Searching your pantry for your Panko breadcrumbs but finding only 20 jars of capers, COVID-era bouillon cubes, and that box of Cantuccini Toscani biscotti you’ve been trying to resist since forever? Organizing the calamitous mess that is a cluttered pantry can be sheer, unadulterated hell and can daunt the most organized among us. But I did it for a client recently and I’m here with tips on how you can do the same.
When I organize a pantry, I look first at what the homeowner eats and what type of organization is necessary. The process can seem overwhelming; in fact, this pantry took a team of three people five to six hours to clean and organize. But it’s worth it later on when you have an easier time accessing items.
Take note of what you have more of to determine how you want to organize your pantry. All of the items for this client’s pantry are from Amazon. It’s affordable and ends up saving you tons of money in the long run due to less food waste.
Food waste is a result of a disorganized pantry. When you can’t see that you have five packets of penne, it just makes it easy to keep buying more.  Therefore, I recommend that when you organize your pantry, it’s a great idea to take everything out so you can see exactly what you have. Then, you deep clean your pantry, throw out expired items and then categorize all your items into groups. (Crackers with crackers.) The next step is to consider where you want things in your pantry. And that depends on what items you use frequently (cereal for the kids’ breakfasts) and daily (olive oil, coffee, salt, pepper). When you can see these items front and center, it takes the chore out of searching and scrambling to find them.
We started with a tea and coffee section, due to the client’s daily use of these items, placing the tea and coffee in jars and coffee/tea organizers for easy access. We labeled the jars using the printable Avery labels, making it easier to identify where things go and what they are. We also placed loose tea and miscellaneous coffee items in woven baskets which come with chalkboard labels. This is a super fun feature because you can change the label as many times as you need to when changing products out of the basket.
We located granola bars, crackers, and other kid-friendly snacks in front, on the lower shelf for the client’s kids to find easily. That position also helps parents to know when snacks need to be replenished because they can see them at first glance. The next section we focused on was canned goods: soups and beans and similar things that everyone has in the pantry. We started off by placing a few, three-tiered shelves on which we organized cans by size due to the depth of the shelves. Shelves with more depth are good for larger cans, while smaller ones are suitable for any essential canned good. We also placed a clear, three-tiered shelf with a lip that can hold bottles, liquids, and boxes, ensuring they stay secure and don’t fall over.
This pantry also got a section dedicated to health items. The client has a lot of different kinds of medicines, which can be challenging to organize. For these items, we set up up baskets for each category of medical relief. We placed vitamins and supplements up front because my client uses them frequently and needs them within easy reach. Cold relief and first-aid items were stored on the top shelf because she does not need to access them daily.
We placed flour, breadcrumbs, sugar, and other baking needs in jars. This shows you right off the bat how much of an item you have while eliminating used-up space by replacing boxes with reusable jars. This also helps to keep rodents and bugs from entering because of the lids. So, all-in-all, one of my best pieces of advice is to go out and get yourself some jars!
When it comes to spices and condiments, I recommend lazy susans. The deeper ones can be good for smaller items or items that could fall over. However, I like the thin lazy susans for larger condiments and sauces. This keeps everything very organized and saves a ton of space. I also have acrylic pull-outs in different widths for granola and protein bars with such easy access.
My final tip is a crucial one: place pasta inside spaghetti jars. These are the only jars that will fit this height of the noodles starch while also keeping them fresh, and you won’t have to hassle with resealing pasta boxes. I keep unopened pasta boxes in a basket right next to the jars keeping everything accessible and organized.
Please head over to my Red Elevator page and go to Level 2 to see my Pantry Organization vlog. Thanks so much for reading (double points for watching the video) about my tips and tricks to pantry organization. If you have any ideas or other great secrets, or if you purchased any of these fantastic Amazon finds, feel free to leave a comment! I would love to see your approaches and any items in your home that make organizing easier for you.

When decorating clients’ homes, I’ve noticed a real dilemma with all the device-charging accouterments lying about. Charging blocks everywhere and wires, cords and cables streaming out of every outlet like so much spaghetti. The result is a truly annoying eyesore. Some folks make do with cable clips and wire holders, but outlets can be the ruling factor for designing your space for most homes, so this matters. Nothing is worse than a charger running from one side of the room to another. It looks bad and is also  a trip hazard. The little things add up, and this is something that can be a designer’s worst nightmare. With modern technology going full speed ahead, I had to check out some trending tech-appliance companies who could solve the problem.

That’s why I want to introduce you to Courant. The company’s slender and stylish portable wireless charging pads, combining the best in tech and high-grade Italian leather, blend into any room, from offices to bar spaces to patios and bedrooms. No more bulky wires or tucking your charging cords into your couch. You just place your device on the pad and bingo! I personally love their Airpods Leather Case and the Catch:3 Charging Tray. The Catch:3 includes a slim-lined accessory tray, making it super easy to keep my important items all in one place. Running out the door is now more convenient than ever. I can charge my phone in the same area as my wallet and keys are, running no risks of leaving any valuables behind. Catch:3 is designed to be weighted and non-slip so your devices will stay put no matter what happens around them.

Catch:1, a single-device charger  is convenient for side tables and office desks, while Catch:2 provides charging for multiple phones, great for any large gatherings. The leather pad design is sleek and unobtrusive which makes it easier to place the charger in any room of the house without catching attention. All in all, this is a beautifully designed wireless solution built around any and all of your charging needs.

To check out these products, click below to shop.

During 2020 our homes became more than just the place we return to after work. They became our offices, schools and restaurants all at once. With a family working and learning at home, it became crucial that the kitchen of my dreams remained decluttered, but also extremely functional. 

Whether with an apartment or a home, I run into tall, deep cabinets in every kitchen. This can often be frustrating. No one wants to constantly bend down or reach all the way back in order to grab something. For my cabinet, my husband (a big shout-out to him!) installed bamboo drawers that serve as storage for our kitchen necessities. These drawers are incredibly easy to install and organize. I store daily-use things like  garbage bags, sponges, and bottles of cleaning products in them, and grabbing them is so much easier because you’re not shoving bottles back into disorganized shelves. 

If your family is anything like mine, each member likes a different cereal. These open, cardboard boxes are the bane of my existence and I knew I had to find a solution to organize the cereals within them. I found these amazing plastic bins, made specifically for cereal and they have saved my life. They hold exactly the amount of cereal in the boxes and come with a vacuum-locked seal that prevents them from going stale. 

I love my beautiful white sink and I want to keep free of clutter, while also maintaining its function. Sponges are a necessity for keeping our dishes clean, but I’m not a fan of how they look. I bought a white sponge holder that hooks onto the sides so that the sponge is out of the way, while still close enough to use. Speaking of sponges, I have been loving the sponge daddy sponge I learned about from Shark Tank. It’s eco-friendly, hard on one side and soft on the other, and activated by water. With all that in mind, I love washing my dishes by hand. However, I find that with most regular gloves for washing dishes, water drips into them, causing more mess than I began with. These new gloves that I purchased have little wings at the end of them that prevent water from dripping in. 

I’m a huge salad person and I love having all the things I need for them easily accessible. In my cabinets, I have turntables where I can store all the things I need, and make it incredibly easy to find what I am looking for. There are several sizes and styles that you can choose from to fit your kitchen’s aesthetic. Of course, these can be functional for anything you may like to store on them, like seasonings, soups, or anything else you may think of. 

Oh, the cutlery drawer. It gets disorganized and slammed too hard along with spoons ending up with forks, and butter knives with chopsticks. The solution I found is the Rev-a-shelf inserts that keep the cutlery organized at all times. These inserts come in a large size, and all you have to do is cut it down to the size of your drawer (a saw of some sort is needed). I also found a wonderful knife caddy from The Container Store that keeps them clean and organized. 

I mentioned before that you can use turntables for organization, but I have a few other solutions that you may want to try for yourself. Spice drawers and cabinets are typically the first things in my house to become dirty and cluttered, so I’m always searching for the best way to keep them clean. I have a three-tier bamboo rack that I am obsessed with. The tiers allow you to locate the one spice you may be looking for without digging through a bunch of them. I also took my spice rack organization one step further transferring them to jars from Ikea. I then just typed out the names of each spice, printed and taped them onto the front of the jar. I love how unified it looks, and keeping it organized is that much easier. 

Having a designated spot for your items helps maintain a clean space. Tea is one of my favorite things to have in the house and the bags can easily become cluttered and difficult to find. I love this perfect tea storage that makes searching for your desired tea a piece of cake.

I just couldn’t do a kitchen video without my favorite part of my kitchen, the Rev-a-shelf that houses my mixer. It makes the process of baking that much easier and eradicates having to pick up the mixer each time it gets used. 

The last kitchen organization tip I’m going to share with you is my favorite wine holder. This is perfect for any dinner party so that washing your glasses becomes incredibly easy. Like most, I like to wash my glasses by hand and this portable and easy-to-store stand keeps them beautifully clean and ready to use for the next party. 

Click here to watch my video on Kitchen Organization!