40 Clever Pantry Organization Ideas
They'll make your pantry feel twice as big.
The kitchen pantry is the secret weapon to keep the kitchen organized and clutter-free. But that doesn’t mean it should be a dark hole to store bulk goods, old home goods, and leftover Halloween candy from years past. A pantry needs to be streamlined and organized to use daily with ease. And, since most pantries are smaller than the kitchen, you need to maximize every square inch. We have rounded up 40 pantry organization ideas that will make you more efficient and orderly.
We rounded up storage solutions you can order, like baskets, labels, and air-tight containers to start organizing your pantry. Plus, ideas to make this utilitarian area beautiful with space-saving design tricks like paint, new overhead lighting, and hardware. You'll be able to transform your pantry in no time into a stylish and clutter-free space. Your snacks will look even more irresistible, and you'll probably never double-buy any spices again.
Use Straw Bins
SHOP BASKETS Seagrass Basket $35
Straw bins and baskets are a favorite in playrooms, offices, and closets everywhere, but they have a place in your pantry, too. Stack canned foods by category (tomato sauces, vegetables, etc.) without lifting a lid to retrieve them. Or, use them as a catch-all for things like napkins and tablecloths. These slanted shelves in an Alice Lane-designed pantry also create deeper storage, by the way.
Turn Shelves Into Drawers
BUY NOW Pull-Out Shelf, $130
Drawers that pull out allow you to pack your pantry full of food without having to worry about losing your pasta sauce in the far back corner you can't reach. Organize your drawers by item type for more cohesive storage. Emily Henderson painted the cabinets a dark green for even more style in this closet pantry area.
Stack Plastic Containers
SHOP CONTAINERS Plastic Food Containers, $16
Flat containers stack easily to take advantage of every bit of space in a pantry. Use them to store grains, breadcrumbs, rice, and nuts. In this super organized space, the custom containers actually slide out of the shelves for easy access.
Hang a Pegboard
BUY NOW Peg Board, $210
Instead of stacking heavy pots and pans on top of each other (and using up valuable shelf space) just install a pegboard on a free wall. Suddenly your heavy-duty items are on display and easy to grab. Marianne Evannou added some hooks and shelves for various kitchen and pantry essentials here.
Repurpose Crates
SHOP VINTAGE CRATES Wood Crate, $59
All it takes is a wood crate to spice up some exposed shelves and help you hide some unsightly essentials. Since stuff stored here is harder to get to, keep things you don't use every day, like reusable totes in it.
Put In Drawer Separators
BUY NOW Expandable Drawer Dividers, $20
To prevent all your bottles, cans, and other pantry items from toppling over in their respective drawers, purchase some drawer organizers that help keep them all in place. Heidi Piron Design and Cabinetry installed flexible dividers here to keep liquor bottles from clanking together, but separators will be handy for anything in your pantry drawers, really.
Designate a Spot for a Market Cart
SHOP HOOKS Wall Mounted Hooks, $17
Designate a space for your market basket or cart and put extra bags inside of it so you're always ready to go to the farmer's market. Extra points for making sure sun protection gear is nearby, as designer Chris Barrett did with a wall hook for hats here.
Use a Library Ladder
BUY NOW Leaning Ladder, $68
If you have a lot of vertical space, stretch cabinetry all the way to the top of the wall, as Caren Rideau did in this pantry. A steep library ladder will add some style and also help you reach those ceiling-high items stashed away.
Pull Out Cabinets
BUY NOW Pull-Out Drawer, $89
How do you reach the stuff that inevitably gets pushed all the way to the back of the pantry? Follow the lead of IKEA hackers and add drawers, or take note of this organized kitchen by Emily Henderson and optimize your cabinets by removing the sides and turning them into drawers.
Cover the Walls
SHOP PEEL & STICK Floral Removable Wallpaper, $148
Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day to transfer all your snacks into curated bins and containers. But that doesn't mean you can't still tuck them away from plain sight. Here, Heather Hilliard keeps pantry items hidden away behind cabinet doors and then beautified the space with wallpaper.
Label Everything
BUY NOW Black Pantry Labels, $13
Keep organization simple by using containers with leak-proof lids and then label them so you know exactly what's what. You can pile items on top of each other without worrying that they'll topple over onto the floor the next time you reach for something—and they won't spill.
Or, Try Traditional Pre-Labeled Jars
SHOP CANISTERS Kitchen Jar Collection, $207
For a more classic look, take notes from this walk-in pantry by Corey Damen Jenkins and use traditional ceramic jars with labels on them for your food storage.
Double Cabinet Space
BUY NOW KraftMaid Multi-Storage
How genius are these multi-section KraftMaid door storage attachments? Having super roomy, deep cabinets is always a blessing in a storage space, but sometimes little items can get lost. These inserts solve that problem. If you can't invest in these right now, just make sure you're using the back of your pantry door (even hanging a shoe rack on it can give you more storage).
Dedicate a Wall to Cookbooks
SHOP SHELF Floating Ledge, $55
If you have an endless collection of cookbooks and nowhere to store them in an organized manner, then this is the solution for you. Designer Jean Stoffer dedicated an entire wall to Joanna Saltz's cookbooks by installing three slim shelves to prop them on.
Hang a Floating Cabinet
BUY NOW Concealed Cabinet, $320
If you want to keep your spices somewhere easy to access while cooking but also want to hide them, disguise a floating storage cabinet with a painted door. While it's closed, no one would know it's anything other than wall decor. It's as simple painting over your cabinet door or covering it with wallpaper.
Try Modular Shelving
SHOP SNACK STRIPS Hanging Merchandise Strips, $29
Krysta Gibbons of Kipling House Interiors split a large kitchen into two rooms: the main kitchen, where all the cooking is done, and the catering kitchen/walk-in pantry. Bulky appliances are tucked away, as well as food and serveware, while the open-shelving props up grab-and-go items for convenience. For some wall storage in a pantry that won't be as permanent, you could also try using sink and shower caddies, Velcro organizers for smaller loose packets, and chip clips.
Transform an Unused Corner
BUY NOW Chrome Shelving Unit, $87
If you don't have a dedicated room to use as a pantry, you can still make do with an unused corner in the kitchen or nearby hallway. All you need is a modular rack with plenty of shelving. To make it look more polished and intentional, add a pretty area rug.
Separate With Varied Containers
SHOP STACKABLE BINS Wood Stacking Bins, $22
As much as we love a consistent look, sometimes a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work, especially when staying organized is the goal. In this pantry by Dearborn Studio, a variety of different containers, baskets, bins were used, depending on the item, which proves quite perfect. Lazy Susans are another great idea for making things easier to reach!
Use Varying Container Sizes and Shapes
BUY NOW Food Storage Containers, $40
Don't hunt through mountains of cardboard boxes. Instead, transfer ingredients and snacks into clear canisters so you can skip reading labels—and inspire a uniform tidiness. Plus, you'll keep mice away from your cookies and crackers. See more at Classy Clutter.
Hang Mits
SHOP HOOKS Adhesive Hook, $8
Add hooks to the side of your pantry door to hang oven mitts, towels, and/or aprons. That way, you don't take up any drawer or shelf space with your linens. See more at The Navage Patch.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Angela Belt is the contributing Assistant Shopping Editor at House Beautiful. She's also an interior designer and is the host of her own podcast, The Mood Board. When it comes to design, she's an esteemed expert with some of her work also appearing in HGTV, Better Homes & Gardens, The Washington Post, and more.
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