For people who own a home, one of the most important ways to stay organized is to have ample storage space. While most homes offer functional storage space, there is often a lack of coordinated organization to storage areas, which can leave them inefficient.
Vital Home Storage Areas
One of the most essential storage areas in a home is a pantry. They offer one of the best ways for homeowners to store food in a place with ample storage area. The problem that arises with pantry storage is having good organization to ensure that everything can readily be found when you are looking for it.
In modern homes, pantry closets tend to be small traditional size closets that are often the same size as a coat closet with shelving. That often means most of the storage is used for canned goods and other non-perishable foods. However, one of the best types of pantry storage areas is the old farmhouse style pantry rooms.
Farmhouse pantry rooms are often the size of a bathroom and can hold a significant amount of food. These were common in older homes built before World War II. This type of storage was vital for keeping food during the offseason when fresh produce was no longer in season. Today these sizeable walk-in food storage areas can hold a significant amount of dry goods, but clutter can become a problem unless properly organized.
10 Tips for Organizing the Farmhouse Pantry
Use Glass Canisters – This can be a critical way of keeping food safe, dry, and easy to see. Glass containers protect against pantry pests, and they come in a variety of sizes. It is essential to have the glass containers separated by size so they look uniform, and users can easily decipher their contents. Good items to put in glass containers include: white sugar, brown sugar, confectionary sugar, white flour, oat flour, corn flour, baking soda, rolled oats, raisins, and other dried fruit, packets of rice and different kinds of pasta. Larger glass canisters can be bought for larger types of pasta such as spaghetti, linguini, lasagne, manicotti, and empty shells for stuffed shells.
Define Shelving Areas for Bakeware, Mixing Bowls and Serving Platters – For people who love to bake using regular cupboards for bakeware and mixing bowls can be a nightmare of stacking properly, so they are readily available when needed. Using a defined area in a pantry that is open and easy to see, for bakeware, holiday, and other special serving trays and platters can boost kitchen functionality.
Built-in Drawer Space and Sliding Storage Units – While many kitchens have three or four drawers, having extra drawer space in a country farmhouse pantry can be especially helpful. Shelving can be built from the floor up. Portable drawer units can be purchased at most department stores and online. Wooden drawer units are available at many furniture outlets, as well as specialty home and kitchen stores. However, using plastic drawers with lids for some items like dessert mixes can be an excellent way to protect against pantry pests.
Use Wire Baskets for Baked Goods and Potatoes – Baked goods such as loaves of bread, rolls, bagels, and potatoes need a good dry area for storage. Wire baskets are especially helpful for these types of uses because they allow for ample airflow and protect against moisture build-up. Loaves of bread, rolls, and bagels that are not going to be used within four of five days should be refrigerated or placed in the freezer to expand their shelf life. These should be kept at eye level for easy usage.
Use Uniform Container Styles – It is essential to buy containers that match, so the pantry looks good, and things are easier to find. Having a hodge podge of storage containers will make the room look very choppy and difficult to find things when needed. If you are using containers for cereals, then having five or six see-through containers of the same size is best. Glass works better than plastic and presents itself better.
Separate Canned Goods by Type – Not separating canned goods is a mistake that many pantry owners make. Having canned vegetables, soups, canned fruits, and jarred fruit spreads in separate designated areas away from other canned goods will make searching for items much easier.
Use Labeled Wicker Baskets For Boxed and Bagged Foods – Using wicker baskets for boxed or bagged items like boxed cereals, rice mixes, chips, pretzels, and other dry snacks is a great solution that makes them readily viewable.
Use Spinning Food Carousels – Use of spinning carousels is vital to keep a good view of items and make them easily accessible. Often food items get lost in the back of cupboards. With spinning carousels for items like sauces, dinner garnishes, and dessert garnishes, and spices, it is a perfect way to keep items visible and organized.
Label Container, Drawer and Basket – The use of storage items such as glass canisters, wicker baskets, and drawers are of little help if they are not labeled. It can be too stressful trying to search for items without them. Labeling allows for easy use and refilling of items. Itis also essential to have expiration dates or best if used by dates on everything in canisters. This will ensure everything stays fresh when they are needed for use.
Rotate Foods Once a Month – This is one of the most essential things to help keep up with the food items in a pantry. Since people are continuously replenishing their foods through weekly grocery shopping, food items often get pushed to the back. This can make items get forgotten, so they pass their expiration dates, which are a big waste of money. Going through the pantry and rotating food items every month will ensure the items bought most recently go to the back of the food items.
Once a farmhouse pantry is organized correctly, a location chart can be placed on the doorway so everyone in the home can find things they are looking for. This will help ensure the pantry never gets disheveled when people are searching for specific items.
