HUZA HOME HARMONY | Professional Home Organizing Washington, DC

A few weeks ago, I was enjoying a late-night phone call with one of my best friends. We were catching up on what we’ve been doing lately, so of course, organizing came up. She mentioned she follows/looks at a lot of different organizers for inspiration, but “they never look like real life!” She went on to say, “The pictures are great, but that’s not sustainable… What I want to really know is what those pantries look like a month later!”

My bestie, like most of us, doesn’t just want to see the immediately manicured “after”… She wants the T (a.k.a. the “Truth”)! Well, my dear, ask and you shall receive.

Here is my pantry before rebalancing the space through decluttering, categorizing, containing, and organizing. Admittedly, this is not terrible, but there was absolutely room for optimization.

In my house, we have a fairly narrow and deeper pantry closet. For my hubs and I, it works. I took literally every single thing out, checked expiration dates, and threw out anything past expiration. A lot of my precious space was also taken up with massive jars for mixed nuts and trail mixes when only a ¼ to ½ of a cup was actually left, so I reclaimed a lot of that space by decanting and storing in some smaller containers.

Taking things out of their original container (or “decanting” as we organizers like to call it) can help you reclaim a surprising amount of space in just about any area of the home (bathroom, closet, under the sink cabinets, and the pantry). It can also help you utilize some of that wasted vertical space, too--especially if you invest in stackable containers.

I also got a new label-maker for Christmas, so this was a fun opportunity to use that on my constants--those things I consistently keep in the same containers.

*Sidenote: I’m a really big fan of having lots of options and versatility, so I went with the* *Brother P-Touch PTD600 Desktop Label Maker*, which was on sale at Staples at the time. The reason I liked this one is that I can type on it directly or connect it to my computer for more font and symbol options. I can take it as-is on a job site too without having to worry about connecting to Wi-Fi. Finally, the tape size can range from tiny (0.23”) to big (0.94”), so the one tool can tackle everything from cable labels to totes in the garage!

So after working in a lazy Susan, a few containers that can constantly be repurposed for packaged food items, I was able to create some zones in my pantry:

Breakfast at the top (which is a most because it’s the only shelf tall enough for cereal boxes)
Lunch-related items that tend to be a grab-and-go zone for us, so having them at eye-level and easily accessible during a busy morning routine is key
Spreads and oils and condiments on the lazy Susan
Soups and grains toward the bottom because they can be a little heavier, and we don’t use them as often
Backstock and cans of drinks at the bottom

One thing you’ll notice in my pantry is that I don’t actually decant everything. Some cereal stays in the box in our house. (I can hear the gasps already…) But it’s real life, and we pick and choose what we decant. We love variety, and if we decanted them all of everything, it would be a pain to wash them all out every time we got back from the grocery. We need a system that we will actually maintain, otherwise, it isn’t making our lives any easier--even home organizers.

So fast forward a month and several grocery pick-ups later, and we get this beaut...

Not as bad as it was originally, but absolutely not where my “after” shot left off. The pandemic has us planning meals ahead like never before. (I learned how to cook in Germany, where you buy everything fresh and as you need it because preservatives are not nearly as commonplace as they are in the States. I just never got in the habit of stocking up or shopping a week or two at a time… until the pandemic forced my hand.) After grocery pick-up day, things sometimes just get dumped.

The saving grace? I already had some systems and zones in place, so doing a refresh of the space only took about 30 minutes… Maybe a little less. I was able to revamp it on a weeknight while a lasagna baked in the oven. The more frequently we invest in a quick refresh, the longer we can go without needing to do another overhaul.

For us, once a month works. But if you have a high volume of folks in your home or a very small space or extremely limited time, it may be more frequent than that. Having your professional organizer come back for a refresh is also less expensive than the initial overhaul AND it helps you reclaim time to rebalance your energy and life doing the things you want and need to do.

In the gallery below, you can see the evolution of progress… digression… and progress again!

If you’ve hired a professional, and you’re feeling bummed because it didn’t remain exactly as it was, that is okay! Remember: It’s not a one-and-done situation, and it takes maintenance and upkeep. Like we said in last month’s blog post: organization is a lot like coloring your hair… Your hair doesn’t stay dyed either; it needs a touch-up, just like your pantry. Or closet. Or garage. Or…