How to Create a Farmhouse Pantry (No Labels!)

You might like this no-label pantry system, or you might simply like the aesthetic. Here is how I pulled this pantry together.

I love a pretty pantry.

When I moved into my current home, it was the first “room” I furnished. Yes, it might have taken 1 ½ years to decide on a couch, but the pantry had to be ASAP.

If you are the type of person that likes to have great bulk or are a major stocker-upper/sale-buyer, then perhaps this is not for you. Or perhaps you have a separate closet for Costco purchases. But if you like to only have in your pantry what you actually use, and keep a high turnover (use up, replace, use up, replace), then you’ll love this system.

And the best part…there’s no labels needed. Labels actually hurt rather than help. 

Why You Shouldn’t Label a Pantry

When I labeled everything in the pantry in my previous home, I found that I ended up with a lot of empty containers. I don’t always have the same kind of nuts or grains on hand and the ingredients that I use most often (aside from the super basics) changes. I want to fill up my containers with whichever ingredients need containers at the time!

There’s so much less pressure.

Plus, if a pretty jar stays empty for a time, so what? It’s still pretty. 

This photo from The Container Store was the inspiration photo for my pantry. I saw that I could mix and match different elements – and it could work and look way more interesting than the standard. I think the main thing is to just choose a color scheme and stick to it. I chose black and wood. I think that white and wood is also pretty. Once you have your colors, it’s much easier to mix and match elements because they’ll coordinate even if they are totally random.

I used a few large Brentwood Bins from The Container Store. They were a pretty upgrade from the Ikea Kuggis of my last pantry. There are some practical things I learned regarding “bins.” First–that I like opaque because you can’t really see what’s inside, so the pantry looks pretty overall even if there’s random things in the bin (this is real life after all).

I also learned not to make a lot of small, specific bins. I have a few big bins–snack bags are in one, crackers/rice cakes and such in another, baking ingredients get one, and savory cooking ingredients/cans get another, and pastas take up a bin. I keep another high up for the Shabbos party/treats. I realized that my bins don’t have to be so specific. It’s so much easier when I could throw ALL random cooking ingredients into the same two bins and it doesn’t really matter.

The ready made food (snacks, crackers) are closer to the door of the pantry, because those are items other members of the family are likely to grab. So I keep those more accessible. The raw ingredients are further in.

Besides for the basic baking ingredients that I keep in the Prokeeper Series and the ingredients kept in the pretty jars, everything else is pretty much in a bin.

Does keeping ingredients in a pretty jar make a difference?

There are parts of this that bring joy. When I bring my jar or oats or rice to the counter when I’m cooking or baking, it feels good to have this pretty thing next to me vs. the ugly bag/container. It’s just more fun to cook surrounded by pretty things.

I’ll detail what I chose and why below. If there’s anything I left out, please ask below as well!

Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Canister Jars

I love these so much. Yes, they are somewhat of an investment, like many of these elements. I only bought four of these in different sizes. You can find more well-priced wood lidded jars that look similar on Amazon.

Glass Canisters with Black Matte Lids

I wanted to keep the wood-and-black contrast going so I mixed and matched groups of wood jars with groups of black jars. I use these for my rice and brown rice. I have another group on the top shelf for less-used ingredients (to be honest, those are more for the look than the function. They’re not necessary).

Vertical Wire Stacking Bins

This is just a pretty way to keep drinks! Sure, sometimes it’s Perrior, but it can also be bottles of water or Snapple, or even cans of soda. And yes, sometimes I have cases of drinks on the floor of the pantry, but when it’s not full, they can go in the bin and I can get rid of the case.

The Home Edit Open Front Black Bins

I like these to keep prettier ingredients that are sold in glass jars. I keep ingredients like balsamic vinegar, red cooking wine, and the like in one bin and Asian ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar in the other. Truth, it doesn’t matter if they get mixed up and the bottles are mixed up. It looks good anyway and they’re easy to find.

Wood Wine Rack

A great, pretty place to keep wine! Hey, it goes.

Set of Glass Canisters with Wood

These are smaller containers that are useful if I want to get rid of packaging–Craisins, nuts, popcorn…the turnover stays high. Use it up and fill it with something else.

Black Farmhouse Baskets

Some people like to have ripening produce on the counter. I don’t like to have anything on the counter. I don’t own a toaster and never will ;). The only thing that gets counter space is my Caffe Affetto Espresso Machine. And, so, I need pantry baskets for ripening avocados/bananas, onions, and potatoes. I have another basket on the side for bread (whatever is being used soon and is not in the freezer).

Baking Ingredients – Prokeeper Series

The only thing that I did officially “containerize” are the basic baking ingredients. I love the Prokeeper series, but of course, whichever you currently use, whether OXO or another, is fine. Prokeepers have functional components, like the leveler in the flour container, the clay disc in the brown sugar, and the scooper in the sugar container.

Cereal – Prokeeper Series

I like to keep cereal in containers as well, rather than boxes. There’s not such good stuff on the back of cereal boxes anymore anyways. I used the Prokeepers in this pantry, but I’m still a fan of the ones I wrote about in a past post on cereal containers. Read more on the cereal containers we like here.