at 5am because all I could think about is what we need to get done. And it’s so silly, because we live in this comfortable little house and don’t have any major stresses. Yes we still need to get and setup a few keys things (carseat, crib, etc) but really, we could bring baby home tomorrow and all would be just fine. Reminder Gemma: you can chill out.

Anyway, back to that nursery.

Since it’s a small room and is doing double duty with the office, we knew that smart storage was going to be so important. Luckily, the room does have a little closet. It used to hold Dan’s suits and Navy outfits (being in the military = a ridiculous amount of clothes), and some of my more formal dresses. When we did project basement storage a few months ago, all of those items got moved downstairs into a new armoire.

DSC_0472

I knew I wanted to paint the closet a fun colour – a nice surprise from the bright white room. I had purchased a can of “oops” (ie. mistint) paint from the Home Depot a while ago in a perfect pink for a mere $9. The colour is a bit deeper than a pastel pink, and has a nice hint of coral.

DSC_0473

Two coats later, and here’s how she was looking. Fun, right?

DSC_0482

We didn’t want to spend too much dough on any fancy closet systems, but did want to do something custom and built-in. Handy hubby put his thinking cap on and planned out some shelves for the bottom half of the closet where we could line up a bunch of baskets. This would help maximize the amount of storage space, but also leave some room for bulkier things (packs of diapers, etc) on the upper shelf and along the ground.

We had the wood already, but buying basic boards from any big hardware store doesn’t run you much moola. Dan the man cut the wood to size using his circular saw, and cut the 2×1 wood strapping that the shelves sit on using his mitre saw (but you can use a circular saw for this step also). The strapping was either a) screwed into a stud or b) screwed into the drywall using good quality drywall anchors. Shelves were then nailed onto the wood strapping so they don’t move. He had to use some drywall anchors as there were not enough studs in the right spot to screw on the strapping.

DSC_0870

Once those shelves were installed I did a quick two coats of the same pink paint on them to keep the whole look cohesive. I haven’t put a coat of polyeurothane on them yet, but I’m thinking I’ll slap at least one on to make sure the paint doesn’t chip. It’s just wall paint, so may not stand up to constantly pulling the baskets in and out.

This is how things are looking at this point. It’s packed full of stuff right now as we finish up the rest of the room. Still need to get a dresser in place, so a lot of those folded clothes and things in baskets will be moving over the dresser. And all the stuff on the top are “things to use in the nursery” that just don’t have a home quite yet.

DSC_0966

DSC_0965

DSC_0959

PS. Did you see all of those sweet little clothes? I have been SO lucky with a few friends who each had two baby girls, are done having kiddos, and are now dropping off their stuff as they grow out of it. Going in there and gazing at the outfits has become my new favourite evening activity. Baby girl is going to have so many outfits! Oh, and mama ain’t the only one with snazzy velvet hangers – these baby versions also came from HomeSense.

DSC_0962

One closet-related thing we still have on the to-do list (other than organizing it) is to remove the door and hang a curtain to cover it. This is going to buy us a bunch of extra space along the wall for the dresser, as we won’t need to leave room to open and close a door.

Here is where we stand on the nursery to-do list:

-paint room + closet
-install Chasing Paper wallpaper on feature wall
-put together new desk and organize office supplies
-get new office chair (maybe one that could double as ‘nursing’ chair?)
-closet: paint, build shelves, organize with baskets, remove door and hang curtain
-find used dresser and paint it coral (add gold hardware) + put change pad on top
-buy and put together crib
-move in rug
-make and install roman blind
-build and install book shelves on wall
-install shelves above desk
-hang artwork
-add accessories
-add storage for toys and laundry

Slow and steady wins the race! What about you guys? Painted the insides of any closets a super fun colour? Got any great storage tips you want to pass on? Anything else exciting going on? I’m all ears.

Posted in baby + kid rooms, organization ideas and tips, our digs | 13 Comments »

velvet crushin’

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

With all of the organizing happening lately (like our newly decked out basement storage), plus my influx of new maternity clothing, my closet was in need of a bit of help.

Remember a few months ago when I made the switch from our mis-matched hangers in our front hall closet to all-wood ones? And remember how much better it looked and functioned (and how happy they made me!)?!

Well, it was time to do something about the situation in my closet. They were a mish mash of  plastic/wood/wire and besides not looking great, were taking up extra space.

DSC_0162

A few of you mentioned in my wood hanger post that you used velvet hangers for your clothes as they are slim and hold things up really well. Well, I listened, guys! A trip to HomeSense, and I came back with half a dozen packages of these beauties. They were on sale for $9/pack of 18, which I figured was a pretty good price.

DSC_0164

And then I set about taking absolutely everything off the original hangers, and hanging it all back up again. This also happened to be a great opportunity to bag up some shirts that are already too small for my growing belly. Who knows when I’ll be able to fit into those again.. so they are going to go off and live at my parents house for a while (thanks mum and dad!).

DSC_0304

Ahhh so. much.better. The way they slide around is smooth as butter, and I have about 1/4 more clothes on here now (thanks to some seriously lovely gals who have given me garbage bags full of maternity clothes!) and you wouldn’t even know it. These hangers really do take up way less space.

DSC_0305

The closet is small, but it works hard. I have all of my shirts and dresses and some sweaters hung up, have some shelving and drawer units underneath for PJs, socks, belts, slippers, leggings, and bathing suits, and then everything else folded up top or in the shelves that divide the ‘his’ and ‘her’ sides of the closet.

DSC_0306

DSC_0308

On the shelves up top and along the side are my bulky sweatshirts, all of my sweatpants/workout pants, shorts, lesser worn sweaters, casual/workout tee-shirts, and jeans. Oh to have a big walk-in closet. One day!

DSC_0313

The other fun thing about velvet hangers? The fact that they come in just about every colour. I got a mixture of deep purple, hot pink, and greys. So pretty. Oh and it’s true – clothes really doesn’t slip off them – they just sort of stick to the velvet texture.

DSC_0316

And hubby’s side of the closet? Well he didn’t get the velvet hanger treatment (poor guy), but I did at least make sure he had all matching white plastic hangers (his request when I asked which were his fave).  DSC_0312

Have you guys done a hanger switcharoo? Got any fave types? Are you on the velvet bandwagon? Please don’t gloat and tell me you have a gorgeous walk-in closet. Or okay.. tell me about it and I can daydream and be totally green with jealousy :)

Tags: ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips | 18 Comments »

an organized basement nook: the after

Monday, March 11th, 2013

After working away in this little corner of our pad for the last month, we can finally call this spot done-zo. And let me tell you, this nook works harder than any other spot in our place.

Here is what we started with. So much wasted space, so little organization, and just plain uuuugly.

DSC_0103

We cleared out the space, painted the turquoise wall, invested in our IKEA Algot system and Aneboda wardrobe, some storage bins, and got to installing and organizing….

DSC_0181

And now? Organization overboard. Booyah. Every single thing has its place. And probably a label to go along with it.

DSC_0318

There are a few main zones of the nook. First off is the paint zone. We had this spot which was perfect for narrow shelves, so we took advantage and fit them exactly for small pots and spray cans. Hopefully at some point we’ll use up more of those gallons on the ground, and then can decant leftovers into smaller mason jars and move them up along with the others.

DSC_0342

DSC_0321

To the left of the paints are the drawer section of our Algot system. I really liked the idea of drawers, so I’m glad we designed it in such a way that we could squeeze them in. I’ve got pillow cases and small rugs in the top drawer, throw blankets in the second, and sheets and duvet covers in the third. Even though it appears tight in the photos, there is plenty of room to pull open the drawers and get at what’s in them without banging into the wardrobe behind you.

DSC_0341

Then we move over to the actual shelving part. The meat and potatoes of this whole operation. I tried to use as many coordinating bins as possible – both so keep it looking streamlined and to maximize the space, as they are designed to work with these shelves. Some things just didn’t fit into the bins though. We stacked our weekend bags/backpacks in one area, fit our picnic basket and board games on the top shelf, and kept some of our magazine files in rotation.

DSC_0331

DSC_0344

All of our paperwork had been in magazine files up in our office (which will be no longer, with baby sprout coming along!), so we re-organized them into file boxes. It is nice to have them all in 3 boxes now and it’s good to go through files every now and again to purge paperwork that is old. A certain someone (*cough* hubby *cough*) likes to keep cell phone bills and receipts from the 90′s. They could practically be considered antiques at this point. Oh, and see that empty bin? Yep, still space to grow, baby.

DSC_0329

The magazine files that stayed were for a few select items that we add to very frequently. In this row there are ones for my design tear sheets (I rip things out of magazines or newspapers all of the time and go back to them for inspiration), stationary, and my stuff related to the blog.

DSC_0324

The shelves didn’t quite reach all the way to the other wall due to a bulkhead, but luckily, this worked out perfectly. We needed a little spot to put our vacuum (see it tucked away on the ground there?), our brooms/mops (which we installed a wall mount for), and wrapping papers.

DSC_0328

I needed a bucket of some sort to corral my wrapping papers and other long tube-y things, so this hamper from HomeSense did the trick. It cost $16 and adds a little bit of pretty to the space.

DSC_0345

And finally, along that last wall, is our new wardrobe. It’s actually pretty attractive, and it’s nice to have a break from all of the open storage.

DSC_0319

The wardrobe is packed with functionality – we hung up suits, out of season coats, and a few of my dresses, and then still had plenty of space for shoes. Dan has a bunch of his boots and shoes along the bottom (the guy has SO many clothes since he’s a reservist in the military), and I fit a bunch of my shoes into clear shoe boxes and put them up top. My shoes had all been living under our bed, so it’s nice to get them into a proper spot where I can easily see them again. Once winter is officially over (c’mon, spring!!) , I’ll move my winter boots down here and move up my summery shoes.

DSC_0332

After passing by the storage area, you get to the door to our basement apartment (those closet doors on the left lead to our shared laundry). I’m so happy to get all of this organized and looking better now. It’s SO much nicer for our tenant who has to walk by it every day!
DSC_0335

As for the budget breakdown, this wasn’t a super cheap project, but it was well worth it. Plus, all of these things are move-able, so if we ever want/need to re-locate anything, we can! Nothing permanent here.

-IKEA Algot system (this was for all of the brackets, shelves, drawers, and clear storage bins): $300
-IKEA Aneboda wardrobe: $100
-Round bin from HomeSense for wallpaper: $16
-Wall mounted broom holder from HomeSense: $12
-3 File bins with some hanging files and labels from Staples: $100

Grand total: $528

For more info, check out the other posts associated with this project: the before, clearing out, installing the Algot system, getting organized and making labels.

Phew! Glad to get that one out of the way. Our office is feeling incredibly empty now… time to start thinking nursery!  We are going to be finding out the sex baby sprout pretty soon… anyone have a guess?!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips | 17 Comments »

ready, steady, organize

Monday, March 4th, 2013

So the last time we left off on Project Basement Organization, we had just installed the IKEA Algot shelving/drawer system. This past weekend was a nice, quiet one at home, so it was the perfect time to get cracking on organizing down there.

Just to recap, we need to keep everything that was originally down there (paints + supplies, home improvement stuff, brooms, vacuum, etc), and then add in a whole more.

Like, for instance, this entire closet from the guest room/office which will soon be the nursery’s closet…

DSC_0421

.. and our games from this little dresser in our living room, which will soon house our laptops (when we’re not using them), and some baby stuff….

DSC_0283

… and all of our paper documents which are currently filed away above our desk (these shelves will go when this room turns into the nursery) and in a cabinet at my parents’ place…

office 2

… and a few other things floating around our pad. So yeah, a lot of stuff. Other than one small linen closet in our house, it’s our only storage area besides the garage (where hubby’s workshop is, plus sports gear, big pieces of furniture we’re not using, everything car-related, etc).

My basic method was to tackle one area at a time. I would take everything out, group like things together, and then fit them into the most size-appropriate bin. We had purchased the clear bins from IKEA that fit perfectly with the Algot system – some are tall and others are shorter and you can stack them. Once I had things in their bin, I would bring the bin down and place it on the shelves. Oh, and you’ll notice in the left hand side of this photo, that Dan put together the armoire (it’s the Aneboda from IKEA for $100), which replaces that wooden shelving unit that had been sitting there.

DSC_0269

There were a few things that didn’t fit into bins (like our bags), some file folders we decided to keep (instead of filing away in filing boxes), and the linens which went into the drawers, but just about everything got a bin.

And you know what bins mean to this organizational freak, right? Labels. So my jam. It was a use-what-I-had situation, so I grabbed some colourful cardstock and cut them to size.

DSC_0272

I used some double-sided sticky squares to adhere the labels to the bins. That way they’ll be super easy to take off in case I ever need to switch them up.

DSC_0276

DSC_0281

I also needed to do something about the paint cans. Remember all of those big gallons sitting on the floor? Well, at least half of them were almost empty.

DSC_0182

Time for some decanting. Luckily I had some unused mason jars sitting in the garage, so I grabbed the cans and the jars and got to transferring the paint over.

DSC_0285

DSC_0284

Mason jars have a good seal, so paint can happily sit in these jars for quite some time. Actually, I read it was better for them than sitting in an almost-empty can that has tons of air sitting in it. Oh, and for anyone wondering, we had the window wide open and I was wearing a mask while doing this job. Not all of these are low-VOC so gotta protect baby sprout!

DSC_0286

I didn’t do anything too fancy with the labels on these guys – just used some white address labels I had. I made sure to write down all pertinent information – brand, colour, finish – and also what rooms I had used it in. It makes a huge difference to get a lot of those big cans off the floor.

DSC_0282 (2)

So that’s where we stand. Things are really coming together. Just a few last finishing touches, and moving our clothes down to the armoire, and we’ll be set. After photos to come soon!

What did you guys get up to this weekend? Doing any organizing at your place? Ever done the mason jar thing with your paint stash? 

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips | 8 Comments »

the algot install

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Alright guys, back down to that basement. Maybe now it makes a bit more sense as to why we are tackling our storage problem? We need to clear out our office/guest bedroom to make a nursery for baby sprout! So not only do we need to better organize what was already down in that storage space, but we need to add a lot to it, too!

So you saw how we planned and then cleared out and painted the space at the bottom of our basement stairs.

Next up was a big trip to IKEA to get all of the pieces of the Algot system we were going to need. This ended up turning into two trips. We brought our measurements with us, and then on that first trip checked out the system, understood how it worked, and tried to plan in the store (using those really little pencils they have!). Inevitably we got too few of some parts and too many of others. No biggie though, a second trip later (in mid-install) and we were fine.

I didn’t do a super great job of taking photos of the Algot install (whoops! got too caught up in getting ‘er done!), but it’s really pretty simple. First step is to drill in these long rails straight into the wall where you want to hang your shelves or drawers – best to get them into studs and to use heavy duty drywall anchors.

DSC_0141

Then you insert brackets along the rails, and click your shelves or drawers into them. There are a few different depths and lengths of shelves, so you can really customize for what works best in your space. We went with a mixture of long deep shelves on the back (turquoise) wall, and then shorter/narrower shelves and drawers on the side wall.

Ignore the stuff we stuck on the shelves as we were putting them up – it was half because I just wanted them off the floor to walk around, and half because we were testing to see how high we wanted the space between the shelves to be.

DSC_0180

You can see in the next photo that we left some room to the left of the shelves on the turquoise wall. This was partly because that bulkhead stuck out, making it tricky to get the shelves to fit into the whole space, and partly because I knew we were going to need a little nook for our brooms and vacuum.

DSC_0181

Here is that side wall during our install. We were testing out the heights of spray paints and small paint pots to ensure we got the height of those shelves right. Need to maximise that space, yo!

DSC_0158

When you first click in the brackets that the shelves or drawers slide into, you can see that they look pretty rough and unfinished (look at the higher bracket compared the one underneath in the photo below).

DSC_0183

Well of course IKEA thinks of everything, so they come with these great little caps that snap on and finish the whole look off.

DSC_0184

Too. much. paint.

DSC_0182

So there are the beginnings of the install. We need to move that wooden shelving unit out of the space (it’s off to live in our furnace room for storage for our tenant), and set up a new armoire in its place. Since we have our “formal wear” (as long as I got my suit and tie…) in our guest room closet, we need to move that somewhere. See, I told you we’re having to squeeze a lot in here? And then I really need to properly organize the space – bins, and labels, and order, oh my!

Have you guys used the Algot system before? Or any other IKEA storage units? They really are pretty great and making it simple, adjustable, and attractive. 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in basements, organization ideas and tips | 11 Comments »

starting the overhaul

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

After sharing our plans last week of tackling our storage monster in the basement, we got started right away with clearing things out.

Just to remind you, here’s the craziness that we were starting with. Too much stuff and so much wasted space (in a small space to begin with).

DSC_0103

 

There wasn’t much of a method to our madness with this, we just started moving things. We brought most stuff upstairs, but kept one shelving unit in place to hold our paints (there was no way we were going to lug every can upstairs).

DSC_0133

 

We hadn’t seen this much of these walls or floors in years!

DSC_0134

 

But upstairs? Holy smokey it looked like a bomb went off. We had a few storage bins from IKEA already on hand (the ones that fit the Algot series), so that night after we brought the stuff upstairs I started to go through everything. I would empty out the drawers and make boxes of like items. All tapes in one box, all sand paper in another, all polyfilla/dap/wood filler in another, you get the idea. Oh, and the TV watching in the background is a must. Hellloooo, bachelor.

DSC_0135

 

Our office is taking the brunt of the chaos. At least that way we can close the door and try to forget about it. It’s just a good thing we don’t have any guests coming to stay anytime soon!

DSC_0136

 

It ain’t pretty. DSC_0137

 

Back downstairs, things are coming along. We decided to paint the back wall to try and break up the white a bit. I liked the soft turquoise that we used on the focal wall at the top of the stairs (you can check that out here), so went with the same colour for continuity. Plus, there was tons left in the can so we didn’t have to shell out any cash for this guy. Good for cheapos like us.
DSC_0139

DSC_0140

Next up is to start installing the Algot series. We bought all of the pieces we think we’ll need from IKEA already, so time to get them up onto the walls. Can’t wait for that part.

Do you guys have any genius storage tips? Any favourite labeling techniques? I have yet to label my bins and wanna make them look all pretty. I’m thinking chalkboard labels but I could be convinced to go a different route. Once again, I know I’m a bit loony when it comes to organization but I also know I’m not the only one out there. Right? :)

 

Tags: ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips, our digs | 6 Comments »

laundry hamper turned storage solution

Monday, January 14th, 2013

One of my never-ending goals in our house in to have better, smarter storage solutions. Our house is sweet but small, and especially since we rent out the basement, it means that there aren’t a huge number of closets or storage areas at our disposal.

Case in point? My fabric storage situation which looked like this, and had been occupying the floor of our overly-cramped office/guest bedroom closet. I could definitely do better.

In our bedroom, this wall of dressers includes a vanity. Although I do my primping there (hair, makeup, jewellery) every morning in front of that mirror, I never actually sit down in the chair. Hello wasted nook.

I went out to Bouclair and grabbed a big laundry hamper which, I thought, measured the space perfectly. When I got it home, I hit a snag. Didn’t quite slide underneath.

However, once I took the lid off, this guy slid under perfectly and really used almost all of the space under the vanity.

Worked for me! There is such a small gap between the top of the hamper and the vanity, so I’m not worried about the fabric getting dirty or dusty. I dumped all of the fabric inside, and there is still tons of room to spare! Amazeeeeballs.

And when it’s tucked underneath, you hardly notice it. The grey woven texture blends with the greys in the room, and your eye isn’t drawn to it at all. Plus, it’s nice not to have the chair there to trip over.

Better storage = happy Gemma. With all that free space still in there, maybe I should go out and do a little fabric shopping? Hahah, joking hubby :)

What about you guys? Doing any purging or organizing in the new year? Got any great storage tips? Do you have a fabric stash that you have organized somewhere? I am going to die of jealousy if you say you have a craft studio. 

PS. Congrats to Michelle, who won the $100 HomeSav giveaway! Happy shopping, Michelle! 

 

Tags: ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips | 7 Comments »

got wood?

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

For my bookclub the other month, we read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. If you haven’t read it already, it’s about how she dedicates a year to her ‘happiness project’ and tackles a different element of her happiness every month (ie. marriage, parenting, religion, etc). One of the first months is all about her home – organizing, conquering the clutter, reducing the chaos, etc. I totally clicked with a lot of the things she mentions during this chapter of the book (including the 1-minute rule: spend 1 minute tidying up a room before you leave it or go to bed – it makes SUCH a difference). Anyway, one tip that she tried was using wooden hangers. And apparently it was pretty great.

So I looked at my front hall closet, and realized how mismatched and grungy our hangers looked. This ‘closet’ doesn’t have a door, so it’s in plain sight at all times, making it the prime candidate for a wood hanger makeover. Plus those black plastic ones kept bending out of shape with our heavy winter coats.

The next time I was at a big grocery store (Loblaws), I picked up two boxes of these dark wood hangers. They are definitely more expensive than the plastic variety, but these ones were pretty reasonable (can’t remember the exact price… but I didn’t gasp at it.. which means something for a cheapo like me).

I happily took all of the coats off the rack, pulled my new hangers out, and re-hung everything.

I didn’t expect to think it was that big of a deal…. but guys, it was amazing. Seriously. Everything fits in there better, the hangers slide nicely, they are better for our coats, and it just looks nicer.

Did you notice the slight downward bend in the middle of our rack? Hopefully that guy stays strong for as long as possible. I think it moves down a centimetre every year. Haha.

Next to my beauty hangers, those baskets are now sticking out like a sore thumb. I think I need to get larger baskets for the whole shelf (those mix ‘n match ones were just from our collection when we first moved in). Oh well – I’m going to go back to lovin’ on my hangers.

What about you guys? Are you wooden hanger converts? Been using them for ages? Have you read ‘The Happiness Project’? If you have, any favourite chapters or tips that you got from the book? Or think I was going somewhere rather risqué with my blog post title today? Haha.

PS. I promise to get my new chair pics up by the end of the week. I haven’t been able to snap any photos of them yet (home too late!). 

Posted in organization ideas and tips | 16 Comments »

dusting off the magazines

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

As you guys know, I still have a long list of updates I want to make to our bedroom (art above the headboard, window treatment for the second window, switch up the lighting, get new night stands, etc), but we seem to sort of chip away at this room slowwwly. A bit of trial and error, and living with things for a while so we don’t make any rash decisions. Here is how the room was looking post-upholstered headboard a few months ago. See that empty wall space to the right of the curtains?

Well my darling husband likes to read and keep magazines, which is not a bad thing. What annoys me? The pile of magazines that sit on the ground next to the bed, gathering dust and driving me crazy. I forgot to take a photo of the pile on the floor, but you can sorta see what I’m talking about with the small pile on the bed in the photo below (about half of the actual magazine pile).

So when I came across this fun wire magazine rack at HomeSense, I was totally sold. It’s not too heavy-looking, would hold the hubby’s magazines, and can be hung on the wall (good since we are low on floor space!). The only thing I didn’t love for our bedroom that is awash in grays was the brown colour. So I did what any DIY gal would do… spray paint!

A couple coats of matte black spray paint later and sweet handy hubby who screwed it into the wall, here we are. Magazines not piled up onto the floor… it’s a miracle!

The rack fits about 5 magazines per slot comfortably, and about 8 if you shove a little. A great little storage solution. Maybe this post actually belongs last week as part of “organization week”. Whoopsies!

And I really don’t mind how it looks on the wall. Yeah, it’s not a perfect piece of artwork or photograph, but it’s functional and doesn’t take away from anything else in the room.

I’m definitely looking forward to getting something on the wall above our bed (still waiting for the right piece…), and buying some more throw pillows for the bedding, but I’m in no huge rush. Slow and steady, right?

What about you guys? Find any good buys at your fave home decor stores lately? Have a smart magazine storage solution? Or just having a fun Wednesday? I wanna hear about it! 

Tags: , ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips, our digs | 10 Comments »

organization week: a pantry overhaul

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

So after tackling my makeup drawers for “organization week”, next up was the pantry. I have gone through the pantry on a few occasions, but after 3 months or so of shoving things in, it always seems to need a re-do.

This is how it was looking pre-organization. I know. Not good, right?  It’s no wonder that we were having the Dan: “we don’t have any more ____“; Me: “but I just bought some?” conversations on the regular.

First step was to empty out the pantry and give ‘er a clean. I did this in stages so that I would have room to walk around in the kitchen. First I took out all of the canned goods, oils, and baking stuff.

Then out came everything else. It always gets worse before it gets better, you know? I tried to group like items on the ground before I put them back in. That way I would know how much space each group would need and could plan the shelves accordingly. Man, I’m sounding seriously dorky now, huh? I promise I do actually leave the house and do social things…

And here is the pantry after, all organized with everything on display.

I didn’t do anything to up the pretty factor in these shelves (no painting the back of the shelves, new jars for storage, or even labels – shocking!), but just grouping things together made such a difference. We have a shelf for dried goods (noodles, quinoa, etc), a shelf for canned goods, a shelf for baking goods, a shelf for oils and sauces, etc.

Our waterbottles and travel mugs were always shoved into different drawers and cupboards, so having them all together here is perfect.

And my baking stuff would always be floating around in different areas, so I grabbed this little wire basket for the really small stuff (icing tips, food colorings, etc) to keep it all in one easy-to-tuck-away spot.

I also really like these wire fold-out shelves that help break up a tall shelf into two. Great for all of those small items that waste so much space otherwise.

And as for all of those reusable grocery bags we had been shoving into the bottom shelf (that would inevitably fall out every time we opened the cupboard), well they all got folded and put into this large one that happened to fit the shelf perfectly. I’d like to get a bin for these at some point, but for now this bag does the trick.

We are a few days in, and the pantry is still looking as good as new. Here’s hoping it’s at least 6 months before I need to do an overhaul again..

Any pantry organization happening at your place recently? How do you store your reusable grocery bags? Any tips? 

Tags: ,
Posted in organization ideas and tips | 7 Comments »

« Older Entries