There’s a party in my pantry. Everyone’s invited—well, not literally—but the pantry is definitely lively these days. It’s tucked in the back of the kitchen beside the fridge, and for a while it looked like someone had just tossed everything inside and shut the door. The photo I have is the only “before” shot with the door open, showing dated wallpaper and brown trim, and the kind of disorganized shelves that make you groan when you need one ingredient and everything else falls out.
At first we didn’t treat that space like the treasure it could be. In our previous house we stored food in upper cabinets, and in the one before that we had an elaborate pantry-cabinet system that worked but caused its fair share of frustration. So finally having a standard closet pantry felt like a welcome reset—a place for real organization instead of precarious teetering stacks.
Over the eight months we lived with it, our frustration grew and our ideas for improvement multiplied. The first big change we wanted was to move the microwave into the pantry. It’s not the most common microwave placement, but after removing the over-the-range unit, we didn’t want it sitting on the counter. We’d hidden a microwave behind a cabinet door in our last kitchen and liked that setup because we don’t use it constantly. Hiding it in the deep pantry seemed like the logical next step: good room for ventilation, and we could leave the pantry door open when it was in use.
The only obstacle was that the pantry had no outlet. We solved that by having our trusted electricians come install one where we needed it. For a modest fee, the new outlet made the microwave move-in possible. Once it was plugged in, the counter looked cleaner and the pantry suddenly felt more useful.
We’ve used the microwave in the pantry for a while, and it has been great. To make room for it we removed one of the shelves, which led to a simple fix: reposition the remaining shelves to make the most of the available space. Simple solutions sometimes take weeks to actually happen, but we finally emptied the pantry, sorted through forgotten snacks, and got to work.
One wrinkle: we’d also moved the trash can into the pantry a few weeks earlier to keep it out of the main kitchen area. We wondered if it would make the pantry smell or annoy us, but it’s been fine—especially with a lid to contain odors. That meant we couldn’t lower the microwave shelf much without blocking the trash can lid, so instead we installed the missing shelf above the microwave shelf.
We hung that shelf a little higher than usual, creating a half-shelf perfect for cans and smaller items. To gauge the space we wanted, I used a pasta sauce jar as a makeshift measuring tool. Then I pried off the old nailed-in braces, leveled and marked the new positions, and screwed everything back into place. The whole job took about an hour; most of that time was spent emptying the pantry, taking pictures, and rediscovering long-lost snacks.
Having that smaller “bonus shelf” feels surprisingly satisfying. It keeps short items from getting shoved to the back and clears up room on the larger shelves for taller containers and boxes. We didn’t restock everything immediately because there are still a few more steps: priming, painting, and adding organizing systems like bins and shelf paper. We might also add storage to the inside of the pantry door to maximize space.
Sherry has been thinking about cheerful, wipeable shelf liners to give the pantry a fresh, clean look once it’s painted. When everything is dry and in place we’ll sort and arrange items to look intentional instead of chaotic. Then we’ll share the final result.
For now, the pantry looks great when it’s empty and tidy. Of course, the rest of the kitchen is still a work in progress, so maintaining that pristine look won’t be a long-term guarantee. Still, the adjustments we’ve made—relocating the microwave, installing an outlet, repositioning shelves, and adding a trash can—have already made the pantry far more functional.
How do you organize your pantry? Do you use bins, labels, or door storage that you love? We’ve definitely admired those room-like pantries on Pinterest that feel a little magical. If you have tips or systems that work well in small pantries, I’d love to hear them. And if anyone’s throwing a pantry party, I’ll bring my friend Brick—he’ll turn it into an unforgettable night.