Little project: kitchen pantry

 In a little over a month I am going to be an empty nester!

No time like the present to clean and organize this pantry.  There are several aspects of it that I needed to spruce up.

The red gingham shelf liner is several years old and showing some major wear and tear. I wanted to replace it with a neutral color.

This shelf is where I would like to put long term food storage. Right now it is home to baskets of Scout's stuff.  And I wanted to find another place for those things on the very top shelf to make room for Mom's antique enamelware.

The baking shelf needs some organization, and I want to move away from using the enamelware for food storage (onions and potatoes).

Its also pretty dark in there.

I started by pulling everything out, including the old shelf liner, and wiped down the shelves.

On the very top shelf, I placed all of the smaller enamelware - there are larger pieces hanging in the garage.  I even hung several of them, as well as the rattan placemats. Might as well make something pretty to look at!

I gave the shelf edges and walls a quick touch up with white semi-gloss.  (I like Rustoleum Painter's Touch - easy to use, quick drying, water-based) I also removed a couple of command hooks I no longer use here, and found a different way to store the firepit kindling.

I tried to group things together best I could, but I still need to get a canned food storage system in here instead of using those plastic bins.

I'm also thinking of adding a rechargeable motion detector light.  And I want to keep the floor area clear of clutter.  For now though, the whole pantry is cleaner and brighter, making it easier to see what I have and what I need.  Another small January project done!

Gina