To Container Store or not to Container Store??? That, is the question.
Should you purchase organizing products for your home or do they create more clutter?
To Container Store or not to Container Store??? That is the question..
As an organizer, people are often surprised when I tell them that my first recommendation is usually not to run out and buy a bunch of organizing products.
In fact, one of the most common mistakes I see is people trying to solve clutter with more stuff.
The logic makes sense: the kitchen is messy, so buy bins. The closet is overflowing, so buy baskets. The junk drawer is out of control, so buy organizers. Before long, you've spent hundreds of dollars and somehow have even more things in your house than when you started.
So when is it worth a trip to The Container Store?
Recently, I found myself asking that very question while staring into my underwear drawer.
Not exactly the glamorous side of home organization, but stick with me.
For years, my drawer wasn't terrible. It wasn't overflowing, and it wasn't particularly chaotic. But every few days I'd find myself digging through piles of socks, moving things around to find what I wanted, and refolding sections that had slowly migrated into one another. And inevitable, what was recently a well organized space would soon look chaotic and like a pile of stuff.
The problem wasn't that I had too much stuff.
The problem was that everything was sharing the same open space.
That's when I made a trip to the Container Store in Garden City, Cranston. The store is filled with organizing products that can make even a professional organizer weak in the knees. Thousands of containers, baskets, bins, dividers, labels, and systems all promising a more organized life. I could honestly get lost in there for hours. It sick. I know.
But this time, I went in with a specific purpose.
I bought a few simple drawer dividers.
That's it.
And honestly? They made all the difference.
The dividers created what I like to call "spaces within the space." Suddenly socks had a home. Undergarments had a home. Everything had a clear destination and, just as importantly, clear boundaries.
Now when I put laundry away, there's no decision-making involved. Things naturally return to their designated spots. The system doesn't require extra effort to maintain because the structure itself does most of the work.
That's the key distinction.
An organizing product is worth buying when it supports a system.
It's probably not worth buying when it's simply storing clutter more attractively.
A basket full of random cords is still a basket full of random cords. A beautiful acrylic bin doesn't solve the problem of keeping items organized if the items don't belong there in the first place.
Before buying any organizing product, I encourage clients to ask themselves three questions:
1. Am I creating a home for something I use and want to keep?
If yes, proceed.
If you're creating a home for something you don't actually need, the container is just becoming permanent storage for clutter.
2. Does this product create structure?
Good organizing products create boundaries, categories, or visibility. They make it easier to maintain order over time.
3. Will this make daily life easier?
The best organizing solutions reduce friction. They make putting things away just as easy as taking them out.
My underwear drawer passed all three tests.
The drawer dividers didn't add more clutter. They added function. They created a system that works with my habits instead of fighting against them.
So, to Container Store or not to Container Store?
My answer is: Container Store when the product serves the system. Skip it when the product is the system.
Because the goal isn't to own more organizing products.
The goal is to create a home that feels lighter, calmer, and easier to live in.
Sometimes all that takes is a few well-placed drawer dividers.