My kitchen is essentially my office so organized cabinets and drawers are an absolute necessity for my days to flow smoothly and keep me sane. I have always thought myself to be quite organized in the kitchen. I label everything, clean out my fridge weekly, keep similar items together, etc. I’ve always been proud of how clean and organized everything was when I opened my pantry and cabinets – that is, until The Container Store took over.
When I found out we were finally getting The Container Store in Memphis, I danced with excitement. I literally started envisioning weekly trips to get every closet, drawer, pantry, and shelf in my house perfectly put together. In preparation of their grand opening on September 14, I decided to start with the most important room in my home and partnered with The Container Store to create the perfectly organized kitchen space. I quickly learned my pantries and cabinets weren’t as organized as I thought.
There are 4 important storages spaces in a kitchen:
· Pantry
· Spice Cabinet
· Utensils Drawer
· Cookware Cabinet
Because these are the storage spaces I open most often, I decided to focus on them. My guess is these are also the most utilized areas in your kitchen as well, so I’m here to show you the before and after of mine with inspiration and tips on how to organize your own.
Pantry
This is where I keep canned goods, nuts and grains, snacks, and a few of my most-used appliances. While I already had a few things in labeled storage containers, I still had several items still in their packaging. I realized as I cleaned out the baskets where the non-labeled items are stored, I tend to cook with the labeled items more often and forgot I even had some of the non-labeled items. I decided I wanted everything in its own storage container.
· OXO Good Grips Pop Canisters – These come in multiple sizes perfect for everything from pasta and rice to nuts and dried fruit. I also bought a few extra for snacks like crackers and chips, as the pop top keeps such items fresh longer. Even better, they’re stackable which is perfect for tall shelves.
· Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Canisters with Acacia Lids – Aesthetically beautiful and large, these are perfect for the items you buy in bulk. They’re also stackable.
While dry items can be put in storage containers, other items like oils, stocks, and canned goods have to stay in their packaging and let’s face it, those items aren’t always very pretty. As a matter of fact, I’ve always hated opening my pantry and seeing them junkily stacked. I thought, how can I hide them or present them?
· White and Charcoal Nordic Storage Baskets – These stackable baskets are perfect for keeping alike items together while the gorgeous bamboo tops keep what’s in them concealed – great for canned goods and bread items.
· Large Expand a Shelf – This multiple level shelf acts as a display for canned goods, stocks, and oils. My pantry is narrow but very deep, and this shelf allows me to see exactly what I’m looking for when I open the door.
Spice Cabinet
I have wanted a uniformed spice cabinet since we moved into our home and just never got around to doing it. It’s finally exactly how I pictured it, and I feel like a new person every time I open the cabinet.
· 3-Tier Bamboo Expanding Spice Shelf – For under $30, this shelf will change your messy spice cabinet life. I got two of them – one for my spices and one for my honeys and sweeteners – and I could not be happier. When I open the door, nothing is hiding – I can see everything!
· Glass Spice Bottles – There’s no cleaner way to organize spices than having them all match. I added chalkboard stickers to label them. Here’s a little spice shelf tip: Keep like spices and spices you use together on the same row so it’s easier to find what you need. Example: Chili Powder/Cumin/Paprika, Garlic Powder/Pepper Flake/Italian Seasoning, Cinnamon/All Spice/Pumpkin.
· Quattro Stagioni Glass Spice Jars – I got these larger jars to store homemade “house” spice mixes so I always have them on hand and don’t have to make regularly used spice rubs again and again.
Utensils Drawer
Nothing is more frustrating than opening a utensils drawer and not finding the exact tool needed right away. There is a very simple fix for that: Bamboo Drawer Organizers. They simply pop right into a drawer and add sections for easy organization.
Cookware Cabinet
I’m ashamed to even show the before of this cabinet. When we moved in, there were shelves and it was quite organized. But the shelves weren’t sturdy ones and my heavy load of pots and pans broke them, and I never had them replaced. Thankfully, Bamboo Stackable Shelves came through! With just a few shelves, my cabinet is completely transformed. These come in multiple sizes so will fit any cabinet perfectly. And they snap together tightly and are super sturdy.
Thank you to The Container Store for helping me give my kitchen the makeover it needed. I hope this post inspires you to do the same with your own kitchen and you visit the brand-new location at the grand opening this weekend!