The quest for calming, photo-worthy room organization is real. From the entry to the vanity, there are plenty of areas in the home just waiting for an on the money organizing solution. So, if you’re ready to give the boot to all those less than attractive solves (ahem—packing cubes), we’ve collected some organizing options that are an eyeful unto themselves, to bring style and order to the hardest working corners of your home.
The Pantry
Using your pantry as a stash pad for unsightly boxes, cans, and bottles? Turn this storage area (or your cabinets for that matter) into the kind of space you want to show off with a mix and match selection of organizing essentials.
Glass Jars
Loaded it into a mason jar, a ho-hum bag of quinoa is suddenly stylish. Yes, it may be one of the oldest tricks in the book, but who can argue with the beauty of a wall of perfectly lined-up canning jars? Opting for vintage jars adds a bit of extra flair to open-shelving.
Trays
Use trays in your pantry to bring visual harmony to condiment collections or bottled spices (those who live with a hot sauce enthusiast know what we mean). If your pantry shelves have the width, go for a round, Lazy Susan-style tray for easy access.
Crocks
Used for stowing butters, pickles and the like in pre-refrigeration times, stoneware crocks are now perfect for grab-and-go snacks as well as dark-and-cool loving root vegetables like onions, garlic, or potatoes.
The Vanity
A collection spot for everything from hair clips to beauty serums, the stuff situation on a vanity can get out of control fast, but these goodies will keep the chaos at bay.
Boxes
If you were looking for an excuse to splurge on a Maitland-Smith stone box (yes please!), the vanity makes a compelling case for one. A medium-sized box is ideal for storing those items you’d rather tuck away, like compacts or tweezers. For smaller items like bobby pins, small boxes from makers like Wedgwood or Limoges can handle the task and look great to boot.
Shop Boxes
502 Bad Gateway
Bowls
When it comes to putting the finishing touches on an outfit, being able to survey your jewelry at a glance can be the difference between fashionably late and just late late. A series of various sized bowls for bracelets and rings, or even chunky necklaces with a low-tangle risk is a great solve. Depending on your style, studio pottery bowls, vintage rice bowls, or even vintage French ashtrays are all options for consideration.
Julep & Lassi Cups
Prevent makeup brushes from going rogue by corralling them in vintage julep or lassi cups. You might not count makeup brushes among your prettiest cosmetics, but drop them in a brass or silver cocktail cup and we promise you’ll be changing your tune.
The Entryway
When you consider that shoes, bags, mail and keys all tend to hang out in the entry, chances are it’s due for an organizational sweep so you’re not greeted with cuckoo crazy as soon as you walk in the door.
Hooks
Even the tiniest of entries can make use of a hat or coat rack hung on a wall adjacent to the front door. Perfect for organizing handbags, scarves and the like, wall hooks also offer up an opportunity to personalize your home. Common themes you’ll find among vintage wall hooks: equestrian, pineapples, and nautical themes. Pick your poison.
Dressers
Consoles tend to steal the thunder when it comes to organizational case pieces in the entry, but don’t forget about the good old dresser. Heavy on the drawers, it offers much more closed storage than a console. Those drawers are prime for stuffing with life’s less aesthetic equipage, from dog leashes to backpacks.
Baskets
True, baskets can be boon in any room in the house, but in the entryway in particular, deep, wide-mouth baskets can really go the extra mile. Use as a collection zone for mail, outerwear, or any number of things. Seagrass and other natural fibers like hyacinth and rattan are all good contenders for this organizing gig.
The Laundry Room
Whether you’re cleaning or storing your linens and all their accoutrements, chances are they (and their entourage) could use a little organizational spruce.
Vintage Bread Boxes
As charming as they are practical, these vintage enamel or metal boxes can be used to stash everything from mending supplies to dryer sheets, and dial-up the style in this utilitarian leaning spot.
Apothecary Jars
Clothespins and powder detergents can undergo a chic upgrade simply by swapping out their original packaging for shapely glass apothecary jars. For items that you use on the regular, like basic detergents, steer away from pedestal apothecary jars and opt for flat-bottom models which are harder to topple.
Egg Baskets
Constructed of wire and easy to see through, egg baskets are a sweet alternative to the traditional woven basket and make spotting the bottle you need even easier.
