It’s Day 14 and today we’re fixing a storage mistake that we've all made - accidentally adding to the visual clutter in a room. We love using baskets and bins to corral small items and keep things organized. But when those drawers, baskets, and bins are see-through – either a clear plastic or wire mesh – you’re adding to the visual clutter in the room because you can see what's being stored.
These two images below are from The Containers Store and they look beautiful, everything is nicely organized within the plastic bins and wire basket. But these have been styled for photoshoots, it would be nearly impossible to keep them looking this organized in real life, especially if you’re using the contents inside often. Seeing the contents in disarray adds to visual clutter and creates stress because the mess is never hidden. We’ve got a few quick fixes to make your existing product work for you.
Fixing Clear Bins and Drawers
Scrapbook paper to the rescue! Cut a piece of scrapbook paper (or wrapping paper) the same size as the front of your clear plastic drawer or bin and adhere the paper to the inside of the face of the bin. You could also adhere the paper to a piece of cardboard so that it stands freely at the front of the drawer. Instantly, the clutter is hidden and you have an opportunity to add purposeful color and pattern to the room.
Fixing Wire Baskets
Add a fabric liner to your existing wire baskets. If you’re feeling crafty and have some fabric around, you can sew a liner to custom fit the dimensions of your basket. If sewing isn’t your thing, Michael's has a great tutorial for a no-sew liner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQz1ZF_6zf4 Etsy and Wayfair are great places to search for ready-made liners.
New Storage Solutions
If you’re looking for some new storage solutions, we have a few ideas. We love wicker baskets, they add warmth and texture to a space while completely concealing what’s hidden inside them. If you don’t have a lot of closed storage in your home, wicker baskets can give you storage on open bookcases or on the bottom shelf of nightstands or coffee tables.
Tall lidded baskets allow you to add lots of storage to a home. In an empty corner of the living room, you could add a couple of lidded baskets in varied heights and store blankets, magazines, games, etc.
Small decorative lidded boxes are so much more useful than bowls or vases when styling a bookcase or table. You can hide all of the little things you might need access to while creating a beautiful vignette. For example, maybe you stack a couple of storage boxes on the entryway table for things like spare keys, scissors, stamps, tape and post-it notes – now we’ve just freed up the junk drawer in the kitchen for actual kitchen things!
Our Favorite Store Solutions
Here are some of our favorite organizational bins, boxes and baskets that are both functional and stylish.
1 l 2 l 3 l 4 l 5 l 6 l 7 l 8 l 9 l 10 l 11 l 12