Rummaging through a messy pantry when trying to plan meals or prepare food is far from ideal. It may sound a little silly, but a well-organised pantry can be a total game-changer! Believe it or not, it could even save you time, money and minimise your food wastage.

We’ve rounded up some hot tips to help you get the most from your pantry design and layout so you can make your life easier.

Plan out your pantry space

Assess the space you have available to you and plan out the best way to use it before you go stacking the shelves.

Consider the height of your shelving to ensure it matches its intended use. You might explore pull-out cupboards or drawers, or even attachments for items such as paper towel.

Create zones

Organising your pantry into zones can help you find what you need quickly. Group items that you use for specific meals, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For example, you might have a section for cereal, oatmeal, and pancake mix in your breakfast station. If you pack lunches for work or school, create a section for items like crackers, spreads, muesli bars and similar for quick, easy preparation.

Go fancy, have a cheese platter or lolly station!

Use clear containers and labels

One of the most important things you can do for your pantry is to invest in good storage containers. Air-tight containers not only keep your food fresh for longer, but they also make it easy to see what you have and how much of it you have.

Clear canisters are great for storing dry goods like flour, sugar, and pasta. Labelling your containers can help you quickly find what you need. Tidy baskets and boxes can help to organise items that you need to keep on hand but don’t necessarily use every day.

Rotate items

When you add new items to your pantry, make sure to move older ones to the front so they get used first. This will prevent food waste and ensure that everything stays fresh.

It also means that you’re constantly staying on top of what you have and what you need so you don’t over or under purchase.

Keep appliances away

No one wants wasted bench space in the kitchen, so look for opportunities to store appliances away in the pantry.

Depending on the size of the space you’re working with, you might be able to include powerpoints to keep your microwave, kettle and toaster hidden away. A large walk-in pantry or butlers pantry could even be home to a fridge and dishwasher.

A pantry that meets your needs

Make your own rules when it comes to designing a pantry that will suit your family’s needs. By creating a space you can keep organised and tidy, you’ll get more from your pantry, saving time on food preparation and money on waste.

If you’re building a new home, you’ve got the opportunity to design your dream pantry from scratch. The Fairhaven team of expert interior designers can guide you to create a kitchen pantry that meets all your needs.

Butler’s pantry designs, walk-in pantry designs, pull-out pantry cupboards and clever layouts — Fairhaven has a range of homes that will tick all the boxes.