After so many people demanded to know more about the way we organize everything from our bills to our receipts, we realized that our recent post about seven simple things that make our lives easier just scratched the surface. So we’re back to share more peeks into the systems and habits that we rely on to keep everything in its place (so we can find things at a moment’s notice, and keep our house tidy pretty much on auto-pilot). So without further ado, here’s how we store, stash and stockpile just about everything in our house.
We’ve mentioned our little DIY mudroom in the corner of our den (a padded storage bench and coat rack from Target instantly create a convenient spot to hang jackets, bags, and leashes so they don’t pile up elsewhere). But we haven’t revealed what we store inside the bench. Why our paperwork of course! From medical records to tax info and even momentos from our childhood (old drawings and report cards), it’s all filed away in different folders labeled for easy identification (we use two of those tiered upright folder stands so everything is easy to see and nothing can slip out and get lost). No one would ever guess that seemingly spare corner of the room is really a huge paper hub. We also have a safety deposit box at our local bank where we securely store all of our important paperwork and info (a small safe can just be carried off in a break in). Can’t be too careful these days!
And once we learned about the virtues of storage ottomans, we couldn’t help but introduce a padded bench to our dining area too. In there we store all of the paper statements and bills that we’ve paid (in folders labeled with each company’s name- again corralled in tiered upright folder holders) so we can easily find whatever we need for taxes or to prove that we paid something (we pay bills online, but we write our confirmation number and the date that we paid ’em on all of our paper invoices for easy reference).
As for receipts, I’ve worked for a while to come up with a system that really works for me. I used to try to store them by category in an expandable plastic accordion folder, but they seemed to multiply and I felt like I was devoting ten hours a week to putting them in their designated spots (plus certain categories were bulging while others were virtually empty). Then I picked up two white boxes from Ikea for my desk (they were so affordable and I knew I could use them for something). I decided I would just try slipping receipts into one of them. No more sorting by about ten categories, and no more pile of receipts hanging over me. I just empty my purse when I get home each night and toss them into the box. Easy as pie. And finding an old receipt isn’t too hard since they’re pretty much stacked chronologically, so I spend way less time sorting them up front, and can still find something in in a few minutes when I need to on the back end. Update: check out how we use the other box and hide all the wires in our office right here.
Meanwhile, the white metal tins (also from Ikea) are where we store Burger’s food and his t-r-e-a-t-s (can’t say the word or he goes crazy). They’re cheap little airtight containers, but they still look clean and neat on my white desk. We even have a mini measuring cup in the larger bin which stores the food for easy scoopage. Oh and many people think it’s funny that we store our pooch stuff in the den, but it’s actually where his food and water bowls are (we trained him in the den back when the floor was linoleum and he’s been eating and drinking in there ever since) so it really works well for us.
Oh and as for mail, we sort/pay/file everything right away so there’s not “spot” devoted to storing the mail (for fear that it will pile up and create a super huge job down the line). We highly recommend the do it now approach to mail as it seems to really keep the clutter to a minimum.
As for the garbage/recycling/compost situation, we took the opportunity to majorly organize everything after the kitchen reno and we’re so happy that our sink cabinet is almost exclusively devoted to those three functions (recyclables in a plastic bin on the left, compost in an air-tight container that we empty out back into our compost bins every few days, and garbage in a small pail on the right). It’s so simple and efficient that even our little niece and nephew know where to put their banana peels!
But if there aren’t many cleaning products under the sink (just some Ecover dishwasher tablets, a bottle of Veggie-Wash, and a few old Swiffer dusters), where do we keep the cleaning goods you ask? Why in our rolling caddy in our DIY laundry nook of course! Our wonderful wheely friend from Target (for $17!) ensures that there’s plenty of room for dishtowels (folded neatly in a basket) and a few green cleaning products (many of them multitask which means we no longer need to store a million bottles of glass cleaner, granite spray, stainless steel scrub, etc). Hooray for extra storage space instead of a slew of rarely-used products and potions!
We walk the line between adoring open storage (our linen closet is doorless, we have a glass cabinet in the kitchen, we have open shelving in the dining area) and coveting concealed storage (ottomans, bins and baskets abound!) but when it comes to toilet paper we’re all about showing our guests where to find it (TP anxiety shouldn’t carry over from public restrooms to our house). For our half bathroom we actually took a roll of toilet paper into Target to find a tall glass cylinder vase to store a few rolls out in the open…
… and in the bathroom we have a little TP pyramid in plain sight thanks to the fact that we removed the door to the linen closet for more of that crisp open storage that we crave.
We also decided to make use of the weird old towel bar in the bathtub with a little construction project. So we snagged a shower caddy that’s meant to be slipped over the shower head and two metal closet hooks from Target and used them to hook the caddy over the bar. Presto, a place for all of our shower stuff (and our razors no longer get all rusty like they did when they hung right under the shower nozzle).
Spare change is like poison ivy. Before you know it, it’s everywhere. In the couch, on the counter, in the junk drawer, in the laundry basket. That’s why we have one single solitary place for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and the occasional Sacajawea dollar coin. Right in this cute little metallic bird piggy bank that we picked up from West Elm a while back. It’s located out in the open in our living room so it’s easy to drop things in when we’re coming or going. And whenever we notice that it’s getting full we roll those babies, slide through the bank, and go out to dinner and a movie (with moolah to spare). Gotta love free date night! It’s the ultimate reward for keeping our change in check.
A while back I shared my little jewelry sorting secret: a ceramic egg crate that I snagged at the container store about five years ago (it can even be seen in my old NYC apartment video). It’s the perfect way to keep everything visible yet organized behind our curtain closet doors, which is key for a grab and go girl like me.
And we can’t talk about our boxes and bins without mentioning the other storage systems that we have going on in our kitchen. There’s a lot more than meets the eye (which is also the case in our den, and even our guest bedroom). Like this metal filing cabinet that I picked up for $5 at a thrift store. In the kitchen it became a great place to stash spoons and spices (check out the details here), and we love the moody color and the vintage appeal that it adds to the room.
Of course we also have our cheap-o glass jars for cereal storage, which totally come in handy for for easy access and extra room in the cabinets (they free up some major space where two boxes of cereal would otherwise live). Plus they’re great visual reminders to restock when we’re running low on corn flakes or granola.
We also use our kitchen for more than just food-related storage. After the renovation we added tons of space that came in handy for a little cabinet devoted to all of my decorative accessories (which we dubbed The Decor Store- read more about it here). Nothing beats shopping your own house to freshen up a bookcase or dining table (and keeping every candlestick, vase, and other accessory on hand in the same spot is super convenient).
Oh yeah and we also keep all of our tools in the kitchen. Betcha didn’t see that one coming. Even our installer thought we were crazy when I told him the cabinet base to the left of the stove would be solely devoted to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home improvement essentials. But it really works for us and everything is super organized thanks to four whole drawers of deliciously organized gadgets and gizmos. Yummy.
And even with our tools in the kitch, we still have some empty space (which we’ve heard is a good thing in Feng Shui- something about allowing room for great things to come into your life). Whatever it may mean, we really appreciate the fact that we still have room to grow, and we don’t feel like we’re bursting at the seams like we did before our kitchen reno. Here’s our corner lazy susan with absolutely nothing on the bottom. And the top shelf is where we store a bowl that’s too big for our cabinets and a basket full of light bulbs (removing the packaging and stashing them in a basket or bowl is so much more space efficient- and they still say the wattage on the bulb or the base so they’re easy to sift through).
I like to trade out the things in the center of our dining table from time to time, but lately I’ve been digging a tray full of stuff that we actually use to set the table. We keep the plates in the kitchen since they get loaded up with food in there, but having a few utensils, cups, bowls, and even some nice fabric napkins out on the table reminds us to take our time and have a nice meal whenever we sit down (even if it’s just frozen pizza night).
And where do we keep the remotes? In this white shell box ($8 at TJ Maxx) right in front of the tube. It’s roomy enough to accomodate all three remotes and it makes finding them a snap (and cleaning up for company no longer means stuffing them into the couch cushions or under the sofa). We also slipped two woven baskets into the bottom shelves of our media stand for Netflix movies, lotion, pads pens, and other things that are nice to have on hand in the TV room. Just by adding those two baskets we have a lot more storage space that makes cleaning up and finding things super easy (which is always a plus when you’re trying to watch 24).
But there’s even more hidden storage in the den. The two square leather ottomans that we use in lieu of a coffee table also serve as a place to stash board games and paint decks. You might wonder why an entire cube is devoted to color swatches. Well, lets just say I can’t get enough, and it certainly comes in handy when our clients say that their adjoining kitchen is Pistachio by Benjamin Moore or White Feather by Behr (since we have almost every paint deck known to man, it’s easy to track down almost any color). And look how pretty they are!
In the third bedroom we also have another storage ottoman secretly housing all the extra linens for the daybed in that room (plus a nice cozy blanket). Keeping the bedding that correlates to that bed right in the room really makes things easy (and it frees up more space in the linen closet to boot).
When it comes to our cards and gift wrap, I actually created a little wrapping paper/card writing station in our third bedroom a while back. John thought it was sort of a silly thing that I’d never use but I’m in there all the time! It’s so nice to know that I have a plethora of pretty cards to choose from, and they’re all organized by occasion in one big box so I’m never caught empty handed at the last minute.
Keeping all of our wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags and ribbons at the ready not only makes gift giving easy, it actually makes it fun (and it saves us money since it encourages us to use what we have instead of constantly losing and replacing things). Sticking some gift wrap in a personalized planter is an easy way to keep it handy (and it’s easy on the eyes too).
But although we love to stash things in benches, baskets, ottomans, boxes, glass canisters, metal tins, planters and even egg crates… we still think some things look lovely naked. Like this pretty stack of magazines that we keep on the hearth with a metal bull on top for a bit of a fun. Sometimes embracing what you have (and grouping like objects) is a great way to visually integrate and organize things that you just don’t have a place to hide.
So there you have it. Our house in a nutshell… or a bin/box/basket. How do you guys organize you receipts? Your jewelry? Your spices? Your bills? Your toilet paper? Do tell!
Note: For anyone wondering why we’re revealing all this info about our house, not only do we have an alarm, we also have a safety deposit box at the bank with all of our important info, so we’re super sure that our house is super secure! Can’t be too careful these days!
steph says
This is entirely unrelated to the subject of this post, but I didn’t know if anyone had asked you about it…
where are those adorable flip-flops sitting in front of the (now not so secret filing) ottoman in the mini mudroom from? They are too cute and I want them! Please share where you got those fun shoes!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re from Old Navy! Even our clothes are cheap and simple. Hehe.
xo,
s
Michele Daggar says
I love how organized you guys are! I can’t wait to see all the changes that baby Petersik brings to your beautiful home.
As a Mommy of two, my biggest organizing challenges are related to the kids “stuff.” We have way too many toys, clothes, books, not to mention all the art projects.
I’m sure you “youngsters” will come up with some great ideas that I can copy! Best of luck with the “bean.”
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Michele! We definitely promise to keep you posted along the way…
xo,
s
Rebecca says
I just found this post… I am getting married in June and so that means furniture needs to be purchased before June. So far we have a bed, and a kitchen table and chairs. We will be living in a small apartment; so here is my question for you… What do you feel are necessary items of furniture to begin a life together with?
I think we need a bookshelf, couch, coffee table, and tv stand… but I don’t want to purchase anything that is unnecessary right off the bat.
Any advice as to where to purchase such items, where can I get the most bang for my buck?
And my last question is where is your tv stand from? I LOVE it!
Thank you so much for your help!
–A Bride who is trying to start a home also
YoungHouseLove says
Well there’s really not a right or wrong way to furnish your place so just start with what you need most and work from there. Just remember that it takes a while to really “finish a room” so don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s a post all about how we slowly decorated our living/dining room in stages:
https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/08/email-answer-look-before-you-leap/
Oh and our TV stand is from Target. It’s a great place for affordable furnishings, along with Ikea, Craigslist, thrift stores, JC Penney, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa@life4you says
Wow that is truly amazing! however hard I try I don’t think I could ever possibly be that organised!
Reem says
You guys have the most organized home ever! I love it and I totally respect it! Thank you for the tips, I am going to use at least 5 for sure! P.S. You guys are my new favorite home magazine, or even better, since I do not have to flip through the boring stuff to get to the good stuff!
Funmilayo says
Yay!, I bought that storage ottoman from Target, to store our blankets and baby things we usually have sitting on our sectional. The place looks better already. I’m also getting a smaller one for our bedroom. Thanks for the tips again
YoungHouseLove says
Glad to help! Ottomans are seriously the best storage secret out there.
xo,
s
Julie says
What would you suggest I do with my husbands extensive CD collection? There are literally at least 200. Those big binder style CD cases are no match for his collection. We have put many of them on iTunes but he still insists upon keeping the original CDs and cases. (I’m a major purger and I married a pack rat…it’s going to be an epic battle til the end, haha)
YoungHouseLove says
Ottomans, storage bins, baskets, etc. Those are our secret weapons. You could get a bookcase and fill it with baskets or boxes of them and intersperse some books and vases/planters for aesthetic appeal. Or you can grab a large padded ottoman like the one we have at our dining table and fill it to the brim with boxes of CDs. Good luck!
xo,
s
Julie says
Actually I really like the bookshelf idea. My book storage is getting a little low also, so I could kill two birds with one stone.
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo,
s
Sarah Young says
Hey Guys!!
Two quick questions. How did you get all of the paint desks, and is there a fee?
Congrats on the beanette! So exciting, only 12 days from D-day!! <3 Yes, I am counting down the days with you. You'd never know I just had my little man in March! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
Yup, we usually pay anywhere from $8-$20 to receive paint decks from a slew of different companies (although some have sent them our way or handed them to us over the counter without charging just because they’re feeling generous). It never hurts to ask if they have one laying around that they can pass your way! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
karisa says
sorry if you’ve already posted on this topic, but i’d love to pick your brain about photo organization. do you still print 4×6’s and put them into photo books? if you’ve already done a post on this topic, if you could point me to the link, i’d appreciate it.
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s that post for you (more info in the comments):
https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/05/easy-upgrades-count-on-it/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Heather says
Just out of curiosity, where do you store DVD’s?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re in the ottomans under the console table in the living room. We got a CD book (you know one of those big ones with clear pages that you can slide them in). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Chelsea says
Here’s a great site to check out to see what food, cosmetics, baby items, etc are rated for your health, environment,etc.
http://www.goodguide.com
Enjoy!
Chelsea
Jess says
hi guys, with your light bulbs I’ve been told that your not supposed to touch the glass bit because it shortens the life of them..
YoungHouseLove says
Interesting- thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Leah says
I just have to say that I am a bit of an organizing fanatic, and it thrills me to see other people’s ideas! I love the way you use cubes and ottomans. Thanks for the post. I feel like organizing now! :)
Lindsay says
I love all the storage ideas…and they all seem like they’d work great, unless you have a 16 month old little boy who likes to undo all your in-reach organization methods! I don’t think your daughter is to that stage yet, but just wait! You may have to get even more creative with your storage!
YoungHouseLove says
So true! Is it odd that I’m kind of excited about the challenge? Maybe I just like organizing a little too much…
xo,
s
Joanna says
Love your blog!….I’ve become obsessed :) and it inspires me to start my own. I was wondering where you got the small turquoise dish beside the egg crate. I think it would make a perfect ring dish for my night table and I really like the colour.
Thanks,
Joanna
YoungHouseLove says
That’s actually a soy sauce dish from Target that I got for sushi! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
I was wondering what brand the rolling caddy in your laundry room is…I was searching for it on Target.com, but there’s about a billion storage options to sift through and typing “rolling storage caddy” into the search bar was not bringing it up. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We think it was just the main Target “Home” brand. We’ve never been able to find it online (only in stores sometimes).
xo,
s
Shannon P Albrecht says
Does anyone have ideas and/or tips on how to store your kitchen knives? I’m a fan of not too much clutter on the kitchen counters, and we have a dedicated spice drawer & everything!! LOVE organizing. We’re big ‘foodies’ so we cook a lot & entertain our friends/family with dinners, etc. So right now we have our knives in the knife blocks (we have 2 blocks) that they came with. I’m not crazy about the magnetic knife strips (don’t like seeing those on my wall) and have found a pull down ‘shelf’ that you can mount under a cabinet, and that is the best idea that I’ve found so far, but is a little expensive.
So ideas on how we can store our knives so that they’re not seen & safe/easy to access?
Thanks J&S for an awesome blog!
Shannon :)
YoungHouseLove says
Any ideas for Shannon? We have a few nice chef’s knives that we store in a bamboo box in a drawer. We’ve seen cool knife blocks that seem to be full of skewers and you stick your knives into them and the skewers part to make way for the blades, so that’s a fun twist on the traditional knife block with pre-cut slots for each blade. Does anyone else have suggestions for Shannon?
xo,
s
Kim says
ve just recently found your blog again after coming across it accidentally a few months back while searching for something else. I am officially HOOKED! I’ve never followed a blog before and never even commented on the parenting sites I peruse. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog and your homes were/are just gorgeous! I can’t get enough and just love the way you both write – it really keeps it all fresh and interesting. I am also a compulsive neat freak (my poor hubby!), so I’m glad to see someone else shares this passion of keeping things neat and organized – a place for everything and everything in it’s place. I truly envy all the things you’ve done in your house. I aspire to have that totally clean, crisp, organized, but homey feel in my home eventually, but with two kids and not enough moolah, it will take some time. I like your suggestion of taking things a little at a time though. My hubby and I jumped right in painting and papering, starting several projects at once (before kids of course) and now 8 years later, quite a few are still not done. So, now it’s focus on one thing at a time and get it done. Also, your idea of living in the house for awhile before tackling reno projects, etc. is very very smart. We did the same thing with a screened in porch that we’re finally enclosing to make a home office/library/craft/sewing room. That will function much better for us than as a porch or play room as we originally thought. Thank you for all of your fantastic organization ideas – I can’t wait to put some of them to use. We do some of them now in fact – our trash can is under our sink (and yes, we have to empty it every day or every other). But I do love your composting idea for under the sink (I want to start composting myself). I do have to ask though – how does all of your recycling fit in that one small container? Or do you take it outside to your bins daily? We try to recycle everything we can and wind up with huge amounts of recycling in our house after a few days. Can’t wait to see how you transform your new house! Keep up the great blogging :)
YoungHouseLove says
We take it out to the big main bin about three times a week. Sometimes more. It actually fits a lot of milk cartons and magazines- you’d be surprised. We pile it high. Haha. Thanks for the sweet comment! So glad you found us.
xo,
s
Kim says
Thanks so much Sherry. I think I’m going to try that idea after I make room under our sink :) I am THRILLED i found your blog! I’ve ignored my family for the entire day (so sorry) but it will be so worth it when I start putting some of your ideas to work in our house. When I read how you hate cables, etc. cluttering up things and put your modem in a storage box from Ikea, I thought you were an organizing GODDESS! Ok, don’t want to sound weird, but honestly, it’s nice to see ideas from someone that ‘gets’ that whole idea of having a place for everything (so clean up is so easy and quick) and also pleasing to the eye! The only disappointment for me is that you no longer have the time to do commissioned mood boards/design ideas :( But I completely understand – I don’t know how you do all you do as it is! But if and when you ever start this up again, I will be first in line!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! We’ll definitely make a big announcement if we ever bring them back!
xo,
s
Wendy says
Your blog is great! I am new to reading blogs but HOOKED now! Thanks for letting us into your home this way, it gives GREAT ideas and your home is BEAUTIFUL!
Gracy says
Hi,
I would like to know, frm where did u get those star fish/??? i am searching for a while!!
Regards,
Gracy
YoungHouseLove says
Those were from a beach shop a while back for around 50 cents. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda Thomas says
loooove it! I remember when I had to organize my pantry! I still get get goosebumps thinking about it :/
Marian says
Where did you find the two brown storage bins that are under the table in your new house? (where the gallery is)
Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Those were under the console table in our first house too. From Target a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tania says
Let the organizationally obsessed unite! I love your blog and have bookmarked several posts. Having moved from a large 1 bedroom loft to a small NYC apartment, storage ideas are critical so thank you. The ottoman bench in the dining room is perfect and yours looks to be a great size. Is that a Target find? If so, which one (may have missed it)? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I think we got that one from Bed Bath & Beyond since the Target one we also had (and used as a mudroom bench) was a bit too low. But the one from Bed Bath & Beyond had longer little legs, so it was a better height for the table. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
louise says
sorry to drag you back to an oldie post but I have a jewellery question for you Sherry – I really want to steal your egg tray storage idea, what I want to know is, over time has any of your jewellery tarnished sitting in there? or do you rotate too often for that to happen?
thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
Nope! It has only tarnished when I wear it on beach vacations. Haha!
xo
s
Katie says
Scrolling through old posts and was wondering if you found a place for the white bull (is it a bull, I’m having a brain fart!) that sits on top of the magazines in your new house? I remember seeing you guys on the cover of The Nest years ago and loving that bull!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh we love that guy! He’s super heavy, so we prefer to lean him than hang him on the wall, and so far we haven’t found the perfect leaning spot for him. Soon I hope!
xo
s
kelly says
Hi! Love your blog! I’m wondering where the shelves behind your dining room table are from? Thanks! xo kelly
YoungHouseLove says
The floating shelves are from Ikea.
-John