A mother of two and a design fanatic, one of my challenges is the interior of my kitchen pantry. My industrial designer husband and I put our heads together to give it a New Year’s makeover. It does not really matter if you are lucky enough to have a pantry the size of a small room or it is just a couple shelves organization is the key. One of the great motivating forces in the universe is the “WIFM” or what’s in it for me so before we start our pantry project let us discuss the “WIFM” behind it.

•    Ease of access-When our pantry is organized it will be easier to locate and get to the ingredient we need. Have you ever tried to put a meal together in a hurry and you were editing the menu as you went along? An organized pantry is a necessity for that exercise and the right design layout is key.
•    Save on supermarket last minute trips-I am sure this has happened to you; you start unloading your grocery bags then realize when you move bottles around in your pantry that one of them is empty. The “I did not know I was out of that” moment hits you and if that ingredient is a staple in your cooking chances are you will be making another trip to the supermarket really soon.
•    Maximize space-When your pantry is organized it will be easier to track expired items therefore they can be disposed of and more pantry space is freed.

Let us prepare for our project. First off we should clear the decks. Place all the pantry contents on the kitchen table or counter and throw away all products past their expiration dates. Next, give the pantry shelves a good wipe down. The last step in our project preparation is grouping the items together. Put similar items in the same group such as all spices together, canned fruits in another group and so on. Our next step is to design the arrangement of containers and products in the interior of the pantry, the cupboard or on the shelf. The taller products or containers have to be lined up behind the shorter ones; this method makes for better visibility. When assigning which shelves are for which items make sure the items you use more frequently are at eye level and the rarely used ones at the top or bottom shelves. The higher shelves should house the lighter items whiles heavier ones should be waist level for easy lifting.  We hope these guides to the design of your pantry make it less problematic to use.