How A Professional Organizer Selects Storage Containers For Your Home
One of our most asked about questions from the loyal Elegant Simplicity tribe is how do you curate + select storage containers?
And we know there are a lot of choices to sift through. We also know that it’s v-e-r-y easy, dare I say daunting + overwhelming, in trying to select the right storage containers for your home.
But that’s about to change friend cuz we’re pulling back the curtain a bit + sharing with you how as a full-service luxury interior design + professional organizing firm, we curate + select storage containers for our organizing members.
So, let’s dive in + start learning, shall we?
Assess + Declutter
When it comes to storage containers, most people want to start with the aspirational images that they see in an endless scroll on their newsfeed.
In other words, they want to jump right over the assessment phase of the organizing process + right passed the decluttering and actual organizing of their home.
They want to begin with the pretty. Well, unfortunately boo, there’s no shortcuts in creating a home you never, ever, want to leave. However, there is efficiency in following a proven process.
Let me explain…
“Organizing solutions that actually last comes not from what we can buy but rather ‘why’ we need them. ”
We oftentimes think the solution to our clutter challenges is in the “what.” In this case let’s say, the “what” is not having the right storage containers. But in reality, implementing organizing solutions that actually last comes not from what we can buy but rather “why” we need them.
If you know “why” you’re in need of storage containers, well that means you know “what” is being stored in them. In other words, you’ve done the work to identify what you’re storing.
And boo, this is where most people get so overwhelmed. It’s where they waste time + energy investing into storage containers that for one reason or another won’t work for them.
But it’s all simply because they’re doing things out of sequence: i..e the cart is put before the horse *wink*
So… don’t do this. For our clients, we’re focused on the process of assessing, decluttering + organizing BEFORE we’re ever considering what storage containers make sense for you + your family.
Each Of Us Has Different Organizing Brains
As professional organizers, our team takes our role in this accountability partnership seriously. We know our job isn’t to pass judgment or to simply tidy things up for you.
Instead, as your organizing coach, our job is to help you identify what clutter looks like in your home. Where does clutter bottleneck over + over again? Help you determine what to keep vs. what to get rid of.
But we’re also committed, for the long haul, in helping you clearly identify how your organizing brain works + custom-tailoring the organizing systems in your home to you.
Out of Sight, Out Of Mind
For some clients, when things are out of sight — they’re out of mind. So using storage containers or baskets that you can’t see into doesn’t work at all.
And it doesn’t work for one very obvious reason — because no matter what, you can't see what you’re looking for.
The Easily Distracted Mind
On the other hand, for some clients…storage containers that are clear might create anxiety + frustration for them because though they can see into the storage containers — it’s distracting.
This person gets stuck on how the storage container looks or doesn’t look intentionally organized. If it doesn’t look the way it should, all the time, they can become emotionally controlled by the imperfection. And if multiple people are utilizing the storage containers this frustration can spill over into their relationships.
These are two of the most common organizing brains we encounter with clients. Neither is right or wrong.
The Right Storage Containers For Your Organizing Brain
Now you can see that assessing, decluttering + organizing BEFORE storage containers are ever considered not only is important but rather it’s integral to ensuring the storage containers are what makes sense for you.
For The Client Who Struggles With Things Being Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
What storage containers might make the most sense? Potentially, clear storage containers. Storage containers that you can see into + know where everything is when they need them. Whether they’re looking for something or putting it back — it’s all visible to them and that puts their organizing brain at peace because they’ll actually do it.
For The Client Who Struggles With The Easily Distracted Mind
The storage container solution becomes built around the organizational systems that make sense for the way their brains work (i.e. not having clear storage bins) but rather setting the storage containers up in a way they can also be easily understood + maintained by both themselves + others. Beyond, the storage containers not-being clear.., this gets into categorizing + labeling containers.
While these are merely two specific organizing brains it’s quite remarkable to see how one simple solution (using clear storage vs. non-clear) might have two incredibly different outcomes for people.
The “what” you need to have always comes back to the “why” you need it in your home. Selecting the right storage containers is a process of helping you discover what works for you + your family.
Remember, home should be everything you need + nothing more™
That said, it’s also not uncommon for people to prefer clear storage bins in certain areas of their home + colored storage containers, woven baskets, or bins in another.
It simply means, organizing the right way takes time.
The Benefits Of Using Storage Containers
Regardless of whether it’s for toiletries in your bathroom, clothes in your dresser + closet, tools your garage or kids toys in a playroom storage containers help ensure the systems we setup together are maintainable over time.
Storage Containers Corral Everything In Place
When you begin to containerize, you’re determining the things in your home will be stored + corralled here — in this storage container. And there is so much value, let alone peace of mind, in not only decluttering + organizing but in determining a storage container that lives in this drawer or that cabinet.
It’s an end to the miscellaneous shelf or the oh-so-common junk drawer *wink*
Storage Containers Communicate To Others
Whenever people are sharing space, bridging that communication gap between the person using the space + whom the space was organized + setup for is incredibly important.
From spouses to kids to the help you hire around the house (cleaners, cooks, trainers, etc) storage containers not only corral things into place but they communicate to others that you value + want these particular things — there.
Storage Containers Maximize Space
One often overlooked benefit of storage containers is that because we’ve spent the time to declutter + organize on the front end — we know what we need to store + we can curate storage containers that maximize the space available.
Whether that’s by stacking storage containers or utilizing a particular shape — knowing what needs to be stored gives us an advantage in maximizing space.
Storage Containers Provide Easy Maintenance
When everything has a place + it’s all in its place — then the value of organizing systems is incredibly apparent.
If you need something, you know where it’s at.
If you’re done with it, you know where to put it back.
If you’re out of something, then you have space for replenishing it.
At the end of the day, one insanely huge benefit of storage containers is — it makes things in your home easy to maintain.
Storage Containers Are An Efficient Use Of Time
If you step back and consider for a moment, how much time we spend searching for small things like hair ties, wallets, keys, headphones, chargers, etc? The reality is that storage containers save you little moments of time, everyday, by having what you need — right where you need it.
Choosing The Right Storage Container
When it comes to choosing the right storage containers, we’ve talked a lot about understanding why you need what you need. In other words, allowing what you’re storing to determine what storage containers make the most sense for you.
There’s several other things to consider when selecting storage containers.
Size
The size of your containers shouldn’t be difficult because you know what’s going in them *wink* What we do for our clients is measure the space we have available to us for storage containers + measure the stuff that’s going to live in the actual containers.
This ensures that what we buy will actually fit both the space + the stuff :)
Material
Storage containers can be plastic, acrylic, metal, wood, woven or cloth.
What’s important is that we’re selecting the right containers for the appropriate space. In other words, ensuring that the storage container is durable enough to handle what is being stored in it + won’t be ruined easily by something that leaks, spills or leaves behind any residue.
Design
You’ll notice that we left “design” for last. And that’s not because as a full-service luxury design firm that it comes easy to us. Sure it does but…
However, it’s because function always precedes aesthetic. We know that what we choose for our clients is going to look pretty. But the question we’re interested in is:
Does it live well?
Leave room for change?
Is it truly functional?
That’s whats important to us at Elegant Simplicity!
That Functionality Precedes Aesthetic.
Elegant Simplicity is all about making things easy for you + helping you create a home with everything you need + nothing more.™
If you’ve given storage containers a try + your like “this is all just too much… I need help really getting decluttered, organized or designing my home ” –– friend, we’re here for you.
Don’t hesitate reaching out to our team + ask for help. In fact, you can get started with a FREE Clarity Call (a 30-minute consultation that’s all about you!)
And if you absolutely loved this article about Bathroom Remodel Cost then trust me boo, you’re going to really enjoy a FREE video course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.