Some people detest low down pantry shelving. It can be difficult to access due to being closer to the ground, and items may end up really far back and the only way to retrieve them is climbing into the shelving unit.
Your low pantry shelves don’t have to sit there gathering dust any longer, or exist in an unapproachable, disorganized manner. We can make them better, even inviting!
After speaking to professional organizers I compiled a list of five ways to maximize your low pantry shelving. Once you have implemented a suggestion or two from these experts, you’ll wonder why you were ever reluctant to use those lower down shelves in the first place. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Place Heavy Items On Lower Shelves
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Bulky, heavy items such as spare large bags of rice or appliances only used infrequently can benefit from being placed on the lower shelves of your pantry. Placing them on lower shelves can prevent struggle when lifting items out, as well as keep items in an appropriate space that isn’t out of sight, but somewhere you won’t have to be reaching for on a daily basis.
Heather Aiello, CEO and founder of The Organized You, says, “Storing heavier items like bulk goods, pots, or slow cookers on the lower shelves prevents strain when lifting, as well as keeps the upper shelves of your pantry less cluttered.”
Mary Jo Contello, professional organizer and founder of Organized by MJ, adds, “Storing these items on lower shelves allows you to keep items like canned goods and things you use daily at eye level.”
Storing certain goods at eye level does more than make a pantry look good. It ensures that your go-to’s are easy to grab and count when creating grocery lists and, for example, you won’t have to bend down to the lower shelves every morning in search for breakfast items.
2. Use Storage Bins or Baskets
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Bins and baskets aren’t a stranger to assisting people in creating a more organized space. But when it comes to pantry storage ideas and organizing the low down shelves of a pantry, they really come into play effectively.
“Using baskets to group similar items on your low down pantry shelves will make them easier to find and easier to pull out of the space,” says Heather. “This keeps items contained and avoids clutter piling up on the shelves.”
The inclusion of storage bins and baskets will also stop items from getting lost at the back of the pantry, making it easier for you to navigate the space and helping you to avoid stale food gathering unnoticed on your shelving.
If you’d like your storage solution to be even more effective, we recommend labeling each bin or basket with a self-adhesive label detailing its contents, such as the Talented Kitchen 128 Pcs Chalkboard Pantry Labels Set From Walmart or the Avery Multi-Use Labels you handwrite from Walmart. This way, you will always know what is where, regardless of whether your containers are transparent or opaque.
You can stick these labels directly onto your containers or on your shelving unit next to where each container lives.
Price: $48
This light-weight quilted basket is perfect for storing snacks for your little ones or small items prone to getting lost in the pantry, all while keeping your space looking beautiful. Comes in three colors.
3. Use a Lazy Susan
(Image credit: Pottery Barn)
A lazy susan or two are the perfect addition to a low down pantry shelf, especially if you are seeking to organize a pantry with deep shelves. Designed to rotate items from the back of a shelf to the front, you won’t have to be scrambling on your hands and knees searching for an item that’s gone missing at the very back of your pantry.
“Placing a lazy susan on lower shelves will help for easy access to smaller items like condiments or baking supplies, so you can rotate and grab what you need without rummaging,” says Heather.
The YouCopia Crazy Susan 11″ Turntable with Bins at Target is a great option for people seeking to store smaller items such as baking supplies or spare condiments on their lower pantry shelving without it getting lost. The little separated compartments help to keep items grouped together, and the plastic walls prevent items from falling off of the turntable.
YouCopia Crazy Susan 11″ Turntable with Bins
Price: $24.99
This transparent lazy susan turntable is ideal to store pantry goods. Its separate section help divide your items into easy-to-manage categories, and the plastic sides assist in preventing items from falling down.
4. Use Lower Shelves For Children’s Items
The main reason that friction is created between a low down pantry shelf and its user is the height difference. This makes reaching down to the lower space lack convenience so, as a result, we are less likely to maintain good pantry organization ideas or use the space to the best of its ability.
For children, this issue wouldn’t exist in the first place as they are smaller than adults. So, if you’re in the process of trying to encourage your children to take items such as healthy snacks from shelving through their own initiative, it’s a great idea to designate some baskets for them on your low down pantry shelves.
“If you have kids the lower shelves are a great place to store items you want them to grab on their own,” says Mary. “Snacks that you can grab and go can be stored on a lower shelf. You fill a bin on a counter, label the bin and then you can just grab out of it.”
The JeashCHAT Small Foldable Canvas Fabric Storage Basket from Walmart is ideal and child-safe for this job. Coming in a variety of patterns to store different goods, these baskets are soft, durable and even washable. It’s recommended to place snacks and items into baskets instead of keeping them in their original packaging as children will be more likely to keep empty boxes in your pantry space. This will make it harder for you to know what to rebuy. Soft, fabric baskets also ensure that children new to this task of independence aren’t going to get hurt by potentially dropping a more solid container on themselves.
5. Install Pull-out Drawers
(Image credit: Meghan Bob Photography. Design: Hub of the Home)
Pull-out, or “rolling”, drawer systems can be added to your low down pantry shelving to make items easier to access. These drawers adhere to your main shelf and pull out, extending forward so you don’t have to reach into the back of your usual shelf space to find what you’re looking for.
“If bending over to get things seems like a chore to you may want to consider adding roll-out drawers,” says Heather. “This will make it easier to access items stored at the back of lower shelves without bending or reaching awkwardly.”
The Silver Star Kitchen Pull Out Soft Close Basket from Amazon is a simple, minimalistic storage solution that will keep hold of your items in an open format. But if you’re searching for something that resembles a traditional drawer, we recommend trying out Amazon’s Sightday Pull Out Cabinet Organizer instead.
After implementing even a couple of these organizational tips to maximize the low down shelving space of your pantry, you’re going to find the space so much more efficient to use going forward.
FAQs
How to Use Space At The Bottom Of a Pantry?
The best way to utilize storage space at the bottom of a pantry is to store heavy and large items as we explained above.
This can be larger items like glass bottles, juice cartons and large baskets. Placing heavier items at the bottom will give you more space — allowing you to get the most out of your pantry.
