A Professional Organizer Shares Her Top 6 Storage Products
Drawer dividers and undersink trash cans are among a pro’s go-tos for getting organized in the kitchen and elsewhere
Patricia Lee
June 13, 2019
Houzz Contributor. Patricia Lee is a professional home organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the co-owner of Tailorly with her business partner Jeanne Taylor. Together they create beautiful homes through decluttering, organizing, and styling. For more information visit www.tailorly.net.
Houzz Contributor. Patricia Lee is a professional home organizer in the San Francisco... More
As a professional home organizer, I create customized recommendations for each of my clients based on lifestyle, aesthetic preferences and decision-making style. I’ve found over the years that despite the variations in my clients’ situations, a number of organizing products seem to work for them nearly universally.
Here I share my favorite six products that can help you organize your home — and keep it organized. Perhaps they’ll work for you as well.
Here I share my favorite six products that can help you organize your home — and keep it organized. Perhaps they’ll work for you as well.
1. Clear Bins or Trays for Corralling Food
Making brown-bag lunches is one of my least favorite tasks. But I once timed myself and found that I lost just three minutes of my life putting together a nutritious, money-saving sandwich. So what made me dislike the task so much?
Perhaps it was the repetitive, day-after-day nature of making lunch. Or maybe I didn’t care for the hassle of gathering the many ingredients — bread, lettuce, tomato, meat, condiments — and then putting them all away again.
To address the latter challenge, I purchased clear bins for the fridge. Keeping sandwich, salad and juicing ingredients in bins grouped according to their purpose saves time and cuts down on searching for individual items. I also like to corral pantry items like oils, vinegars and sauces using clear bins or trays. These organizing tools separate pantry items into categories and also prevent cabinets from getting soiled by sticky bottles.
Making brown-bag lunches is one of my least favorite tasks. But I once timed myself and found that I lost just three minutes of my life putting together a nutritious, money-saving sandwich. So what made me dislike the task so much?
Perhaps it was the repetitive, day-after-day nature of making lunch. Or maybe I didn’t care for the hassle of gathering the many ingredients — bread, lettuce, tomato, meat, condiments — and then putting them all away again.
To address the latter challenge, I purchased clear bins for the fridge. Keeping sandwich, salad and juicing ingredients in bins grouped according to their purpose saves time and cuts down on searching for individual items. I also like to corral pantry items like oils, vinegars and sauces using clear bins or trays. These organizing tools separate pantry items into categories and also prevent cabinets from getting soiled by sticky bottles.
2. Drawer Dividers
When storing cookware, you often must stack pots within pots, pans within pans and lids over lids. Things can get messy fast! A drawer divider that separates the lids from the pots and pans makes drawer contents look more orderly and can also help you find matching tops and bottoms faster.
The same type of drawer divider is also useful for separating clothing in a dresser or food storage containers and their lids.
When storing cookware, you often must stack pots within pots, pans within pans and lids over lids. Things can get messy fast! A drawer divider that separates the lids from the pots and pans makes drawer contents look more orderly and can also help you find matching tops and bottoms faster.
The same type of drawer divider is also useful for separating clothing in a dresser or food storage containers and their lids.
3. Pullout Organizers for Under the Sink
I like to keep my floors clear of objects, including trash cans and recycling bins. When we remodeled our small kitchen, I tried very hard to fit a pullout trash cabinet into the design. But ultimately, I couldn’t justify the space that a dedicated trash drawer would have taken away from the storage I needed.
Instead, I installed a pullout trash can (similar to the one shown in this photo) underneath the sink. It has dual compartments that allow me to keep both trash and recycling concealed neatly behind cabinet doors. I also recommend that clients get a small trash bin that can be hung on the interior side of the cabinet door. This type of bin works well in the kitchen for food scraps. The lid helps keep odors from food waste from permeating the entire cabinet.
I also have one in each of my bathrooms so I don’t have to have anything on the floor. It is especially nice in my small guest bathroom, which can’t hold many items without looking cluttered. Plus, a clear floor is easier to sweep and vacuum.
Browse pullout trash cans
I like to keep my floors clear of objects, including trash cans and recycling bins. When we remodeled our small kitchen, I tried very hard to fit a pullout trash cabinet into the design. But ultimately, I couldn’t justify the space that a dedicated trash drawer would have taken away from the storage I needed.
Instead, I installed a pullout trash can (similar to the one shown in this photo) underneath the sink. It has dual compartments that allow me to keep both trash and recycling concealed neatly behind cabinet doors. I also recommend that clients get a small trash bin that can be hung on the interior side of the cabinet door. This type of bin works well in the kitchen for food scraps. The lid helps keep odors from food waste from permeating the entire cabinet.
I also have one in each of my bathrooms so I don’t have to have anything on the floor. It is especially nice in my small guest bathroom, which can’t hold many items without looking cluttered. Plus, a clear floor is easier to sweep and vacuum.
Browse pullout trash cans
4. Pullout Organizers for All Your Cabinets
To make full use of your cabinet real estate, I recommend sliding drawers and pullout organizers. These can give you full view of and easy access to the contents of your cabinets. Otherwise, items can become lost or forgotten and possibly expire before you rediscover them.
To make full use of your cabinet real estate, I recommend sliding drawers and pullout organizers. These can give you full view of and easy access to the contents of your cabinets. Otherwise, items can become lost or forgotten and possibly expire before you rediscover them.
5. Containers for Leftovers
Over time, it’s easy to amass random food storage containers. If this is the case for you, I recommend paring down and investing in a set that nests nicely and takes up less space in your cabinet. The containers will look good and be easier to keep organized.
To maintain your tidy kitchen, become more selective about what food containers you keep. For example, you might want to toss or recycle takeout containers from restaurants or, better yet, bring your own when you eat out so that you don’t collect more.
Over time, it’s easy to amass random food storage containers. If this is the case for you, I recommend paring down and investing in a set that nests nicely and takes up less space in your cabinet. The containers will look good and be easier to keep organized.
To maintain your tidy kitchen, become more selective about what food containers you keep. For example, you might want to toss or recycle takeout containers from restaurants or, better yet, bring your own when you eat out so that you don’t collect more.
For clients who want a uniform look in the pantry, I recommend containers for basic ingredients — flour, sugar, rice, beans, grains — rather than their original packaging, which is often not secure. See-through containers also allow you to gauge when it’s time to repurchase, whereas original opaque packaging doesn’t.
6. Bin for Collecting Items to Donate
If you tend to constantly bring new items into your home, then realizing that some belongings will eventually need to leave your home is key — otherwise you will amass a lot of clutter. To foster the habit of letting go, consider purchasing a decorative bin to collect your items to donate.
The benefit of a bin is that you can use it to collect unwanted items as you go through your days, rather than waiting for a big purge. If the bin will be visible in the room and not hidden in a closet, then I recommend choosing something attractive that does not create a cluttered look. To this point, I would avoid using a plastic laundry basket for this purpose.
Of course, using any dedicated space — a drawer or pretty basket you already own, for example — could achieve the same purpose.
Tell us: What are some of your favorite organizing products? Share in the Comments.
More on Houzz
7 Things That Stand in the Way of Having an Organized Home
Find a professional organizer
Shop for storage and organizing products
If you tend to constantly bring new items into your home, then realizing that some belongings will eventually need to leave your home is key — otherwise you will amass a lot of clutter. To foster the habit of letting go, consider purchasing a decorative bin to collect your items to donate.
The benefit of a bin is that you can use it to collect unwanted items as you go through your days, rather than waiting for a big purge. If the bin will be visible in the room and not hidden in a closet, then I recommend choosing something attractive that does not create a cluttered look. To this point, I would avoid using a plastic laundry basket for this purpose.
Of course, using any dedicated space — a drawer or pretty basket you already own, for example — could achieve the same purpose.
Tell us: What are some of your favorite organizing products? Share in the Comments.
More on Houzz
7 Things That Stand in the Way of Having an Organized Home
Find a professional organizer
Shop for storage and organizing products
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All our lower cabinets are drawers, rather than cupboards. Love it. I had one narrow, 15" lower cabinet, where I considered a number of 'pull-out' options to store spices, etc. They were all costly. Ultimately went with three drawers and that was the best solution–cost wise, for organizing, and ergonomics.
beyond some of these great ideas, my most useful especially as i get older, is the pull up shelf for my kitchen aide mixer. One cabinet is dedicated to this lift but best choice because mixer and its attachments are stored in one place, easy access, clean and no heavy lifting
I love the use of drawers! I use a small kitchen drawer for medicine and another for juice glasses. A larger drawer is used for all of my coffee mugs, so you can easily select what you want and don't only use the ones at the front of the cabinet. I also keep my coffee filters and such in the drawer as well. Function matters!