The Fix

I had Jessie organize my tiny, crowded pantry a few months ago. I develop recipes for a living so my pantry is always full of slightly weird things (8 different brands of sardines) as well as duplicate items (2 opened bags of flour) and necessary but not-​often-​used ingredients like palm sugar, seaweed and chick pea flour.
Before our meeting, I sent her some pictures of the pantry and she emailed me a list of recommended containers and shelving units to get. I went to the Container Store and scheduled her to come out after I got them. (I think she would have done the container shopping for me, but I kind of love the Container Store)
After first going over what ingredients/​items I use the most often and those I use the least often, she pulled everything out and wiped down all the shelves. She consolidated things that could be consolidated; discovered some long-​lost «treasures» that I decided to toss; put dry goods like oatmeal and sugar into my new airtight containers (with labels); and put all the most-​used things at eye level, with the lesser used things at the top and bottom. Canned goods were organized by type (ie tomato products; canned meat/​fish; curry pastes and flavorings).
The best part is that months later, I am still using the systems she put in place and my pantry is still relatively organized, even though I am not!

Jessie’s vision for a working, attractive laundry closet in place of the disorganized one I had – and then bringing it into being has been a joy that I appreciate everyday.