PANTRY MAKEOVER WITH ELFA

Hannah Ferrier from Below Deck Mediterranean sought help from Professional Organiser Anita Birges to makeover her pantry with Elfa.

Hannah wanted the pantry space to work better for her family and make cooking quicker and easier, with the proviso her wine fridge would fit in too!

ABOUT HANNAH

Hannah Ferrier sailed onto our screens back in 2016 leading the cast in Arena / Bravo show ‘Below Deck, Mediterranean’! The latest iteration in the ‘Below Deck’ franchise saw Hannah take on the role of Chief Stewardess along with 8 other crew members on a luxury yacht. As elite groups of passengers bring new demands and new dramas, Hannah delivered not just for the guests but for the camera!

Growing up on a small island on the Hawkesbury River about an hour north of Sydney, Australia, before moving to Mosman (North Sydney). Hannah always knew she would always end up back in Sydney but had huge travel goals before settling down. So, after a successful 6 years in IT and Telecomms, she visited the South of France and fell in love with the Mediterranean. She moved there soon after and began working on Superyachts. For 6 years she worked the summer season on yachts (across France, Spain, Italy, Greek Islands, Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey, Caribbean, United States, Cyprus, Lebanon and Croatia) then returned home for the Aussie summer.

BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN

In 2015 she was approached by Bravo and soon found herself cast on their latest iteration of the hugely successful ‘Below Deck’. Now entering its sixth season, Hannah is the only ‘Below Deck, Med’ cast member to appear in every season. Her sassy nature and witty banter won over fans across the globe. But it was a softer side of Hannah that leads her and the show to ratings success. Season three saw the usually confident, in control leader break down. An anxiety attack brought the real struggles of anxiety sufferers to the forefront. An outpouring of support followed as fans thanked Hannah for her candid explanation and attitude to the situation.

Now back based in Sydney, Hannah has taken on a new challenge, being a mother. Ava was born in late 2020 and flipped Hannah’s world on it’s head. Always the over achiever, Hannah juggles running her yacht training school ‘Ocean International’ and her hugely successful podcast ‘Dear Reality, You’re Effed’ with her family life.

The Pantry Challenge

Hannah felt that the old pantry really aged the house. She said, it’s a renovated 1930’s house but the kitchen needed a bit of work and the pantry needed an makeover, it looked cramped and old!

Hannah had a few requirements for the pantry, but fundamentally wanted a space that was organsied, easy to use and made cooking and entertaining a joy.

Professional Organiser Anita Birges, from mise en place was happy to help!

We asked Anita what challenges she found with this pantry makeover and her top tips for an organised space:

ANITA’s STRATEGY

It was and awkward pantry to organise, but I’m always up for a challenge!

Not only was I dealing with a very small, narrow space, I was also dealing with the space being underneath the stairs. Working with that angle was an interesting one to say the least.

As always with a pantry makeover I consider what “needs” my client has as well as their “wish list”.

For Hannah, a “non-negotiable” was having her wine fridge in there.

Planning a pantry makeover

If you already have a pantry installed filled with food etc, make sure you do a good declutter first. Sort into “like categories” and then this will give you a good indication of what storage solutions you’ll need and how many of each to make the most of your space.

Think about who is using the pantry

Anita says: A family pantry is quite different to a pantry without kids in the home. For example there might be baby food, a snack station or a “grab and go” area that helps you prepare the kids lunch boxes.

Having a family pantry can also mean that you organise it differently. Often parents don’t want their kids little fingers getting stuck into chocolate and sweets whenever they feel like it, so it’s important to put these things up high 🙂

Favourite part of this elfa Pantry makeover?

Anita’s favourite part about this pantry makeover was seeing the vision become a reality!

I knew that working with Howards Storage World, installing the Elfa Shelving System and using all those baskets, containers and organising solutions was going to make this pantry an absolute dream for Hannah and her family.

My other favourite part was seeing her reaction once the pantry was done. Having an organised pantry can make such a difference to a family.

What to consider when choosing a bin

Hannah opening up her new Joseph Joseph Totem Bin

Use organisers and caddies to make the most of your space and keep this grouped and tidy. Choose a good quality container system that is modular and stacks.

What does Hannah think?

Howards: On Below Deck Mediterranean, you were used to working in a small kitchen. How has your life changed now you are back in Australia? What are you doing now?

Hannah:  It’s so amazing to have so much more room! But I did realise that even with having more space you still need to be organised!! That’s when I reached out to Anita and started talking with Howards!

Howards: What was the problem with your old pantry set up?

Hannah: It’s a renovated 1930’s house but they had left these old wooden cabinets in the pantry and this amazing large space looked cramped and old!

Howards: What was your brief to Anita for your reorganised pantry? Were there any “not negotiables”

Hannah: I love the pantry as a whole but I just love how everything is separated in a ‘real life’ way – if you are cooking Asian then everything is in the one box – same if you are BBQing – we can basically pull one box for each cuisine we are cooking at that’s us done until we pop it back after cooking!

Howards: Overall, what do you think of the elfa shelving system? Would you recommend it?

Hannah: I was initially hesitant to get wire shelving but the end result blew my mind! It looks modern and comes with a 10 year warranty so peace of mind is there

Howards: Has the new Joseph Joseph Totem Bin changed the way you manage your waste?

Hannah: This bin is a life changer! We love recylicing and think it’s so important but to have three separate bins was a lot! Being able to separate at the same time as having something that looks stylish on display is amazing 

Howards: Your husband showed a great interest in the spice cans and the Lazy Susan in the pantry. Is this a better way to store spices?

Hannah:  Josh will not stop talking about the spice cans! In fact everyone got them for Christmas! It actually reminds you to add more spice when you are cooking to add a bit more flavour in! 

Magnetic Spice Cans

ITEMS FEATURED IN THIS ELFA PANTRY MAKEOVER

If you would like your very own elfa pantry makeover, pop into a store and speak to one of our elfa experts.

Bring in some pictures or video of your space on your phone and some measurements. Give some thought to what your storage needs are, and we can help you create the best pantry layout for your space.