David Meredith
Does the mere mention of organizing sound exhausting (and a little boring)? Not anymore. Bright colors and punchy patterns can live with smart and stylish ideas. See for yourself.
Hideaway Home Office
The best thing to happen to workstations since the laptop, this impressive setup is nestled inside an old-timey leather steamer trunk. There’s a foldout desk and assorted drawers—and the trunk’s backing functions as a bulletin board. When you’re done for the day, close it up and roll it into a corner. Tell guests it’s a relic from your seafaring past. Restoration Hardware Mayfair steamer secretary-trunk in vintage cigar leather, $3,295, rh.com.
Hunting for something a little less grand but equally out of sight? Check out the super-compact Intimo Secretary Desk from CB2 ($399, cb2.com). Or the Vika Veine tabletop from Ikea, with a sunken compartment for storage ($99 without legs, ikea.com). For aesthetes in small spaces, there’s the sleek, minimalist Ledge from Urbancase, which mounts to the wall and hides a glide-out desktop ($1,500, urbancase.com).
Hunting for something a little less grand but equally out of sight? Check out the super-compact Intimo Secretary Desk from CB2 ($399, cb2.com). Or the Vika Veine tabletop from Ikea, with a sunken compartment for storage ($99 without legs, ikea.com). For aesthetes in small spaces, there’s the sleek, minimalist Ledge from Urbancase, which mounts to the wall and hides a glide-out desktop ($1,500, urbancase.com).
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Self-Styling Bookcase
Does the disarray of your shelves send you into despair? This wall-mounted organizing tool makes piles pretty, with artful compartments that help you divvy up contents by size and shape. Whether used solely for books or to display a mix of objects, it guarantees a striking “shelfscape.” In fact, two units side by side (or above and below) can solve myriad storage woes while creating a stunning focal point for a room. Industrial-metal wall-mounted bookcase, $299, cb2.com.
Prefer to make over the shelves you’ve got? First take a look at what you need to stash. If books are not a storage challenge in your home, recast your bookcases for other uses: Lighten the load on jam-packed cupboards by moving everyday glassware into a bookcase. Use one in the basement as a spare pantry (cans won’t go missing on shallow shelves). Devote a small bookcase to your kids’ collection du jour (Pokémon, ponies, Transformers), and earmark the bottom shelf for critical projects in progress, like Lego sculptures.
Prefer to make over the shelves you’ve got? First take a look at what you need to stash. If books are not a storage challenge in your home, recast your bookcases for other uses: Lighten the load on jam-packed cupboards by moving everyday glassware into a bookcase. Use one in the basement as a spare pantry (cans won’t go missing on shallow shelves). Devote a small bookcase to your kids’ collection du jour (Pokémon, ponies, Transformers), and earmark the bottom shelf for critical projects in progress, like Lego sculptures.
Smart Cart
A quiet hero in the quest for order, the rolling cart exploits vertical space and is nimble enough to work in tight quarters. For the bathroom, fill one with towels, shower essentials, and toiletries (no more slippery sprints from tub to linen closet). This ultra-affordable metal version has a smooth ride, high sides to keep items from tipping over, and shelves that are perforated on the bottom, to allow damp items to dry. Råskog kitchen cart, $50, ikea.com. Longing for more roll-away storage ideas? For summer, keep a cart stocked with outdoor-entertaining staples and wheel it onto the patio for a pop-up party. In the garage, fill one with maintenance supplies (motor oil, wiper fluid, car-wash cloths). Use another as an easy-to-stash crafting station. If you don’t have a cart, an out-of-rotation children’s wagon is a sweet rustic alternative.
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Console Concealment
Bulky cable boxes and tangles of cords have nearly beaten us all into submission. But don’t give up the fight: This genius console has got your ugly tech stuff covered—literally. See the holes in front? They’re strategically sized and spaced to allow your remote’s gamma rays (or whatever) to penetrate. Inside, your cable box, Blu-ray player, and movie-streaming device can hide out, with cords neatly threaded through precut holes in back. TOO by Blu Dot console, $300, target.com.
Not in the market for a new console? Taming wires can vastly improve your media station. The quickest fix is Velcro cord strips ($5 for five, amazon.com), which neatly wrap and cinch excess cables—meaning no more dusty coils on the floor. Pair them with the Pivot Power Strip ($30, momastore.org), a sleek, adjustable unit that snakes around to hide in tight spaces and accommodate oversize plugs. Or mask the whole mess with the Plug Hub by Quirky ($25, quirky.com), which conceals coiled cords and a power strip in a small box that nestles in a corner or under furniture.
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Nice Rack (for the Kitchen)
If wrestling your favorite pots and utensils from cluttered cabinets is part of your dinner routine, liberate yourself (and your go-to tools) with a piece as artful as it is functional. Made of powder-coated steel, this branchy pot rack can be mounted to a wall or the ceiling. But don’t let its wispy beauty fool you. It’s sturdy enough to hold multiple cast-iron pots. Merkled wall-mounted pot rack, $375, merkledstore.com.
Are you a DIY-er? Create your own hanging rack with a copper towel bar ($61 for an 18-inch version, wayfair.com) and some S-hooks from the hardware store. Mount the bar to the wall and it will accommodate pans or small pots (nothing too deep). Be sure to leave at least two feet between the bar and the counter so there’s room for the pots to hang. If you’re really handy, you can aim higher, suspending a beautiful piece of found wood (say, a driftwood branch) from the ceiling with rope, as an overhead rack. You might even consider creating a wall grid for pots using chicken wire. The pot-abilities are endless.
Are you a DIY-er? Create your own hanging rack with a copper towel bar ($61 for an 18-inch version, wayfair.com) and some S-hooks from the hardware store. Mount the bar to the wall and it will accommodate pans or small pots (nothing too deep). Be sure to leave at least two feet between the bar and the counter so there’s room for the pots to hang. If you’re really handy, you can aim higher, suspending a beautiful piece of found wood (say, a driftwood branch) from the ceiling with rope, as an overhead rack. You might even consider creating a wall grid for pots using chicken wire. The pot-abilities are endless.
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Dressed-up Ladder
A stylish remedy for an overflowing clothes closet, the decorative ladder is especially friendly to heels. Place your shoes sole to sole (as shown) and they’ll stay put. Use high rungs for scarves or men’s ties; you can even dangle some necklaces from the tip-tops, if you like. But don’t overload: The charm comes from showing plenty of ladder, too. Whitewashed teak ladder, $98, serenaandlily.com.
Want a new spin on ladder storage? Hang one horizontally and use it as a display shelf for framed pictures and small objects. You’ll need a ladder with flat side beams (Rustic ladder, $179, potterybarn.com) that’s a consistent width from top to bottom.
Want a new spin on ladder storage? Hang one horizontally and use it as a display shelf for framed pictures and small objects. You’ll need a ladder with flat side beams (Rustic ladder, $179, potterybarn.com) that’s a consistent width from top to bottom.
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Convertible Coffee Table
If your living-room table is your de facto hearth—the center of bill paying, homework, and the occasional meal—you might want to consider one that adapts to the action. This sleek, multifunctional wonder has two adjustable wood panels. They act as trays when up (for laptops or plates of food) and conceal storage when down (perfect for a vast collection of remotes or magazines). This table can even serve as a party station, enticing guests to circulate away from the buffet. Occa functional coffee table with storage, $1,195, boconcept.us for stores.
Looking for a multitalented coffee table that's less of an investment? If you're a modernist, you might love the Nexera Allure coffee table ($255, hayneedle.com), a sleek cube that sits low and pulls apart at the center to reveal a cavern for stashing. A folksier option: the Napa Style Wine-Bar Treasure Trunk ($649, napastyle.com), with small drawers and deep compartments—including one with a grid sized for wine bottles.
Looking for a multitalented coffee table that's less of an investment? If you're a modernist, you might love the Nexera Allure coffee table ($255, hayneedle.com), a sleek cube that sits low and pulls apart at the center to reveal a cavern for stashing. A folksier option: the Napa Style Wine-Bar Treasure Trunk ($649, napastyle.com), with small drawers and deep compartments—including one with a grid sized for wine bottles.
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