Most of us have heard of the expression "The cobbler's children have no shoes". I have to admit, that this saying holds true for some organizational systems in my own home.
People often assume that I have beautifully matching bins all over the house when they hear that I am a professional organizer. As much as I wish that were true, it is not always the case. When we moved into our current home, I set up my drawers and cupboards with what I had on hand. Partially because I didn't want to spend the time or money to get new bins, but mostly because I like to reuse items whenever I can.
Yes, some storage systems have been tweaked, or updated over the years, but I always felt I didn't need to change things as long as they function properly. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the look of matching containers and bins, it just isn't always economical or necessary, especially if the items are in an enclosed space.
So, a while back I redid my junk drawer with all matching bins. Thought I'd share with you what I did.
This is what the drawer looked like before. I was using an array of different trays I had accumulated over the years which were amassing some clutter.
I started by emptying the contents on my island, sorting like items together, while removing any items I no longer used or needed. Some items were recycled or donated, while a few items found a new home in a different part of my house.
Armed with the measurements of the drawer, and an idea of what size bins I needed, I went to Bed Bath & Beyond. Once I found a style that offered the best storage options for this drawer, I began laying out the different configurations like a puzzle, right there on the floor of the store. Especially exciting was the fact that I found a combination of bins that almost perfectly fit the space. (Which doesn't happen too often).
Back home I lined the drawer with a non-slip liner to help keep the bins in place when opening and closing the drawer. Next, I added the bins and placed the items into their new homes.
This is what the finished project looks like. A place for everything and everything in its place. And a happy person every time I open the drawer! :)
The key to keeping any space organized is continuing maintenance. So, periodically, when I see things getting a bit unruly around my house, or in this case my junk drawer, I take a few minutes to bring it back to order.
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