There are two kinds of people in January: the “new year, new me” crowd…and the people who just found cans hiding in the back of their pantry that expired years ago. If you’re anywhere in the middle (most of us), here’s the good news: you don’t need a personality transplant. You need a system.

And if you want proof that systems work, look no further than Bethenny’s Florida home—specifically, the pantry project organized with the help of Anna Feldman and Lana Schwartz, professional organizers at Perfect Pair Organizers. When the stakes are high (read: a home that’s photographed, lived in, and expected to look effortless), you don’t just "tidy." You set it up so it’s easier to keep it that way.

Most people start organizing by buying bins. Anna and Lana start by looking at the space first.

When her team tackled Bethenny’s pantry in Florida, Anna said they "began with a full walkthrough assessment" before doing anything else. "We measured all shelves and drawers and took detailed notes on the existing layout," she explained. That step matters because it tells you what will actually fit, what you can store where, and what kind of storage solutions will make sense long term.

Of course, aesthetics still matter. “We also collaborated with the interior designer to ensure the organizational design aligned seamlessly with the visual tone of the home,” Anna said. In practice, that can be as simple as sticking to one style of containers or baskets so the pantry feels calmer when you open the door.

Bethenny had some specific preferences, too, which helped guide product choices. Anna said Bethenny "specifically requested more linear organizational products, for example, square glass containers instead of round." If you want a similar effect at home, pick one container shape and repeat it for the items you use all the time. It looks more consistent, but it’s also easier to stack and easier to maintain.

Tip #1: Zones First, Products Second (Yes, in That Order)

Here’s your January mantra, straight from the pros: “Plan your zones before selecting products; the layout should drive the organization.”

That means you decide what lives where before you buy a single bin. In a pantry, zones might look like:

• Breakfast + coffee
• Snacks (kids, adult, supermodel)
• Baking
• Pasta + grains
• Cans + jarred goods
• Oils + vinegars
• Backstock 

Zones are what make a pantry stay organized. When everything has a spot, it’s easier to put groceries away quickly and you're less likely to end up with random items drifting to whatever shelf has space.

Tip #2: Choose Containers That Match Your Brain (and Your Shelves)

Once you know your zones, the next step is picking containers that fit your shelves and fit how you actually use the space. The goal is not to decant every single thing. It’s to make the pantry easier to scan, easier to stack and faster to put groceries away.

A simple way to do that is to stick with one general container style for the items you reach for all the time. When your canisters and bins share a similar shape, you waste less space and the shelves look calmer without you having to do anything extra.

A few easy rules that help:

• Use stackable canisters for staples you buy on repeat, like flour, sugar, rice, pasta and snacks
• Pick one label style and use it everywhere you decant
• Keep bin styles consistent within each zone so your snack shelf isn't a mix of random baskets and mismatched containers

If you want to start small, choose one zone and upgrade only that shelf first. It’s the quickest way to see what works before you buy more.

Tip #3: The Three Tools Anna Always Reaches For

When asked what she uses no matter the size of the pantry, Anna said she likes products that look good and work hard: “We absolutely love incorporating products that are both aesthetically beautiful and highly functional.”

Here are the three things she comes back to again and again:

1. Clear acrylic bins and baskets. “These allow clients to easily see what they have, reducing visual clutter and making the pantry more intuitive to use.”
2. Risers, turntables (Lazy Susans), and can organizers. “These maximize vertical space and create dimension, especially on deeper shelves.”
3. Labels. “We label everything… because clear labeling ensures items can be found and returned to their proper place with ease.”

If you want one small place to start, grab a turntable for the deep shelf stuff and label your main zones. That alone makes the pantry easier to use day to day.

Tip #4: Small Pantry? You Can Still Make It Work

Not everyone has a walk in pantry. Anna’s tips for smaller spaces are pretty simple and they make a big difference:

• Maximize vertical space with stackable products
• Use turntables so you can reach what’s on deep shelves
• Keep everyday items at eye level
• Break the space into small zones so things don’t drift
• Choose slimmer bins and canisters so shelves don’t feel jammed
• Only decant the essentials so it stays “clean, intentional, and low-maintenance”

Tip #5: Do the Full Reset Once, Then Keep It Up

Anna’s overall step-by-step is clean, classic, and—importantly—doable:

1. Completely empty the pantry.
2. Clean thoroughly—wipe down shelves, drawers, and flooring.
3. Remove expired items and anything no longer needed.
4. Plan your zones before selecting products; the layout should drive the organization.
5. Use storage solutions to create clear boundaries.
6. Label everything.

If you do this once, it’s much easier to maintain. After that, you’re mostly just putting things back where they belong and doing the occasional quick check for expired food.

How an Organizing System Becomes a Lifestyle Upgrade

Anna says the Bethenny pantry was especially fun because “we were able to start with a true blank canvas.” Most of us don’t get a blank canvas. We get a crowded shelf and a suspicious sticky spot.

But you can create a fresh start by clearing one category at a time. Pantry today. Bathroom next weekend. Closet when you’re emotionally ready. Because the point of organizing isn’t to have matching bins. It’s to stop wasting time, stop rebuying what you already own, and stop feeling mildly attacked by your own house.

New year. New zones. Same you—just less chaos.