An incredibly large pantry with built-in shelves and drawers but a very industrious and busy cook. It seemed to have a life of it’s own and created it’s own systems if we didn’t keep an eye open for small hands and hungry mouths!

Challenge:

There were so many shelves and drawers that it looked deceptively easy to organize. This is a common situation with too much space in pantries, closets or other areas in your home. Because of the expanse of storage space, you keep buying more and more products to fill it up. Sound familiar? This actually wasn’t the issue in this pantry but a good thing to keep in mind if you have a large but out-of-control storage area.

Solutions:

We decided what zones were really necessary to keep everything organized in this space. Zones were super important since this was a very busy mom with a multi-cultural family with a variety of palettes.

Specific zones were created to include:

1. Condiments, Sauces

2. Asian Cuisine

3. Canned Goods: Soups, Veggies

4. Canned Goods: Mexican

5. Baking / Entertaining Zone

6. Rice/Pastas

7. Teas / Beverages

8. Snack Zone

9. Breakfast Zone

These are the zones created specifically for foods. After that we created storage for appliances and other items to include:

1. Entertaining  2. Baking  3. Cooking  4. Paper Goods

Click here to see more specific solutions for storage and zone organizing for pantries. I use these solutions frequently when I work in with clients and you might end up with some new ideas for your own pantry!

PS Please post any good solutions you have developed on your own in the comment form below so that others can benefit from your clever tips and tricks!

Situation: An oven that had turned into a cabinet. A pantry that held almost everything but food and food storage supplies.

Challenge: This was a very dangerous choice. When space seems to be at a premium, folks will often default into using areas for storage that are really meant for other things. The real pantry was used to store games, wrapping paper, office supplies, almost everything but paper goods.

Solution: Get rid of excess grocery inventory, clear the pantry and make room for what supplies and food needed to be kept on hand.

Situation:

This kitchen bar counter had turned into a dumping ground for all things that didn’t have a pre-defined place to live elsewhere. The owner had spent the past year investing all of her energies traveling to see her husband in an assisted care living facility. She simply did not have any energy at the end of the day to maintain her own home.

An additional challenge was that this home had been her main residence for 40 years and, as is normal for everyone, she had accumulated many duplicate and unnecessary possessions.

Challenge:

Determining what types or categories of items had actually found their way to this area. Most of the items did not belong in the kitchen/living room but ended up there by default because there wasn’t any space in the other parts of the house to store them.

Like most classic organizing projects, we had to begin organizing and de-cluttering other parts of the house before we could tackle this particular area. For this client, our work began in the garage. Once we had the garage organized and purged of all unnecessary items, we had created enough space to move what she wanted to keep and store from the kitchen area.

Solution:

Begin by tackling, purging and organizing the two car garage which had initially room for only one car. Once that area was organized, we had space to bring in the other items from the kitchen that needed to be stored there long term. These items mainly consisted of memories, clothes and holiday decorations.

Many of the duplicate items were given to her daughter who was in the process of purchasing a new home so it was a win-win for everyone!

Situation

Client was at the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. She kept notes hanging up everywhere so she could remember important information. The problem was that she had so much information hanging up that it turned from useful information to overwhelmingly visual clutter. She had not ever used file folders or her file cabinet for years and instead used the floor and counters for paper storage. I think her reasoning again was that being able to see all of her papers would help her remember what she needed to do.

Solution

We organized her paperwork, discarding the irrelevant papers and developed a file system for her children so that they could keep track of the important policies for their mom. After taking the important papers were safe, we left a few hanging paper reminders for mom. We also made her a desktop file system with the papers she needed so that she could still experience  some sense of control.

Situation
This client had not used her pantry for years and instead used the floor and counters for food storage. I think her reasoning again was that seeing all of her grocery items, she could remember what she had on hand. There was a potential fire hazard with lose items covering the stove top and surrounding surfaces.

Solution
We emptied the pantry and moved the unrelated items out and into more appropriate places within her home. We discarded the old grocery items and created storage space in the cabinets and pantry.

We also removed all items from the stove and surrounding surfaces to make the kitchen a more safe environment.

Situation: A very old refrigerator with a microscopic freezer. Too many loose items and not enough door space or shelves to hold all of the food.Items often fell out upon the unlikely door opener when they went in to retrieve the ice cream. Sound familiar?

Solution: Remove all of the contents and organize into categories, meat, vegetables, boxes and bags. Group items together and place the bagged items into a large storage bins which now act as drawers to be pulled out instead of having the self-serve falling out from the old days!

Before / After Case Study:

( Move mouse over picture for after )

Situation:

A pantry with shelves that were deep and non-functional. Things would go in and never be found again without a lot of effort and excavating. It was a hassle to vacuum because it was a fight to get it out and put it back in.

Solution:

I am so proud of my client! We discussed what might help her optimize this space and solve her “black hole” issues with the deep shelves. Before I returned, she had her pantry gutted and new shelves installed. She created her own design and it now functions beautifully! Notice how her vacuum cleaner still lives in the same space but has room to come in and out with ease. It is no longer smushed up against loose items. Great job Kathleen!

.What Our Clients Say:

“This (organizing) is huge. It is not just about organizing our house it is about putting our family life back on track and how we use our space. Being organized takes the stress away so I can enjoy the time I spend with my family. The worry and burden is no longer there. I can actually spend quality time with my kids instead of searching and worrying about things like lost batteries for the camcorder.

This is so great and I am really excited! I have such a pretty house. I had forgotten how cute it was because I couldn’t see past the clutter and mess “

Kathleen Rosen, La Jolla

Situation:

A small kitchen that appeared to be lacking in cabinet space. Some of the cabinets did not have a specified purpose. These quickly became catch-alls for whatever items landed within. The kids toys and crafts took over a lot of the space. Other cabinets that had a purpose were not necessarily positioned in the right area for the task that related to the contents.

Solution:

Even though this was a seemingly small and useless space, it took on a major roll in keeping the food prep items consolidated and organized. Now the family knows where to look when they begin preparing food before meals. The beauty of this space that you can’t see is that is positioned directly above the knife drawer so prep is all set up in one area.

Another boon from this organizing process was that we created a lunch prep cabinet. This space neatly holds all lunch boxes, baggies, tuppers, plastic forks, spoons and napkins. Lunch is quickly made and ready for school in a snap!

The kid’s craft zone was relocated and stored in plastic tubs with lids in a lower cabinet for quick and easy access.

What Our Clients Say:

“This (organizing) is huge. It is not just about organizing our house it is about putting our family life back on track and how we use our space. Being organized takes the stress away so I can enjoy the time I spend with my family. The worry and burden is no longer there. I can actually spend quality time with my kids instead of searching and worrying about things like lost batteries for the camcorder.

This is so great and I am really excited! I have such a pretty house. I had forgotten how cute it was because I couldn’t see past the clutter and mess.”

Kathleen Rosen, La Jolla

Situation:

Very busy family. Both parents working, son in school who also likes to cook and bake. The dining room table was the default landing zone for all incoming papers and water bottles. There didn’t seem to be enough storage space within the kitchen for everything that was needed so things piled up and onto the counter tops.

Solution:

We moved the wine rack to an area outside of the kitchen. We set up zones for different type of meal activities. For instance, the son loves to bake so he ended up with two shelves in the pantry for his baking ingredients and mixers. A drawer was set aside for quick snacks, another for quick noodle soups.

Every cabinet was emptied and the contents examined. Duplicate and unused items were donated to charity. Wine glasses were moved to the new bar area and other pieces to the china cabinet.

A mail zone was set up on a small corner shelf to the side of the dining table . This shelf also provided a space to move the phone base which moved it off of the counter top.

What Our Clients Say:

“You really bring order to our lives, you have hauled away so much stuff that we never needed to begin with. I love my kitchen counter tops. I can actually see them!”

TT Carlsbad

Situation:

The pantry was well designed and large but lacked specific homes for items. Although some categories had designated shelves, everything was crowded and jumbled together. There was too much of everything to recognize what inventory was actually on hand. Shopping at Costco added to the chaos as bulk items took over every extra inch of space.

Solution:

Downsize and combine items like with like. Once we saw what was left, zones were created for snacks, canned goods, mixes and health foods etc. Lazy Susans accommodate condiment bottles and tiered shelves showcase canned goods. Now my client can see what items are available without moving items around. Plastic bins now contain loose items like snack packs and sauce mixes. The first aid kit, medicines and infrequently used appliances are kept up and away behind closed doors. Paper goods and extra supplies are stored away in other cabinets to the left of the entrance.

Practice makes Perfect:

This client is now practicing buying only what she needs when visiting bulk food stores and is working on keeping a master shopping list handy in the pantry. When an item is depleted, she will check it off and know that she needs to replace it during the next shopping excursion.

What Our Clients Say:

“I love going into my pantry and feeling like Old Mother Hubbard. I now know that I have a lifetime supply of plastic knives, forks and spoons and packets of sugar, sweet n low and splenda. Several things have been put in plastic see through boxes and I know exactly what I have and don’t need. Should make grocery shopping easier. Boy, it sure feels good. One more thing I can say that I accomplished before I turn 50. If Kathi had not been here, I would have shoved everything back in and put it off until another day. I sure need the accountability.”

Uncluttering Katy SD