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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!
Hi Jenny! We have three kids in a townhouse which has adequate living space but only one small storage room and no garage. My most helpful recent discovery for our crazy storage room is to use the ceiling! Our storage room is unfinished with exposed rafters and I literally hang things from the rafters. Sometimes with bungee cords (like for baby strollers we're not currently using), or sometimes I bend a regular wire hanger into a hook for Christmas wreaths, or other lightweight things. It's not pretty, but it frees up a lot of real estate in there and the more I can get in that room, the nicer my other closets and pantry look!
My biggest tip to staying organized is to constantly be purging the things we don't need or use. I keep a big plastic container tucked away and add donations to it throughout the week.
We use lots of plastic bins for storage in our basement. Easy to label and stack and keeps our belongings safe from any threat of water damage.
Purge often and have a home for what you keep.
My tip is to always be cleaning out unneeded items.
And the tried & true: organize everything in labeled, clear, plastic containers.
Wow, I absolutely love the pegboard! i have been wanting to do that for a while.
My best organizing tip.. is to use shelving and storage bins. Plus, I like to keep a pretty bowl or two out to collect things as well.
Color coding is a must. Also picture labels help my little ones (who can't read yet) know where things go. A whole family that can help to clean up and stay organized make for a happy mom! :)
I am always buying fabric… I have a bit of an issue :-/ However, I've found the best way to organize all of those large and small bits of fabric are hangers – we have a little extra closet space in my craft room and hanging the fabric form regular hangers (as well as those multi-organziational hangers) has been a lifesaver! Now, all I have to do is flip through them to see what we have to use up :-)
With limited space in our cramped NYC apartment, I keep cleaning products in an over-the-door shoe organizer, so every bottle has its place.
I like to only touch things once. Instead of throwing the mail down on the kitchen table. I'll file it right away so I don't have to touch it again and doesn't pile up.
Plastic bins everywhere! I actually just bought another stash of those shoe bins from Home Depot last weekend. :)
I am a constantly purging different spaces around my house and getting rid of items. One trick I used in my daughter's room was to buy a table skirt to hide all of the clutter we were storing on the shelves underneath the table. Worked out great and looks a lot cleaner!
My best organizing tip is to have bins for things. It is especially helpful for those little things that end up in junk drawers. Thanks for hosting this great giveaway!
-Shelley
i try to "tray" or box everything! under the bed always gets cluttered so i have these long/skinny IKEA bins that i use for scarves and belts. in the bathroom i use storage boxes from target to corral everything from toilet paper to hair appliances. and in my closet i store my massive sunglasses collection in a wide deep tray!
jordanmarisasilverman at gmail dot com :)
What I like to do when I move into a new space is to not spend too much time organizing. I need to actually LIVE in the space to understand how it needs to be organized. Then I have to rework my organizational scheme every now and then to keep it functioning.
The three drawer sterlite minis for pencils, pens, etc, have been a wonder in my kitchen desk cabinet. I bought three, and I want 5 more…
All of my clothes are hanging and I have all the hangers facing out – if I haven't flipped the hanger around in a few months, it means I haven't worn that article of clothing = it's getting donated.
Wow! I love this!! Great ideas here. I am totally going to check out the chalkboard label stickers–cheaper than a labelmaker & tape, which has been on my list to buy.
And that's my tip–label things. If everything has a specific place, and that place is labeled, it's SO much easier to put stuff away quickly and keep things running smoothly! Only took me 8 years of marriage to figure that out. Now that my tools & storage & my kids' toys are labeled–as of a few months ago–I feel like a new woman.
What storage? I live in NYC and my apartment is about the size of your pantry! :)
your pantry is making me drool! I wish I could stay so organized. The best thing is to stay on top of it! To take the 2 minutes to put stuff IN the bin instead of ON TOP of the bin. Otherwise it becomes such a mess and takes twice as long to organize/find/live/function!
Legos are my biggest challenge! I haven't figured out an organizational system for them yet! But for kids toys, I keep 2 big baskets in the living rm. when something is out of place, it goes in the basket. When the basket is full, we put everything back where it belongs.
I try to use all the "hidden space" that I can. I keep plastic bins under my bed for storage, and I post to-do lists, grocery lists, etc. on a small cork board that hangs on the inside of a kitchen cabinet.
Bins, baskets, containers. I have endless amounts and am always looking for more!
Not only do I live in a small apartment with an even smaller kitchen and three tiny closets in the whole place, I'm also an elementary Art teacher. I find myself repurposing lots of containers–a copy top box for each class' clay projects or cups for markers–and labeling EVERYTHING. At home, I'm always more motivated to stay on track when organizational items are in my favorite colors, bright patterns, or personalized somehow. And contact paper is an awesome, easy way to turn a cardboard box or plastic bin into something way more aesthetically pleasing.
-K
P.S. I ADORE your blog! It's the only one I read daily.
The tried and true, "clean as you go", is my one goal/tip.
I know it might sound crazy – but i love Vaccuming a little a day. Either with our dyson, electric sweeper or even a dustbuster!
-Sarah Campillo
My organizing tip #1: give everything a double function! An example would be to get a ottoman that doubles as storage for blankets, games, etc. Carry this idea throughout every space of the home or garage.
Tip #2: Put it away when you're done with it.
Tip #3: If you don't need it, don't love it, and don't have a place for it, don't get it!
Tip #4: Get rid of the things you don't use on a regular basis. Declutter, declutter, declutter!
These tips have helped make my home very organized for a very unorganized person!
With two kids (4 & 5) there are a lot of miscellaneous items constantly all over the house. So I keep empty african market baskets in to key rooms (family room and entry for us) so when I need to pick up quickly I can grab one and throw everything in the basket and sort it then or later. (Usually it is later :)
My go-to keeping things clean tip is to invite friends over often – that way there's a great reward for tidying up and putting things away!
I like placeing the small ikea ledge shelves behind doors to bedrooms that often stay open to stash a few items that are needed quickly but do not necessary need to be seen.
Labels, labels, labels! That way the other six people in this house can't claim they don't know where to put stuff away!
The key to staying organized for me has definitely been not accumulating too much stuff. I live in a tiny place but with just pieces I need it's not hard to find anything! Scanning photos from magazines and storing them on an external and passing the hard copy on to someone else has kept clutter down and helped organization as well.
Before buying any boxes or bins, I measure to make sure the containers will fit well where they are to go. I also sort through the things I am storing to get an idea of what size of container I will need. I like see- through containers because I can locate things quickly. I love your idea of the chalkboard labels–I'm going to try that! The hardest thing for me is to make sure I'm not keeping things that I no longer need.
bins, baskets, and lots of labels. Picture labels for my children, and regular labels for my husband who still seems to put the cheese grater in the weirdest spots. The motto (via flylady) "just get started" helps me a ton as well.
I live in a small home with very limited storage, but organization is a necessity to me. The way I keep things organized is to EDIT EDIT EDIT! I go through each closet, cabinet and shelf every month and get rid of anything we aren't using. I keep a basket on the front porch solely for Goodwill. It works and it's so refreshing to have empty space in each closet!
We spend a lot of time finding the perfect 'home' for our stuff otherwise it just piles up. If we can't find a home for something, then we'll buy a container or toss something else out that we don't use to make room for it. Makes you really have to be honest with yourself about how badly you need something if it means throwing something else away or spending a little more to give it a place in your house!
I manage my problem areas by getting help, child labor that is. I've learned that if I organize things in a manner that the kids can reach and understand, then they are better able to help put items back away. I have similar containers that cost just $1 and love them. They are clear, easy to label, and a perfect size to stack. The bins that I don't want the kids to reach are up high, really high.
We use a pegboard for my husband's workshop so both of us can find items when we need them. I don't have a pantry and would love ideas for storing lots of cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink!
Picking up the daily clutter every night really helps me. If I miss just one night it gets a little crazy! ;-)
My best tip to group like items into baskets, bins, jars, pails…anything that looks great in groups of three or more.
I am the wrong person to give organizational tips. I am still working on getting our house organized and we have lived here nearly a year! I will say that I have 4 of those animal head hooks like yours. I love them so, and have been waiting to get my kitchen done to hang those babies up.
i am an organizing fanatic. i love looking for new ways to keep things tidy and simple. Storage bins are always the way to go. Love your space!
Under the bed storage containers help me so much! Without them my closet would be WAY to full!
I reuse old gallon jars to hold dry goods so I don't have lots of bags and boxes. After a little tweaks they are even nice enough to display and make up for my lack of decor currently.
label everything and purge as often as possible!
Your pantry is truly amazing. You're so right, if everything has a place it makes working/living that much easier! You are inspiring.
My organizational tip is to do it right the first time, it saves time. BUT, if you have people coming over, like in 15 minutes, give it a 'lick and a promise'. Meaning you shine it up and promise to come back to it later. :)
Hi Jenny,
Living in an old (by our standards, not the city's!) house in Charleston we are storage challenged so we have to make the most of every nook. Living in a city that's a huge tourist destination, we always have company (which we love) so I keep spare bed linen sets for each bed tied together with a grosgrain ribbon in our laundry room. This keeps me from having to open 14 different storage bins searching for the spare pillow cases while simultaneously trying to get silly 3 year old cousins to bed!
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. Cheers, Elisabeth
http://www.henrythehedgehog.blogspot.com
The most important way I keep organized is to PURGE! If I can't recall the last time I used something, I ditch it.
For food storage, I LOVE Ball/Kerr canning jars and the mini Foodsaver with jar attachment. Everything is easy to find, easy to clean, uniform in size, plastic-free, and lasts longer (because the air is vacuumed out). The other is to make sure the kids know the organizational plan. If it isn't easy for them to follow, it doesn't work!
It feels like cheating since I just posted this at the inspired room, but here we go!
One of the best tips my dad taught me about keeping clean/getting things done is to never walk anywhere without picking up something that needs to be put elsewhere. It’s an insignificant amount of time added to your trip and eventually everything is cleared up and maintaining it is easy! He was always doing this in the yard. He’d be headed to or from the shop and would stoop to pull a weed and deposit it in the bin. Took no time, and he never had to spend 8 hours in a day pulling weeds in gravel. Genius!