The Edit: My Top 6 Elevated Home Organizing Essentials
The home organizing products I actually use — plus free alternatives you already own
Spring is officially kicking off this week (!) so it seemed like a fun time to share a roundup of my ride-or-die home organizing products just in time for spring cleaning. These are the items I use in my own home and on nearly every makeover project with my private clients.
Beyond these workhorses and a handful of others, I use very little in the way of organizing products, preferring to repurpose what I, or my clients, already own. Before you hit the shops, it's always worth shopping your own home first.
Let's get into it…
Airtight Glass Jars
I know the pantry decanting debate is real, but I’m firmly on team airtight jar. Our staples stay fresh for months, we can see at a glance what needs restocking, and it genuinely makes the pantry a pleasure to open. I also use glass jars for laundry detergent and other household essentials that can be bought in bulk — great for cutting down on plastic packaging, too.
Airtight Glass Jars / $13 - linked here
Free alternative: Mason jars work perfectly, as do repurposed jam jars or any food storage jar with a snug lid. A matching set of even mismatched jars still looks 10x better than a shelf full of bulky original packaging.
Canvas Bins
I’ve been reaching for these basic canvas bins for my entire career. They’re endlessly useful — in an entryway for stowing seasonal accessories, in an office or craft room for corralling supplies, in a linen closet for sheets and towels.
Pro tip: Store your full sheet sets inside a single canvas bin. Your linen closet will look immediately organized, and you’ll never have to wrestle with neatly folding a fitted sheet again.
Canvas Bins / $20 - linked here
Free alternative: Any structured box or spare bin you have on hand will get the job done.
Hooks, Glorious Hooks
Hooks do more heavy lifting per dollar than almost anything else in the home — and they're my number one small-space solution. I use sturdy hooks in the entryway for coats, bags, and hats; in the closet for belts, bags, and jewelry; in the bathroom for towels and robes; and in the kitchen for aprons, oven mitts, and dish towels. For a genuinely clever trick, try S-hooks from the hardware store to hang mugs, cooking utensils, tools, or even jeans by the belt loop.
Sturdy Double Hook / $39 - linked here
Free alternative: Repurpose any hooks you already own or S-hooks from any hardware store run about $1–2 each and work on curtain rods, shelving units, and pot racks. One of the best budget-friendly organizing tools around, full stop.
Drawer Organizers
Want to neaten up a bathroom, office, or junk drawer in minutes flat? Drawer dividers for the win. I prefer them in bamboo (over plastic) and you can also puzzle piece together your own makeshift drawer dividers using shallow food storage containers or even iphone boxes which are super sturdy and structured. I use the bamboo version in our bathroom and kitchen drawers. Bonus: they’re stackable.
Bamboo Drawer Organizers / from $5- linked here
Wooden Hangers
The number one investment you can make to elevate your closet? A simple set of matching hangers. I prefer wood over plastic or velvet because wooden hangers are sturdier, more sustainable, and will genuinely last a lifetime — I’ve had mine for almost ten years with zero signs of wear. (The popular slim velvet variety, by contrast, tends to snap, break, and collect dust like nobody’s business.)
Before buying anything new, do a ruthless closet edit first — you can often cobble together a matching set from what you already own.
White Wooden Hangers / $13 - linked here
Free alternative: Round up any matching hangers you already own — plastic, wood, or otherwise. A unified set in any material makes a bigger visual impact than you’d expect.
Large Open Baskets
Large, round floor baskets are one of the most versatile storage tools I know. I use them for everything — laundry, shoes, magazines, throws and pillows, library books, toys, games, stuffed animals. The list genuinely goes on and on. No lids, no labels, no fuss.
Handwoven Storage Basket w/ Leather Handles / $149 - linked here
Free alternative: Repurpose any open vessel you already own — a felt bin, a canvas tote, or any basket that’s been sitting in a closet. If it can hold things and stand upright, it counts.
To be honest, aside from these workhorse staples and a handful of others, I use little else in the way of home organizing products - preferring to repurpose items that I, or my clients, already own. Before you hit the shops it’s always wise to shop your own home - most of us have at least a few stray bins, baskets, jars, or dividers that can be easily repurposed.
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Delightful organizing porn! Thanks for all the recs, including things we already own. Very fun!
I went to a hotel in NYC this winter that was somewhat mediocre EXCEPT! It had almost a whole wall of hooks in my room. Probably at least 10. I was hanging up coats, scarves, shopping bags, hats, purse. SO GLORIOUS! Putting hooks everywhere in hotels and rental houses seems incredibly obvious to me and yet! Why so rare!?! Hooks can be a cute design element too, like shaker pegs or some brass situation. I'm very pro-hook. Hooks for everyone, everywhere