by Melanie on November 11, 2010
Today lets discuss how to organize your pantry. Are you constantly frustrated as you start to cook, you open your pantry door and everything is so scattered that your excitement for cooking is now lost in the mess.
This pantry is reasonably tidy, maybe more so than yours might be. They have used several baskets and even some bowls to gather like items. Most pantries first drawbacks is the depth. We love all the space, but just a shelf that is say 24-30″ deep is an invitation to load me up and never see me again, unless the item is in the front row.
As I look at this pantry, I can’t see many of the items, the added shelf in the back helps for visibility, but it is a space waster, see all the areas with no food? that space can be better utilized.
Look at this great pantry from The Closet Butler:
As we look at this great photo what makes you love this space? Pantry shelves are ideally 18″ deep. This way all is visible and it limits what can physically load onto the shelf, that alone helps us to be better organized. Never fear you will get as much on the shelf as before and you will be able to quickly pull what is needed for that special dinner.
The side shelf can be only 14-16″ deep enabling you to store cans all tidy in a row. The smaller boxes liked crackers and cereal will love their nicely spaced rows. The really great feature is the ability to change the shelf heights according to your boxes. Don’t you love the idea of baskets to further organize?
We’d love to help you today. Call The Closet Butler (801-201-1208) today to set up an in home consultation to make your pantry organization a reality.
by Melanie on October 28, 2010
This blog will cover those of you that tend to fold more, than hang in your closets. For you nothing looks better than neat, tidy piles in stacks and rows. This may be a real problem for you if you have a regular reach in closet. You have tried to compromise with all kinds of nifty solutions, hanging cloth shelves, cheap plastic shelf/drawer units and such. Lets discuss what makes for a great folder style closet, like the one pictured above.
If folding is your thing, you will need as many shelves as you can possibly squeeze into your closet space. You will also still need a little bit of hanging space, as some items just store better on a hanger.
Working with the above statement, shelves are optimal at either 12 or 14″ deep. The depth determines whether your items will stay in that tidy stack. Too deep of shelving and you will end up with one more place to dust, and who wants any more to dust? You really don’t want a lot of wasted space in front or behind of shelves.
The width can be determined by evaluating your clothing, a good mix of 12,14 and 18″ wide should work out nicely for thin t-shirts, to bulky sweats and sweater.
Grouping of like items will be able to occur in areas with more shelves, such as all your jeans with jeans,or exercise clothing, close for the fast grab.
Place items that are used the very most at eye level and in the center of the closet opening. This will make dressing a quick and effortless project. As you are stacking don’t stack much higher than 12″ and be sure to leave about 6″ of head space to facilitate easy reach in and out.
Shelves are also a great way to utilize baskets, you can easily put small items in varying sizes of baskets to keep contained. In kids rooms this is a huge help, as baskets can be labeled either with a picture or words to identify what is inside. Get the kids to draw the items and tape onto the baskets, they will love helping to organize and thus use the system more as they were a part in the design of their space.
Neatly folded clothes mean more stable stacks and less wrinkling. Folding boards, like you see at department stores and the big box stores are now available at many retail outlets or on the internet, try caldrea.com.
How can The Closet Butler help you achive a folder friendly closet? We can get rid of all that crazy hanging space and change it into neat, tidy shelves. These shelves can be tailor designed to the best use of your space and the best configuration for your clothing. We will look at what you are presently doing and make it work in your closet. If you have clothes strung out in several places, installing shelves in the closet will get everything back together in one place. Give us a call to help make that wasted closet look like the picture above, could this be your dream closet?
This pantry is reasonably tidy, maybe more so than yours might be. They have used several baskets and even some bowls to gather like items. Most pantries first drawbacks is the depth. We love all the space, but just a shelf that is say 24-30″ deep is an invitation to load me up and never see me again, unless the item is in the front row.
