Thank you California Closets for sponsoring this post.

Time for real talks: our pantry is a hot mess. It’s the Bermuda Triangle of our home – a space where items enter, never to be seen again (… and that’s probably because they’re hidden under something else)!

And as if being cluttered and untidy isn’t bad enough, our walk-in pantry is one of the most utilized spaces in our home. We access it from both our kitchen and back entry, meaning that when the doors are left open, visitors get an eyeful from all angles.

I decided it was time to address the mess and called up California Closets for some much-needed organizational help. Aaron Skaley, Design Consultant at the St. Albert location, came by last week to conceptualize a solution for our space. He also shared some amazing pointers for decluttering and organizing my walk-in pantry that I’m sure you’ll find helpful!

3 Easy steps to declutter and organize your walk-in pantry

All St. Albert California Closets designers are familiar with the KonMari Method of organizing, which focuses on surrounding yourself with items that bring you joy. When tackling a messy pantry, Aaron suggests you:

Sort through every item.
Physically remove all the items from your pantry shelves, from kitchen appliances to food packages and everything in between, so you can begin sorting them.

Streamline what you own.
It’s time to purge. Some items are easy to get rid of, like stale or expired food. But then it’s time to really inspect what remains. Are the items you’re holding onto adding value to your life? Have you used them in the last six months? Are they bringing you joy – or weighing you down a bit each time you see them?

Now is a good time to donate that slow cooker collecting dust in the back corner that hasn’t seen a dinner in the last three years. And, come on, just say goodbye to those spices you bought on vacation after one too many tequilas!

Clean and organize everything you keep.
Wash your walls and storage units, wipe down your appliances and make sure your pantry is completely clean. Then you can begin to organize everything in your pantry by grouping and segmenting similar items. Organizational tools like baskets, drawers, free-standing cupboards and hooks will help.

The California Closets Consultation Process

Now, I have to say, I was quite proud of myself because I’d sorted most of the contents of my pantry into baskets a few months back. But my pantry is still overflowing with stuff.

So, I let Aaron get to work.

As we looked through my pantry together, he pointed out how my wire racking is a huge part of the problem. It’s inflexible and if you step back and look, it’s only utilizing half my space.  He asked a few questions about how I use the pantry. I explained that it drives me crazy when hubby leaves the doors open, exposing the clutter and mess to everyone who enters our home.

He had a solution in mind and got to work taking measurements. Meanwhile, I sat back with a cup of coffee, looked through samples of the different cabinet finishes and perused the California Closets virtual showroom for design inspiration.

Umm, seriously!? How amazing do these California Closets-designed pantries look?

After taking measurements and hearing my design requirements, Aaron created a virtual 3D model of my newly-designed pantry. It included finishes, accents and accessories that complemented the design of my kitchen.

To put it simply: I was impressed! The new design featured double the storage space and the most gorgeous cabinets. Even if hubby leaves the pantry doors open, there’ll be nothing in sight but perfectly organized elegance!

Also, the entire design is completely adjustable. In five or ten years’ time, as our family grows and Elle gets older, we can move the storage around to better fit our changing needs. Aaron was also able to provide on-the-spot pricing, which I appreciated from a budget standpoint.

Later that week I stopped by the St. Albert showroom to see some of California Closets’ work in real life. Because I love to creep. As you can see, it’s stunning!

I was intrigued to hear that California Closets does much more than closets. They can custom create wine bars, kids’ craft rooms, bookcases, garages, bathroom vanities and more. If you’re looking to take on any organizational projects in your home, I’d totally recommend giving California Closets a call. The consultation I had was free and so informative. And they’re talented!

Here are a few swoon-worthy photos I saved while looking through their virtual showroom – like, wow!

More organizational inspo

In case you’re in the mood for some more organization inspo, I’m going to leave you with a fab video. It’s all about how Marie Kondo (the KonMari Method creator) – designed the most stunning bedroom closet!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you now feel more ready to organize your walk-in pantry. Not going to lie, it feels good to address the mess.

And, as always, I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have in the comments below.

Xo Holly Hunka

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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