3 Keys Thursday: 3 Organizing Favorites

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

My post yesterday about unique solutions got me thinking about organizing staples -- furnishings that are standard, but lend themselves to non-standard uses. Here are three of my favorites.

• Open shelving. Some may see storage for books, but I see opportunity. While most of the open shelving in my house is, indeed, laden with books, open shelves can store almost anything. Storage cubes, bins, baskets and other containers can add a decorative touch, or can simply keep things looking neat.

• Double duty organizers. I love furnishings with hidden storage. I'm the proud owner of two ottomans (one upstairs, one downstairs) with storage space inside. (The downstairs ottoman is a replacement for the original, which went off to school with my daughter). They have held everything from blankets to files to stuffed animals. (No word on what my daughter is using hers for). Our latest acquisition is a cocktail table with a hinged top that can be raised to create a work surface (or a snack surface). Best of all, it has storage inside.

• Bins, baskets and miscellaneous containers. These are the elements that make STYLE stylish. Whether they roll away, contrast, match, coordinate or fit into nooks and crannies, they come in such a wide variety that finding one (or many) that fit your personal and organizational styles is a snap. Not sure where to start for your styles? Check out the charts tab at the top of the page for some container checklists.

How about you? What are the building blocks of your organizational system?