Resolving to Get Organized This Year? Here Are Some Storage Solutions
I love to organize. I will happily clean out a closet or come up with a system for a pantry - it may be my ideal activity. The new year is a time of new beginnings, and for many, that means tackling their organizing (or lack thereof). Having moved to a new house (and new city) this past year, I’ve been elbow deep in organizing projects, and here are a few of my favorite finds.
My house is small, so my front door leads right into the living room. I knew before I even moved in that I wanted to put a console table here with a mirror over it. I found the table on Craigslist for $50, and it needs a little work but is perfectly usable as-is for now. The bins are from Hearth and Hand with Magnolia, a line I didn’t think I’d love as much as I do. I don’t want a house designed by Joanna Gaines but man, I love all her Target designs. These bins are pretty large, but I keep Hero’s leash, harness, jacket, and other dog stuff in them, so they work just fine.
The mirror, lamp, and wood planter are all from Target
The faux fiddle leaf fig is from World Market (and is an excellent fake plant, if you’re in the market)
The basket the fiddle leaf is in is from CB2
Across from the console table is a little alcove that I’ve turned into an office. I like having a dedicated workspace, even if I usually work on the couch. When I saw this leather bin at Pottery Barn I knew I wanted to put books and magazines in it next to this chair. Even if you’re not constantly grabbing a book to leaf through out of this bin, it just makes it look more finished. This space is not, however, finished as I plan on putting a shade and maybe curtains on that window, and adding a rug. But this is a huge change from where it was 6 months ago and we’re gonna take the win! Also, I found this leather bin because I loved the larger version at Pottery Barn, but I don’t have a place or use for it. If you want a large, gorgeous, versatile leather bin, check out this one at Pottery Barn!
The chair is from Target
Pillow is from Crate & Barrel and isn’t sold anymore, but it’s an outdoor pillow - don’t discount outdoor pillows for your inside needs!
That print is a Cuban movie poster I got on eBay and the framing cost, of course, 10 times more than the art in it
Living in a small house means the struggle for storage is a never ending battle. This is the closet in my second bedroom, a room that is still in a state of transition. This unit from Target was perfect to cram in one side of the closet that provides exponentially more storage than the closet alone. The bins are sold right alongside the shelving unit, and I didn’t get the labels at first because I thought they were overpriced, but went back to get them when I realized I wanted a way to label the bins (hot tip: buy the labels, you can always return them!). The smaller clear bins on top are, aptly, for smaller things, and they’re from Storables (the Container Store of the Pacific Northwest, where we also have Container Stores). They’re super sturdy plastic and would be excellent for myriad storage situations. Of course, I can’t find them online but here’s something similar!
This is just a good hack that I need everyone to know: Any sturdy box is an organizer. This is a drawer in my roll top desk, which I have repurposed in to a makeup table. Some of those little bins are plastic ones from approximately one million years ago (seriously, I used them in the drawers of the bathroom in my parents house, and I moved out of there 13 years ago). The others are Warby Parker boxes. If you’re buying a relatively nice item, the box it comes in is usually nice, and with a top and a bottom, that’s two drawer organizers you just got for (virtually) free! Other brands with good boxes that you can repurpose? Apple (particularly iPhone boxes), many perfumes, and cosmetics gift sets. I bought this mask set from Sephora and was shocked at the quality of the box all the little masks came in. And I have been saving ticket stubs for over 20 years and they all go in a box from a Philosophy gift set that I’ve put Washi tape on.
So now you have some ideas, get out there and get organizing. I love to attack a bit of clutter when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. This week I was feeling the need for clean and I folded all the clothes in my overcrowded dresser the Marie Kondo way and now I have SO MUCH ROOM.
