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Around the Home small space living

Billy Bookcase Pantry

Since my “pantry” was long over due for a clean-up, I thought I would share how I created a pantry from an Ikea Billy Bookcase.

Like most living in small homes a kitchen pantry I something I dream about.  Don’t even get me started on Butler’s Pantries!  Some pantries I have seen are pretty much the size of my entire kitchen!

We are fortunate enough to have a hallway that connects the back door to the kitchen.  Our coat closet is in this hallway as well.  Our solution was to create a Billy Bookcase pantry at the end of this hallway.  It is just a few steps outside the kitchen and doesn’t interfere with traffic flow.

Here is a look at the very scary pantry before I got to cleaning it out.  I should mention at this point that the key to good storage is keeping it neat and organized!

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Pantry

I love the idea of baskets to corral like things together. I have to admit I have no idea what is even in some of these baskets at this point.  With the volume of baking I do at Christmas, I kind of lost control of things.

pantry baskets

If I wasn’t already embarrassed enough at the site of my pantry, I am now after showing you the contents of one of the baskets.  I had no idea what I was going to find deep beneath all those plastic bulk store bags!

Since I am in the mood for spring cleaning, and really couldn’t stand it if I bought one more bag of spice from the bulk food store only to find one already stuffed into a basket, I decided to tackle our “pantry”.

I actually found 3 bags of icing sugar.  Ironically the icing sugar canister was sitting empty on another shelf.  I found 2 very large unopened packages of corn starch, and countless baggies that I have no idea what the contents was.

By the time I was done sorting, I had only about half the amount of stuff to put back.

Once I had emptied the shelves onto the kitchen counter, I decided I would paint the back of the shelves with some left over paint from the living room project last year.

With the paint dry and the shelves all back in place it was time to put everything back in its place.

Billy Bookcase Pantry

What a breath of fresh air!

The basket on the very top holds extra packages of unopened spices.  The dark basket beside the blender contains disposable plates and cups, party supplies like birthday candles and cupcake liners (which I have way too many of!), and some other party supplies. 

The other baskets hold various types of vinegar, marinades, gravy mixes and such.  All of my spice jars I purchased at the dollar stores and I have ordered some round labels for the lids to identify each one.  Right now the contents are labelled with a marker on each lid.

I love these jars for holding sugar, flour and other staples.  These Weck jars are perfect for storing bulk purchases of smaller things like lentils, nuts and seeds!

My ice cream maker, slow cooker and rice cooker also get a spot in the “pantry” as I use them enough to keep them close at hand, but just have no room in the kitchen.

I have to admit our ice cream maker rarely makes it back to the pantry in the summer time!  I love whipping up fresh ice cream like this Mexican hot chocolate or honey lavender!  You can find the same one here.  We have had ours for more than 5 years and it is still going strong.

The Billy Bookcase pantry is a perfect solution to create extra storage in small kitchen.  It has a small foot print at only 11 inches deep by about 31 inches wide, doesn’t take up much floor space, but at almost 80″ tall it makes room for a lot of extra storage.

Until next time…

Red Cottage Chronicles

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Daphne says

    March 23, 2015 at 8:27 am

    Good Morning Maureen, Snap…. we have been doing the same thing, only my new shelves were for my kitchen gadgets. Isn’t it amazing what a little organisation can do….. your billy bookcase pantry is so neat and tidy and it must be a joy to be able to find everything that you need at a glance.
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

    Reply
    • Maureen says

      March 23, 2015 at 10:44 am

      Thanks Daphne! It always amazes me how much “stuff” collects in the kitchen! I tell you, I am breathing a sigh of relief now that I took the time to re-organize my pantry.

      Reply
  2. Leilani says

    March 23, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    You’ve gotten me excited about getting a pantry. With this laundry room makeover, we are turning the water softening closet into a roomy space for all my canning jars. Must invest in pretty baskets like you have to make things look more sleek. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Maureen says

    March 23, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    I have picked up all my baskets at yard sales or at Michael’s when they have an extra good sale! They make life just a bit easier….and neater!

    Reply

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Red Cottage Chronicles

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Well, hello! I am Maureen, and welcome to our little Red Cottage. Married to my high school sweetheart, I am a passionate baker, accidental DIY'er and love all things home! Read More…

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I needed to spread a little joy today. Seems there I needed to spread a little joy today. Seems there is grim news everywhere and sometimes we just need to be reminded that there are bright spots! Made myself this centrepiece and a few hand tied bouquets for family and friends! Maybe one day soon I can make career out of my love for flowers and sharing their joy! #gardenbouquet #gardenroses #justbecauseflowers #victoriamagazine #flowersbringmejoy #careergoals #hollychapplepillow #pinkblooms
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Flowers from @hometownicecream are arranged in my Flowers from @hometownicecream are arranged in my favourite French market basket from @cat_in_france for my Easter table centerpiece! All will be revealed on Tuesday and it is one of my favourites! #frenchmarketbag #freshflowers #orchids #springblooms #springdecor #flowersinabasket #readyforeasterdinner #diyflowerarrangement #flowers
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It was snowing sideways on the way to work, now it It was snowing sideways on the way to work, now it is raining. This nasty weather day needs a bit of brightening up. These gorgeous orange parrot tulips are just what I needed this weekend to remind me that spring is almost here! #parrottulips #orangeflowers #springflowers #spring #flowermagazine #brightblooms #tuliparrangement #orangetulips #florist #flowersmakemehappy
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