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My pantry serves as our laundry room, storage room, cleaning closet, china hutch and tool shed. It can get a little crazy up in here. There’s lots going on.
We have two huge bookshelves (twice the width you see here) for holding everything, as well as the big filing cabinet, which holds all of our bigger tools.
A while back we installed two pegboard panels above the tool cabinet. I usually say that everything should be put away for a clean, uncluttered look. But sometimes, especially in a small space, things can get buried quickly. Making this pegboard has made my life so much more efficient.
Since the pantry door is usually open I wanted the pegboard wall to be as clean and simple-looking as possible. I thought about painting the pegboard a cool color at first, but I didn’t want it to stick out more than it already does, so I left the white. But I did spray paint all the organizational hardware the same rose gold color.
It’s subtle, but I like the little bit of shine.
I also use about a dozen clear tupperware bins. I bought them at Home Depot for a dollar each.
I have them labeled with these cute chalkboard labels from Martha Stewart’s label line for Avery.
Each bin holds something small and specific, like upholstery staples or tape or wall anchors.
Another thing that helps keep this room running smoothly is my little whiteboard. I jot down things on this board that we’re running out. They’re usually things I wouldn’t remember while making a shopping list (like laundry detergent or light bulbs).
Other things that make the room special to me- the persian rug I bought in Belgium for just a few euros (I think it was only three!) and the pair of porcelain animal hooks I got in Delaware at the Amish flea market. We usually hang aprons from these and the girls adore them.
The pantry is sort of like the command center of our home. It’s been surprisingly good to us these past two years (not that I won’t be excited for a little more space when we move!). I think this room was a great learning experience for me and reminded me how well a space can function when it is well-organized.
So, I’d love to hear about your best organizing tip. What do you do to keep your challenge spaces tidy and running smoothly? Share your tip in the comments section for a chance to win a whopping $500 in gift cards! $250 to Target AND $250 to the Container Store!
Contest ends June 24. Rules can be read in full here. Good luck!
My only tried & true tip is to do a certain amount of cleaning each day. I spend about 15 minutes doing general tidying, and then I have my basic daily/weekly tasks. Then, I don't have to dedicate hours of one day or an entire day to cleaning. It just never works out!
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Hi Jenny, I use old wine crates to store my supplies for my art room, and any other tools, fabric. the crates are pretty and functional. Thank you, shawnia
My tip is i have dumping/drop spots around my house for certain items. For example, as soon as you walk in the door i have a shoe rack to store my shoes and my purse and a key rack for my keys. On an end table i have a little crate that holds my earrings and necklace. Everything has a place which makes it easier to find when i'm rushing out the house.
I use a whiteboard in my pantry too but it is a running grocery list. It works well for my teens to let me know when they need shampoo or something that I am not aware of. Also the magnetic feature allows my frige to stay neat by keeping all of those bits of paper tucked away but handy.
Using labels so that I'm not the only one in the family who can find things, or put things away.
I have a peg board in our garage that I painted white nearly 17 years ago. It is a wonderful spot for all our gardening tools and hangs above our recycling bins and garbage cans.
One tip I use is to "clean as I go" rather than saving it all for later. I think cleaning as one goes just feels right.
pve
Plastic bins are the only way to stay organized in our small house (with very little storage). Bins in the attic with outgrown clothes, bins under the beds with out of season clothes, baskets around the house for blankets, toys, shoes, etc. As long as I can remember which bin/basket I put something in, I am good…
And cleaning as I go during cooking/crafting helps keep me sane.
Lots and lots of bins. More than I care to admit.
In NYC, I stack things high! I've gotten really great at using space and typically it's high or low (unfortunately below the bed at times). But it works and keeps the living space clutter free.
I try to take advantage of vertical space whenever possible. High shelves in closets can be great places for things I don't need often, like Christmas decorations.
I took out the wire shelving in my closets and replaced with DIY wood shelving, drawers and laundry bins. It made a huge difference and gave me much more storage.
I have to have plastic bins. Non-negotiable. Also, I am a color coder. Helps me immensely in order to find things!
I have clear shoe pockets hanging behind lots of doors in my house, in the pantry it holds snacks for the kids (they can get their own), in the bathroom it holds hair accessories, in the playroom it holds the million of barbie pieces we have… LOL!
Purge. As soon as I notice that a particular storage area is holding more things that see infrequent use than the items I actually need to access, I go through and get rid of things. At first this was difficult for me, but soon I found that having fully functioning space was well worth a bit of psychic pain.
I love those plastic bins as well! And I've been looking into those chalkboard labels, but at the moment have been gluing labels to clothespins and that's been working great!
I try to keep "like" items in bins, labeled of course!
So that I always have the design elements of my apartment handy (fabric swatches, paint colors, hardware, etc), I keep a little baggie of them in my purse. This way if I find some great art work, etc while out shopping I can check it out with all the elements in the room, right in the store. It's stopped me from buying bad ideas a number of times:)
I love my microfiber cloths!
My general rule isn't anything earth shattering. It's to put things away when you're finished with them (which can be strangely hard to make myself do sometimes) and to spend 10-15 min a day tidying and cleaning. That plus doing my regular cleaning each week makes for a house that is mostly clean and tidy all the time so if anyone pops over I'm ready for company! :)
I love baskets and bins to organize my home (although our entry coat closet could use a little help..) :)
And before we go to bed at night we have a pick up and tidy time. That's all.
I don't have any earth shattering ideas either, but over time I have swit he'd all my storage containers to clear plastic so I can see what's inside and stack them high. In the pantry, same thing. Clear containers that are stackable and loaded. Your laundry room is impressive!
I am not as organized as I would like, and am always on the lookout for tips! I do haave a "no cardboard in storage areas" rule. Bugs can live in paper and cardboard, or mice can eat it. If it goes in the basement or attic, it must be in plastic to avoid those nasty surprises.
I love my clear glass Pyrex food storage containers (an alternative to plastic). Storing leftovers, salads etc. is much easier and they helps to keep the fridge organized. Also, they are so much easier to clean than plastic because they don't stain.
I've enjoyed the blog, but this is my first comment (nothing like an amazing prize to coax me out of the shadows!)
We live in a VERY small house, so I find that I have to constantly purge. I keep a box in our bedroom, and if something seems unworn/unused, I throw it in there. Then, about once a month, I take it to Goodwill. That gives me plenty of time to consider each item, and if I regret giving it away, rescue it!
Your pantry is organized perfectly! I see now why I struggle sometimes with the DIY projects; I don't have enough supplies! That said, my approach to staying organized in a small house is to get rid of things immediately. Clothes and toys get donated the moment they're outgrown, I call and remove myself from all junk mail and catalogs, and generally try to limit the amount of stuff coming in and increase the amount going out. Not an organizational tip, maybe, but it keeps our space relatively uncluttered!
I use hanging shoe holders in my 12 month old's closet to hold onsies, pants, little hats, etc. They are the perfect size for her small clothes and such a space saver.
A place for everything, and everything in its place! It is easier to clean if the clutter is already taken care of.
My tip is sequestration: The frequency with which we use household items define where they're located. So things the family uses every day are out in the open at easy reach for even the little ones, but things we only use once a month or more rarely are packed away. And I am very quick to purge (usually donate) anything that becomes obsolete for us.
I purge like crazy too and everything I have to keep but don't want in my small house goes to the attic. A cluttery attic leaves my living space clean and clear.
I have a drawer by my front door that I use to corral all of the little odds and ends that collect each week that I don't really have a home for. If I'm ever looking for something random, I know right where to look! Once it starts to fill up, I'll go through it and find a new home for everything in there, but it's made my life a whole lot easier!
I think the containers, labelled, is the best way for me to keep my closets/pantries organized. I try to hit the Dollar Tree and buy a couple more than I need for future matching. But I just started using it in my kitchen, and it is a big space saver–for example, in the cabinet with all the baking goods I have a wire basket with all my sprinkles, cupcake toppers, etc. They were taking up too much real estate!
Labels!! On crates, on lidded boxes, on tupperwares holding leftovers, on foil packages in the freezer. My teenage son has picked up the label habit, but still working on my husband!
Everything must have a dedicated "spot" whether it is a basket or plastic container… Otherwise it ends up in limbo on my kitchen counter. I purge often and try to put things away as soon as I'm done. Not procrastinating clean up might seem obvious but it has taken me several years to accept that it is a necessity! I love all these ideas! Thanks!
I keep at least half of our toys in the attic and switch them out every 3 months or so. I also label bins and try and QUICKLY give away things we have "outgrown" or haven't used in several months. We just don't have the space to keep it!
My freezer is finally organized since I started using bins labelled "ready to eat", "meat" and "bulk". so much easier to quickly take inventory and things don't get lost in the freezer for months!
My best organizing tip, go through the house with a ginat trash bag once a month! You will be amazed the things in drawers, baskets and elsewhere that you can throw away!
My best organizing efforts are probably put into storing my kid's clothes once they grow out of them. I realized early on that as they {very quickly} grew out of clothes, if i didn't organize them by gender and size ASAP, I would be completely overwhelmed by them all and I'd never know where to find things. I'm thankful my efforts have paid off and I can quickly find things when I need them for younger siblings or to lend to friends!
Before I begin any organizational project I spend some time thinking about who will be using the space, how often users will utilize the space and begin from that perspective. Items that will have to be accessed less often are placed higher in the space and, frequently used things are right at one's fingertips. Also, those containers may have organizational helpers within them, such as dividers or smaller boxes to keep them super organized.
I just think everything has to HAVE a place, even if everything is not in its place all the time. That helps me to clean up, as I can just throw them in their places, rather than leaving them out wondering what to do with them. I have some cheap fabric boxes from Ikea in the play room, labeled with general groups like "Dolls" "Blocks" "Kitchen/Tea Set." It makes me feel like things won't get lost in the bottom of a junk bin if they are with similar toys.
I buy the same brand of bins repeatedly so that they properly stack on top of each other. I do the same for laundry baskets, and all storage containers. Works really well!
I LOVE blanket storage bags from the Container Store. Instantly, our crazy closet of linens looks neat and organized…plus our blankets stay dust-free.
The best cleaning/organizing tip I have to share is to put everything away in it's place right when you're done with it. My coat hangs up in the closet when I get home from work instead of being draped over a chair; phone chargers go back in a drawer instead of staying in the outlet. I heard this tip years ago, and it's the best and easiest to follow cleaning tip I know!
I try to make sure everything has its own place, and that each thing actually gets put back in that place. When we commit to it, it works.
Regular purging and keeping things in clear bins is the only way I've found to keep things in order. Even as we focus on buying less, it seems like there's always plenty we just don't need.
I find that sold wood wall shelves (installed on those metal brackets you find in the closet system section) work best for me. Everything is visible and has lots of room, small things don't fall through like they would with wire shelves, and it's not as visually obtrusive as a bookshelf with sides and a top. I have an entire wall of these shelves in my home office, and it's the most useful part of my whole house.
I can't take credit for this, but it has changed my linen closet. When I fold sheets, I always pack them into the pillowcase so the entire set is ready when it's time to switch. and a bonus? My linen closet is organized!
I'm a fan of plastic bins in closets (I have some great ones from container store that are like drawers) and baskets for under console tables or benches. Also, tidying everyday, ven if its a few minutes, makes a HUGE difference.
We spend loads on bins and organizing gear. Everything is labeled and has its space and we rethink our storage and organization regularly. It keeps me sane in a smallish house.
A place for everything and everything in its place! Plus labels. Loooots of labels. :)
The key to keeping things organized in my house is to not be afraid to throw things away!