No Pantry? No Problem

One upper cabinet, one lower, and one drawer can become an efficient food storage system when you give it the right infrastructure.

- AMY PANOS

See how to fit it all in and make it look good.

Here's a plan for turning part of your kitchen cabinets into smart, convenient food storage.

1 INVENTORY the foods you typically store and group them into categories that make sense to you (snacks, baking, canned goods, etc.).

This falls in line with the mother of all organizing principles: Store like with like.

2 DETERMINE the optimal location for each category based on usage. What you reach for daily goes front and center; what you use only occasionally goes up high and down low. Give each group a home and a label so everybody will know where to find something and where to return it. This will help the pantry stay organized.

3 SUBDIVIDE each category's space using organizers that help you see and reach all the items. That might mean tiered shelves for cans or a turntable for condiments. Before you shop, know the purpose and size of each organizer you're looking for.