When you think of home decorating, the living room or bedroom are probably the first to spring to mind. The kitchen pantry? Not so much. Organizing the food pantry isn’t something that screams “creative,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it while also making some good space. In fact, you might be surprised how a little work can make your pantry look and function better than it does already. Try these tips for a better-looking food pantry.

Get Consistent With Containers

One of the most effective ways to bring some style to your pantry is to invest a little money in nice-looking storage containers. Instead of keeping all your food stored away in the mismatched, inefficient packaging it came in, bring some consistency to your food closet by keeping everything in similar containers. We’re not necessarily talking Tupperware, either. Glass jars, for instance, can serve as great receptacles for anything from cereal to herbs, all while allowing you a good look at how much of your supplies are left.

Write on It

If you have the space, adding a chalkboard or whiteboard to the inside of your food pantry can allow you to get creative while also serving a very practical purpose. For example, you could use your writing board for notes of what needs to be added to the grocery list, dates of when certain foods are set to expire, or just nice little notes to your family or roommates. You could even write a weekly menu to keep your dinners organized. Even adding a little hand-drawn art will add a nice touch of flair to an area that probably rarely sees it.

Get Yourself Some More Space

Who said you needed to be limited by the shelves you have, anyway? If space is an issue in your kitchen, as it is for many people, there are a few ways you can get more mileage outside of the storage you already have to work with. Modular shelving units–that is, shelves that you can arrange to your preferences, kind of like Lego–are available from all the big retailers. With one of these, you could fit a shelf or two wherever works best. Some shelving units even come with caster wheels installed on the bottom, making it easier for you to slide the unit in and out of wherever you might be hiding it.

Lay It Out the Best Way for Your Needs

When it comes to organizing your food pantry, you need, above all, something that’s not just creative, but also practical. After all, there’s no sense in rearranging your pantry so that it looks nice but doesn’t work properly! That’s why you should have at least a little bit of a plan for how you’re going to lay your foods and other supplies out. For instance, it doesn’t make much sense to put commonly used things in the back of a cupboard. Further, if you’ve got unnecessary items taking up too much space in your pantry, think of how you might be able to pare them down to just the essentials.