Advertisement
UK markets closed
  • FTSE 100

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    19,884.73
    +74.07 (+0.37%)
     
  • AIM

    743.26
    +1.15 (+0.15%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1702
    +0.0008 (+0.07%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2620
    -0.0002 (-0.02%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    55,394.14
    -426.76 (-0.76%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • DOW

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • DAX

    18,492.49
    +15.40 (+0.08%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,205.81
    +1.00 (+0.01%)
     

I Invested in Open Spaces Organizing Bins and My Clutter Has Never Been More Chic

I used to open my lower cabinets with one eye closed. It wasn't that it was entirely unsightly, it was more so that I have morphed into a borderline compulsive cleaner and organizer over the past year (anyone else?). Even those somewhat tidy rows of Windex, Dawn, and Clorox can wind up looking like quite the little messy cluster to the type-A cleaner. Not to mention the staining. Ever set a gloopy bottle into a cabinet only to lift it up and find in its place an unsightly ring that you can't scrub away? Such a bummer. Of course, no one outside of your home will probably ever notice (or think twice if they were to catch a glance), but, if you're anything like me, messy hidden cabinets can really eat away at you. Which is exactly the frame of mind I was in when I invested in a series of organizational purchases from Open Spaces a few weeks ago.

My areas of focus were my pantry, the area under my kitchen sink, and my laundry room cabinets. The first step was to inventory the spaces to find out what type and how many storage bins I was really in for. Cleaning out prior to the purchase helped me weed through all the unnecessary or misplaced items and reduced my risk of overbuying—such a win. Once I had assessed everything, I settled on a set of two Large Storage Bins, a set of two Medium Storage Bins, and a set of two Shelf Risers. The shelf risers came inspired by a chat I had with a professional organizer back in the fall. She pointed out that so much space goes unused due to shelves that are just placed too far apart. The solution: a handy shelf riser.

Each of the bins have the option of coming with wooden lids ($12 for the medium set and $18 for the large set), though I opted to save the cost due to the fact that I wouldn't be stacking. Each of the bins are made of a hard, easy-to-clean plastic and have comfortable handles for toting that won't cut into your palms if the load is heavy. I selected the cream color for all of my purchases though you can't go wrong with any of the other equally pleasant hues, whether dark green, light blue, light pink, or navy.

Let me be completely transparent in saying that upon perusing the sight I had a bit of sticker shock. Shelling over $46 for a set of two medium-sized storage bins seemed excessive, to put it mildly. I can assure you that I would not have sprung for pricey organization tubs (no matter how chic) if it weren't for the fact that I was armed with a gift card. That being said, when my shipment arrived, I immediately got the hype and vowed to slowly remodel every closet in my home, gift card or not. And by slowly I will probably have to slate this project for a few years.

ADVERTISEMENT

When the shipment arrived, I was off to the races since I had already inventoried. What I was surprised to find was extra space. Once I got everything in their respective buckets and on their risers, I was looking at a whole lot more, well, open space.

Large Storage Bins

SHOP IT: $70/set of 2; getopenspaces.com

Don't underestimate these size of these mega bins. Just one corrals all of my laundry supplies including detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, lint rollers, and the de-furring gimmicks I keep compulsively buying. Snag the tops for an additional $18.

Medium Storage Bins

SHOP IT: $46/set of 2; getopenspaces.com

Two medium-sized bins below my kitchen sink did the job. One holds all of my daily cleaning supplies while the other keeps my dishwashing products ready for a quick grab. Covers are an additional $12.

Shelf Risers

SHOP IT: $54/set of 2; getopenspaces.com

I dream of a walk-in pantry, but until I get there these risers are doing the trick. I use baskets on top of the shelves and below to keep things tidy.