Martha Stewart's #1 Kitchen Organizing Tip Also Helps Reduce Food Waste

Let's be honest, most of us cannot keep up with (AKA afford) Martha Stewart's caviar taste and estate lifestyle. But that doesn't mean we can't still glean plenty of inspiration from the ageless entertaining, baking and gardening extraordinaire.

During the May 23 episode of CBS Sunday Morning, Stewart gave us all a sneak peek at her newly renovated and absolutely stunning kitchen.

"During the last year and couple months, lots of us have been focused on our homes," Stewart says as the segment kicks off. "This kitchen was in dire need of renovation."

While it wasn't crumbling, it was a bit dated, with cream-colored cabinets and too much clutter lying around, Stewart admits.

So to transform what "was not the kitchen I wanted" into her dream design that's more functional, modern and beautiful, "out came the paint cans, out came the brushes, out came the carpenters. I wanted everything to be black, all the cupboards," Stewart adds. "A fresh coat of paint can be transformative!"

In addition to hanging pots on a rack to keep pots and pans close-at-hand, Stewart also tidied up her drawers with something similar to these mDesign Metal Kitchen Pantry 16-Inch Food Storage Basket Bins (buy it: $39.95 for four, Target) because "we are organizers. We are not throw away-ers," she explains, as she points to her large collection of copper pots and pans. "I still find beautiful pieces at tag sales."

Related: Martha Stewart Swears By These 3 Things for Easier Cookie Baking

Getty Images / Gary Gershoff

Stewarts' extreme home makeover did include some other beyond-cabinet upscale upgrades, like an under-counter refrigerator drawer to expand her chill space and a new home for her very fancy espresso machine. But mostly, Stewart focused on a lot of budget-friendly small tasks, such as tossing broken kitchen tools (ahem, a cracked spatula that was at-risk of breaking into her recipe as she stirred soup) and adjusting her pantry with a seriously smart food waste-reducing tip.

"To keep your pantry looking organized and your groceries a little bit fresher," Stewart says, "decant" foods that are in bags (like rice, flour or chocolate chips) and boxes (such as cereal, sugar cubes or pasta) into a labeled, reusable, clear storage container with a tight-fitting lid like this 16-piece set (buy it: $31.99, Amazon) so you can easily see what you already have in stock and can reduce the amount of air exposure. Voila: Lower chance of overbuying what you already have and less spoilage risk since everything is easily within eyesight.

Available at Amazon

And since this 16-piece reusable set is on sale for just $32 (or about $2 per container!), we can definitely make Stewarts' savvy suggestion a reality for our homes too.

For even more before-and-after inspiration, check out this Boston kitchen's radical before-and-after renovation. We still can't believe it's the same space. 🤯