20 Pantry Before-and-Afters to Inspire Your Homebound Clean-Out

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.

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Chances are, you've been told to stay inside your home for the foreseeable future—and amid the most pressing concerns for you and your family, cabin fever is looming large.

What better way to spend your lunch break than to finally tackle your pantry? Consolidate duplicates, put flours and sugars in airtight containers, and get all the spices lined up and ready to season the dry goods you're planning to prepare this month.

If you need some inspiration to get you started, or are looking for ideas on how to better organize your pantry, behold some truly impressive pantry makeovers, courtesy of Instagram. These before-and-after pictures photos prove it is possible to tackle even the most overwhelming of pantries—no matter how big or small—and keep things neat, efficient, and organized.

Is this even the same pantry? It went from a cluttered, disorganized mess to an Instagrammer’s dream. We’re loving all the practical, see-through storage containers, complete with labels, as well as those charming oil and vinegar bottles.

Behold, the power of baskets. This before-and-after proves that you can truly transform your pantry with a few baskets. Oh, and don’t forget the pantry step shelf to easily view your spices and/or canned goods.

If you’re working with a skinny pantry space, you’ll want to bookmark this makeover. The DIYers upgraded their little space with deeper shelves and a lovely green paint job, as well as baskets, bins, and storage containers galore.

The bigger the pantry, the bigger the potential mess! It’s wonderful to be able to store a lot of food, but not so much when everything is thrown onto shelves willy-nilly. This makeover, which uses of all sorts of baskets, bins, jars, and containers, truly is #PantryGoals.

As if just organizing a pantry isn’t a huge enough task by itself, these homeowners completely renovated theirs. The effort was definitely worth it, though, because the sliding door and wooden shelves add such a charming, rustic touch. We’re digging the paper towel storage shelf, too.

If you’re not into the whole wicker basket idea, you’ll like this next pantry. This stunning before-and-after proves that sometimes you just need to get rid of everything you don’t use, to create more space. Everything is neat, organized, and, most importantly, visible—without any of the traditional baskets.

All we have to say about this makeover is, wow! In the before picture, everything was a jumbled mess, but the after image could be in a magazine. How cool is it that the appliances get their own shelf?

Those little wooden scoops set our hearts all aflutter. This pantry makeover is truly impressive. Before, everything was thrown together without a thought, but now everything is sorted into baskets and jars. The under-shelf wire drawers are an ingenious way to maximize limited space, too.

If you use labels like these, your kids (or partner) will never be able to say they couldn’t find something again. This string of photos takes you on a whole journey, from when the pantry didn’t even exist to its final glory, complete with bold, brilliant labels on every jar and basket.

Most of us don’t have an inch to spare in our pantries, but after you purge and organize, you may even find yourself with extra shelf space. We like the idea of adding a few decorative pieces to personalize the area—just so it doesn’t feel so utilitarian and can “spark joy” in your life.

Who knew a pantry could be taken from storage necessity to design-zone? The addition of a watercolor wallpaper in this pantry makes it look worthy of hanging out in. Plus, all the coordinating labels are so satisfying.

Okay, usually pantry transformations have some semblance of order beforehand, but this before photo really threw us for a loop. The things falling off the shelves really add to the wow factor of the reveal, though.

Speaking of organized before photos...this pantry was pretty neat and tidy pre re-org, but the shuffling of baskets and rearranging of cans is even more satisfying to behold.

If you're into minimalist pantries, this is the one for you. Somehow this owner went from bags of Doritos and boxes of Cocoa Krispies to sleek, see-through canisters of flour, sugar, and other staples. Purge away!

This space was worthy of coveting before a makeover, but the addition of clear turntables on the open shelves and wooden bins to corral clutter makes it even more beautiful.

This transformation, according to the organizer, is due to the power of "decanting" all boxed and bagged items. When you take things out of their store-bought packaging and put them into clear containers, your world gets a whole lot more organized.

At first glance, this looks like a standard reach-in pantry—shelves on the inside, and some handing storage on the door. But, surprise! There's some extra space on the side when you peek in, perfect for squeezing a couple extra bins and containers.

Clear containers in the pantry don't always have to be rectangular, they can be whatever glass jars you have on hand. This pantry owner created lots of space and visual interest by putting all her grains, flours, and pastas into jars, and two-toned shelves make it feel pulled together.

This large pantry space is made even more appealing by creating uniformity among all the items. Clear containers sensing a theme?), coordinating jars, and new spices of all the same brand make the space feel far more pulled together.

This reach-in is made instantly brighter by the addition of white bins and clear containers. All the dark packaging on the store-bought items made it hard to see exactly what was inside, but no more!

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This article originally appeared in January 2019. We’re re-running it because we've found lots more stunning pantry makeovers to share.

Which pantry transformation did you enjoy most? Let us know below!