The Best Storage Containers

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have an obsession with storage bins.  I rarely meet a bin I haven't tried for compartmentalizing some aspect of my life.  Along the way, I've developed a keen sense of what separates a good storage tote from a great one.  Today I'm sharing with you what I'm storing in these beloved bins and my favorite totes for getting the job done.

The Junk Drawer

Unfortunately, we all seem to have that drawer.  The drawer in our kitchen that has reluctantly become the dumping ground for all things miscellaneous.  Everything from unused gift cards to coupons to phone chargers, pencils, scissors and scratch paper.  For whatever reason, this drawer is inevitably a tangled ball of sharp objects and is nearly impossible to navigate without injury.  For this such reason, I turned to these Room Essentials brand organizers from Target to make moderate sense of the matter.

I am a second generation drawer liner.  I love lining my drawers primarily for the sense of keeping items within the drawer stationary (this is my favorite brand of drawer liner).  Because most every drawer in my home has some sort of coordinating storage solution in it, lining the drawers keeps items from shifting upon turbulence.

I love these little storage pieces for a variety of reasons.  First, they come in a wide range of sizes making it easy to maximize drawer storage and give adequate space to each of your categories.  Piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle until you've filled the drawer to maximum capacity.  Or, utilize them to create planned open compartments for odd shaped items.

Their finish and non-slip base makes them feel more suited to office/kitchen supplies than bathroom supplies that lend themselves to a more wipeable surface.  When these are due for a cleaning, I simply empty their contents and give them a good scrub down like I would any other item in my kitchen.  They are extremely durable and stay looking like new year after year.

Art & Office Supplies

If there's one thing you should take away from this post today, it's to get yourself to IKEA to pick up some of these $3.99 drawer organizers (I wasn't able to find them online but I believe they are part of the Samla series).

They are a bit of a hidden gem, often found only in the warehouse near the office furniture aisles.  While they are a lightweight piece, don't mistake them for lacking in durability.  Their less substantial nature allows you to fill them to the brim while still making it easy to place them in and out of drawers or move them from one work surface to another.

I use these pieces in our kids' art room.  You can look back at how we converted this room from a formal office to a more kid-friendly area in this post.

The top drawer of each bank of drawers in the room houses one of these organizers.  One is filled with drawing and coloring supplies while the other holds craft tools and adhesives.  When my kids sit down to do homework or spend time coloring, they can simply pull the whole unit out and place it on their desk for easy access.

Clothing

You have more than you can fit, you cycle through your wardrobe on a seasonal basis or you're storing clothing for future use.  No matter your reason, inevitably you have clothing stored in random locations throughout your home that don't involve your closet.

Truthfully, there are a ton of options for storing clothes and the way you store them really does come down to how meaningful the clothes are to you.  But generally speaking, if you have run-of-the-mill clothes you are looking to get out of the way, this is the style storage tote I rely on for help.

When it comes to clothing, I try to avoid any bin that has a snap on lid.  Bins of clothes tend to bulge as we try to pack more and more into them and a snap on lid that appears to be holding on for dear life is often not durable enough to get the job done.  I prefer these sorts of bins that come with heavier duty snap tight handles.

For kids' clothes, I started by color coordinating - pink totes for girl clothes, blue totes for boys.  However, it quickly became apparent to me that I'd prefer the bins to be clear allowing me to see what their contents is without having to pull the bin off the shelf.  I've seen these clear bins with handles in a variety of colors - consider color coordinating handle colors by season, occasion or family member.

I always label the outside of the bin so I can easily find items or sizes at a glance.

Bathroom Drawers

The most important part of any bathroom storage solution is that it be easily cleanable.  When it comes to storing the inner workings of one's bathroom drawers, often the contents involve powders, potions and other slippery substances.  These clear Linus Storage Bins from The Container Store have proven to be the best and most easily maintainable in a high humidity, high moisture environment.

Similar to the junk drawer solution above, I like that these pieces can be customized to fill any drawer space.  They come in nice small sizes to hold even the most minute products - hair ties, jewelry or a nail clipper.  They make it easy to give each of your belongings a home keeping you organized longer.  I like to store my daily cosmetics in one medium square so that I can pull it out while I'm applying it making spills and smudges less happenstance.

I don't line bathroom drawers since product residue is more likely in this environment, so I like that these containers have non-slip feet on the bottom to keep them in place.  The clear nature of them feels more suited to a bathroom and adds a little luxury to your morning routine.

There are so many more areas of the home that dictate a variety of storage solutions.  I have another post planned in the near future to cover areas like linen closets, kitchen utensils, toys (ugh!) and books.  With back to school season in full swing, I'm also planning a post on organizing the barrage of paper headed our way.  If there are any specific areas you are looking for storage solutions for, feel free to contact me.  I have a couple closet projects I'm consulting on this Fall and look forward to sharing the details with you!