Unpacking & Organizing a Brand-New Pantry in Lexington, Kentucky

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Recently, we had the privilege of helping a client unpack and set up her brand-new kitchen and pantry right here in Lexington, Kentucky.

After spending more than a year building her dream home, she knew she wanted her space to be organized and functional from the very first day. In addition to scheduling the moving trucks, she reached out months in advance to schedule our team to arrive right after the movers dropped off the boxes.

Her biggest concern? The kitchen and pantry. Her new home featured a large, open pantry design, but like many homeowners, she wasn’t sure how to balance function with aesthetics. Spacious pantries that are meant to be a design feature of the home can be both a blessing and a challenge. While she had plenty of storage, she wanted a way to keep things practical and beautiful.

In today’s blog, I’ll share how we set up her pantry to not only support her family’s everyday life but also brings a little joy every time she walks in.

Pantry Pull-Out Shelves: Friend or Frenemy?

One of the biggest features in new kitchens and pantries is pull-out shelves. Everyone loves them because you can finally reach every nook and cranny. But here’s the catch, what no one tells you is that they can get messy, fast. Items tip over, slide around, and in cases like this one, can look cluttered because the shelves aren’t tucked neatly behind cabinet doors.

So how do you take advantage of all that accessibility without the chaos? Here are three ways we tidied up these pull-out shelves and turned them into organized, functional storage.

👉 Want more inspiration for organizing pull-out shelves? Check out this blog: Easy Organization Ideas for Pull-Out Shelves in Your Kitchen Pantry

1. Drawer Dividers for Canned Goods

When this pantry was installed, one shelf in particular didn’t leave much height to work with. While the shelves are adjustable, we decided to keep this one as-is and make it work hard for her canned goods.

We added drawer Bameos 2" tall drawer dividers* that matched the height of the shelf sides, which created neat sections to keep cans lined up and easy to see. Instead of rolling around or disappearing into the back, every can now has its own spot. She can grab what she needs for dinner in seconds, see when it’s time to restock, and keep the pantry looking polished at the same time.

2. Clear Bins for Smaller Items

Sticking with the theme of creating sections within the pull-out drawers, we added clear bins to corral smaller items. This way, nothing gets lost in the shuffle, and every category has its place.

For example, drink mixes were sorted into a small container and neatly divided, while a larger clear bin holds dinner mixes, seasoning packets, and even garlic. Grouping these together makes it easy to grab what she needs without digging—and bonus, the clear bins make it simple to see what’s running low. No more duplicates hiding in the back!

3. Beautiful Baskets for Large Items

For larger pantry items, we used the large Hyacinth Baskets* from The Container Store. They’re the perfect fit, extending almost the full depth of the pull-out shelves with tall sides to keep everything contained. You can also find a similar product at Walmart (Pro tip: choose the deepest baskets you can for your shelves—it makes a big difference.)

Since this pantry is located in a separate space from the main kitchen, these baskets add another layer of convenience. She can grab a whole basket, set it on the kitchen island, and have everything she needs right within reach. When she’s done, it simply slides back into place.

In the picture below, you can see we used the far-left basket for breakfast items and the right basket for baking essentials. That baking basket is especially handy—sugar, mixes, and other go-to ingredients are all organized together, portable, and ready whenever inspiration strikes.

Setting Up the Open Shelving

Because this pantry is so visible, we wanted it to look as polished as the new home itself. Her pantry had two sections, so we placed the most commonly used items closest to the kitchen and styled the shelves to be both pretty and practical.

Closest to the kitchen:

• Repurposed canisters from her old house to hold bulk baking staples like flour and sugar.

  
  

• Brought in her breadboxes from the previous kitchen, giving them a fresh home on the shelves instead of cluttering the counters.

  
  

• White turntable spinners from Target to make condiments and bottles easy to access while also tying in with the white clip labels for a cohesive look.

• Mixed baskets for the perfect fit: Target Hyacinth Milk Crate baskets that matched the hyacinth style from The Container Store* but measured 13” deep—ideal for her 14” shelves. We used these on both sides of the pantry for balance.

Closer to the mudroom:

• Clear bins on the highest shelves for medicine and first-aid supplies. At that height, baskets would have made items easy to forget. Clear containers keep everything visible, and they’re a lifesaver when it comes to cleaning up inevitable liquid spills from kids’ medicine.

• Tall closet storage: On this end of the pantry, there was also a tall cabinet behind closed doors. We used this space to house cleaning supplies a practical solution that keeps them close at hand but neatly out of sight.

This combination gave her open shelving a clean, coordinated look that works beautifully for everyday use while still feeling like part of the home’s design.

Organizing the Cleaning Cabinet

This tall cabinet is at the end of the pantry gave us the perfect place to store all of her cleaning supplies, but because it’s deep, we needed to make sure nothing got lost in the back.

• Turntables for bottles: We added two 15" turntables from Target to hold spray bottles and cleaners. Now, instead of reaching and knocking things over, she can simply spin the turntable to grab what she needs.

• Multipurpose bins: We used two multipurpose bins from The Container Store, one in size extra large* and one in large*, to corral backstock items like gloves and lightbulb.

• Repurposed basket: On the bottom shelf, we repurposed a basket she already owned to house her candle collection. It keeps them all together, easy to access, and off the countertops.

Making the Most of High Upper Cabinets

One of the biggest challenges in this pantry was the sheer number of upper cabinets. They’re beautiful, but far too high for everyday items. Instead of wasting that space, we used it for holiday supplies, entertaining dishes, and those “pretty but not daily” pieces that you only need a few times a year.

We also like to add little details that make a big difference later. For example, in this pantry we placed clear labels with reminder notes on stacked plates stored up high. From ground level, you can’t always see what’s tucked away, but once you’re on a ladder those labels give you a quick reminder of exactly what’s there—no surprises, no forgotten items.

With all these systems in place, from the pull-out shelves to the open storage, cleaning cabinet, and even the upper cabinets, this pantry went from an empty shell to a fully functional, beautiful space. Now, instead of feeling overwhelmed by boxes and blank shelves, our client has a pantry that supports her daily routines and makes her new house feel like home.

Ready to Unpack Your New Lexington Home?

If you’re moving into a new home in Lexington or the surrounding areas of Central Kentucky, you don’t have to do it all yourself. From unpacking boxes to setting up kitchens, pantries, closets, playrooms, and beyond, our team takes the stress off your shoulders so you can actually enjoy your new space.

Instead of spending your first weeks (or let’s be honest, your first year) digging through boxes and wondering where on earth the spatula ended up, imagine walking into a home that already feels organized, functional, and welcoming. That’s the difference professional unpacking services can make.

We’d love to help you settle in with ease. Click here to schedule a free consultation and let’s turn those stacks of boxes into a home that supports your everyday life from the very start.

One important note: our team is often booked out several months in advance, so don’t wait until moving day to give us a call. Just like you schedule the movers, schedule your organizers too. Your future self will thank you when the forks, plates, and coffee mugs are all exactly where you need them.

P.S. Yes, we actually help clients pack up for a move too! But that’s a story for another blog post. Stay tuned for tips on how to make packing less stressful because one of our magic skill sets is helping you declutter while you pack, so we’re not carefully wrapping and then unpacking 97 coffee mugs when you really only use 5.