Ever stare mournfully at those hard to reach upper shelves and wonder how you can ever keep them organized and maximize their storage ability? Storage bins are wonderful solutions that help both keep things organized and allow you to store more stuff. We have often recommended their use in the past and today we will help you find the perfect storage bins for your closet!

Four stores and hundreds of bins later..

To get a good samples of offerings available we decided to visit four popular stores in NYC, we will pick out three favorites and rate them each in accordance to function, look and value. We will also talk about what type of closet they  are appropriate for as well as suggestion on how they can be best used. On with our ultimate storage bin death-match!

First up; for Those Practical Minded Do It-Your-Selfer.

The mecca of home improvement; Home Depot! We found a decent variety of reasonably priced bins here, but as a whole they were long on practicality but short on design and finish. We also notice that a lot of the bins we saw here were design with features that allow them to be easily shipped and warehoused but detract from look and practicality. Great for your garage but not so good for your closet.

1. The Sterilite 28 Quarts Storage Box (16″ x 22 1/4″ x 5 1/2″): 2 out of 5 STARS

There are huge variety of sizes, but we like the 28 quarts the best since it offer a decent capacity without becoming too heavy to carry when you fill it with stuff. Their shallow depth also means that you can stack them and pull them out like drawers. Being able to see the content is also nice. We hate the taper sides, designed to make them stackable in stores but actually takes away from their capacity, and look terrible.

2. The Sterilite 29 Quarts Clear View Drawers (15″ x 18″ x 9 1/2″): 2 out of 5 STARS

We like these clear view drawer for their size and accessibility. You can easily see what’s inside and simply pull the drawer out to reach what you need. They will work best for open front closets since you will need a bit of room to slide the drawers all the way out. You also have to be pretty tall to reach into a drawer on the top shelf. The other downside is that you can’t easily pull the drawer completely out for easier packing, or to switch them around for that matter. Lastly they are some of the least exciting looking bins in our list.

3. Martha Stewart Living Fabric Drawers (10 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ x 11″): 2 out of 5 STARS

We were initially draw in by the cheerful looking fabric cover on these storage cubes but were a bit disappointed after seeing the floor samples. They were small and very floppy and so not really stackable unless you purchase the modular shelving units they fit into. They are pretty shallow so will work best in shallow closets that is less than 20″ deep, and because of their material and size should be use mostly for clothing only.

Next up; for the Bedroom Decor/ Pillow Addicts

Bed Bath & Beyond always remind us of frilly duvet covers and fuzzy bathroom rugs. At their hip Chelsea location with an cafe popular with  lunch crowds, we found a wide selection of bins and baskets perfect for our picky design taste. Aside from the practical storage boxes, we also found some alternatives that will not only help you stay organized but also go a long way towards making your closet a more inviting place to visit.

4. I am Made Smart Storage box (11″ x 15″ x 8″): 3 out of 5 STARS

We like these  practical minded storage boxes. They are generously sized and easily accessible from the front. We also loved the rough paper finish on them as it looks and feel warm and comfortable. We do wish that the magnetically held closed door would come with straps to keep them open at a 90 degree position, which will create a nice ledge to make digging around inside the box a little bit easier. This box will work well if you don’t have enough depth in your closet to accommodate a pull out drawer.

5. Like It Organization Tray (12 1/2″ x 19 1/2″ x 12 1/4″): 4 out of 5 STARS

We were fascinated by this storage bin, a combination of open front storage with a slide out drawers that’ll help you get at those sweaters that always seem to get stuck at the back of the box. They also come in a nice variety of rectangular sizes which will let you mix and match base on what you need to keep. You do need to be mindful of how you pack them since things that falls off the rear of the tray might get lodge in the back of the box and get in the way. These bins will work best for larger items that can be stack nicely.

6. Cloth Lined Wicker Basket (15″ x 20″ x 7″): 3 out of 5 STARS

If you have multi tiered built in shelving then your other option is to go with a topless basket. We especially like these baskets since they were just the right size and depth for us. The cloth lining which will protect the content also seems durable and best of all, washable. You can easily pull them off the shelf and dig around for that elusive item you need. We also like the way they look, is it too much to ask for some character in our bins?

Next week, we visits our favorite storage store of all time as well as a new comer from the far East!

Tags: Closet, Closetspiration, DreamCloset, Interior Design, Storage

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 11:32 am by Hsiang.
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