It’s done! I’ve tackled (one of) the most disorganized areas of the house! My pantry has been a bone of contention for years; it was awkward, messy, and prone to spills and lost things. I was a big fan of the “chuck and close” technique of organization – you chuck the food into the closet and then close the door as fast as possible.

Finally, I gathered my courage and decided to bring a bit of function to this chaotic mess. “Dysfunction Junction… what’s your function?” (Nothing like a School House Rock pun…)

The end result: a prettier, more efficient pantry with a lot less filler.

After I wrestled with the cheaper contact paper that just wouldn’t stick, I ended up finding this shelf paper at Home Sense. I hummed and hahhed over it: was it too busy? Is the yellow a bit too yellow?

But I reminded myself this is a pantry. A closet that spends most of its life in the dark with the door closed (oh, poor lonely canned goods. I just anthropomorphized you and felt sorry for your desolate life). Take a risk, woman! Try something – ANYTHING – that isn’t the safe route.

And I was pleasantly surprised. The pattern ended up seeming quite French, and I liked that. It fit my Julia Child quote very nicely.

The top two shelves were devoted to baking ingredients and rice cake storage (I know – it’s an addiction in this house, and when they go on sale, I get a-hoardin’!).

The blue baskets were a recent find at The Dollar Tree – they were only $1.25 each! Thank you, Easter! They sit above and below a white metal cupboard rack. They worked together perfectly; I love it when accidental awesomeness happens like that. I used more of my chalkboard vinyl labels to make sure everything lived in its own little home.

The canned goods, pasta, and oils sit on the two shelves below. I tried to use the hidden corner space in a way that still made items accessible. This is why I left a small amount of real estate in the middle of each shelf. I didn’t actually need the room (organizing somehow leaves you more space – strange, isn’t it?) and this way I don’t have to rummage and knock things over to reach the stuff I need.

Some of my cans are stored on a Rubbermaid can storage thing-a-ma-bob. It is anchored to the shelf, and slides out for easy-can-reaching-ability. I owned this before the Great Pantry Overhaul. The beans are sitting on top of a small cupboard shelf. It was another dollar store find!

Overall, I’m thrilled with how the pantry turned out. Oh, the space I have now! It’s as if I’ve stuck a flag into the top of Mt. Laziness, and now I can enjoy the view.

So I will. With a cup of tea. Right now.